arch. Forms: 1 weʓfarende, 4 weyfarende, -faringe, -varyng, (5 -fareng), 4–6 wayfarynge, -inge, 6 wayefa(y)rynge, waifaring, 7 way-fairing, 6– wayfaring. [OE. weʓfarende, f. weʓ WAY sb.1 + pres. pple. of faran FARE v.1 Cf. Icel. (14th c.) vegfarandi, MSw. vāgh-, Sw. vāgfarande, Da. veifarende. Cf. the cognate WAYFERING.] Travelling or journeying by road. Usually wayfaring man, a traveller by road. Also fig.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xxvi. 204. Sum weʓfarende man ferde wið þone feld.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace, 3659. We ar … Weyfarende men þat wolde haue gryþ.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, V. 449. For refresshynge and socour of way farynge [MS. γ weyvaryng] men.
1502. Atkynson, trans. De Imitatione, III. xxiii. (1893), 216. O iesu,… the solace & conforte of wayfarynge soules.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 157. The waye beyng sumwhat trodden afore, by waye fayrynge men.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxxviii. § 11. 241. The necessities of trauailers waifaring men and such like.
1611. Bible, Isa. xxxv. 8. The wayfaringmen, though fooles, shall not erre therein.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. 155. When the Shepherds perceived that they were way-fairing men, they also put questions to them,… as, Whence came you?
1897. ‘Edna Lyall’ (title), Wayfaring Men.
† b. Wayfaring man’s tree, the fuller form of WAYFARING-TREE.
Both are found in Gerarde for the first time, but only the latter survived.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, III. cxv. 1305. The Wayfaring mans tree groweth vp to the height of an hedge tree, of a meane bignesse.
Hence Wayfaringly adv. rare.
1552. Huloet, Wayfayryngly, peregrine, uiatice.
