Obs. Forms: 1–2, 3–4 wen, 3–6 wene, (3 wæne), 4–5 weene; Sc. and north. 4–5 weyne, 4 vene, veyn, 5 weyn. [OE. wén fem. (rarely masc. or neut.) corresp. to OFris. wên opinion, OS. wân masc., hope, OHG., MHG. wân masc., opinion, hope, etc. (mod.G. wahn fem., delusion), ON. ván fem., hope, Goth. wēn-s hope:—OTeut. *wǣni-z, f. Teut. and Indogermanic root *wen- to love.]
1. Opinion, belief. (Cf. WONE sb.)
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xl. § 3. Ne bið lof na ðy læsse, ac is wen þæt hit sie þy mare.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 390, note. Efter monnes wene.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 73. Ðis ik wort in ebrisse wen, He witen ðe soðe ðat is sen. Ibid., 3271. Egipcienes woren in twired wen queðer he sulden folȝen or flen.
a. 1275. Prov. Ælfred, 215, in O. E. Misc., 115. & ich her ȝu wille leren wenes mine, wit & wisdome.
2. Expectation, hope. (Cf. WONE sb.)
Beowulf, 383 (Gr.). Þæs ic wen hæbbe.
c. 1205. Lay., 28141. Of þine kume nis na wene for no weneð heo nauere to soðe þat þu cumen aȝin from Rome.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 651 (Camb. MS.). To hire was mi meste wene, For to habbe to mi quene.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 88. It were betre be refused Than forto worchen upon weene.
3. Probability, supposition; doubt.
Beowulf, 1845 (Gr.). Wen ic taliʓe … þæt þe Sæ-Ʒeatas selran næbben to ʓeceosenne cyning æniʓne.
c. 1205. Lay., 13503. Hit bið a muchele wæne whær ȝe i-seon me auere mare. Ibid., 18752. Þa ȝet hit weore a wene whar þu heo mihtes aȝe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1104. Bituixand þei þe southe had sene O thing þai wist noght bot a wene.
4. Phrases. a. Wen is, is wen: the probability is (that …), it is probable (that …).
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xi. 72. Forðæm hit is wen ðæt se ne mæʓe oðerra monna scylde ofaðwean [etc.].
971. Blickl. Hom., 235. Wen is þæt ic ʓefyrenode. Ibid., 239. Cum nu mid us … þy læs wen is þæt hi us eft ʓenimon.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John viii. 19. Ʒyf ʓe me cuþon, wen is þæt ʓe cuþon minne fæder.
c. 1200. Ormin, 7152. & wen iss þatt he wass forrdredd & serrhfull in hiss herrte.
b. Without(en (any) ween, but ween (Sc.), forout(en ween (Sc.): without doubt.
c. 1200. Ormin, 4326. Þu findesst wiss wiþþutenn wen Rihhte ehhte siþe an hunndredd.
c. 1205. Lay., 631. To soðen wihuten wene þe laȝe hehte Marciane.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 468. In þat curt þat is so clene, May na filth in dwell wituten wene.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 574. Withouten wene, Wel semyde by hir apparayle She was not wont to gret trauayle. Ibid. (c. 1374), Troylus, IV. 1593. Er Phebus suster lucyna the shene, The leon passe out of þis ariete, I wol ben here with-outen ony wene.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 162. Thai presit hym so fast, That, had he nocht the bettir beyn, He had beyn ded forouten veyn. Ibid., XIX. 292. The erll sperit giff he had seyne The Inglis host; ‘ȝa, schir, but weyne.’
c. 1440. York Myst., xi. 104. I will go witte withowten wene.
1450. Holland, Houlate, 382. Of Scotland the wer wall, wit ȝe but wene, Our fais force to defend.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 2880. The thrid … was o manly knycht, but weyne.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, III. 51. Twentie and fiue, quhen thay war red but wene.
