Obs. exc. arch. Pa. t. and pa. pple. weened. Forms: 1 wénan, wǽnan, 2–4 wenen, 3 weone, 3–5 wen, 3–6 wene, 4–5 whene, Sc. ven(e, vein, 4–6 Sc. and north. weyn(e, 5 veyn, 6 wean, 6–7 Sc. wein(e, 4–7 weene, 5– ween; 3–4, 6 win(n, wyn(n. Pa. t. 1 wénde, 3–6 wende, 3 wænde, 3–6 wend, 4 Sc. whende, vend, 5–6 Sc. weind, weynd; 3–6 went(e, 4 north. weint, 5 wentt, whente, (6 Sc. wont, wount, wint). Pa. pple. 4–6 wend(e, went, 5 whent. [A Common Teut. weak verb: OE. wénan corresp. to OFris. wêna to think, OS. wânian (MLG. wênen, wânen, LG. wanen), OLow Frankish wânan (MDu. Du. wanen to fancy, think), OHG. wânnen, wânen (MHG. wænen, mod.G. wähnen to suppose wrongly, imagine), ON. vǽna to hope, Goth. wēnjan to hope:—OTeut. *wǣnjan, f. *wǣni- WEEN sb.
The word seems to have gone out of general use in the 17th c. It has survived as an archaism, esp. in the parenthetic formula illustrated in 1 h.]
1. trans. In regard to what is present or past: To think, surmise, suppose, conceive, believe, consider. In ME. often with well. a. Const. object-clause, with or without that.
971. Blickl. Hom., 55. Þa word þe he wenþ þæt him leofoste syn to ʓehyrenne.
1154. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1137. Al þe tunscipe fluʓæn for heom, wenden ðæt hi wæron ræueres.
c. 1200. Ormin, 11585. Forr þatt te deofell shollde Wel wenenn þatt he wære mann.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1543. Ysaac wende it were esau.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7557. Quat! wyns þou i am a hund?
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 10596. He went he had be hys brother.
1471. Caxton, Recuyell (Sommer), 148. Whan they sawe Iupiter, they had went he had ben half man and half hors.
1530. Palsgr., 756/2. The castell which men wente had ben inprennable, is throwen downe nowe.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 455/1. If they had but tolde the myracles that Christ did, the countries to whom they were sent, woulde haue went that they had lyed.
1580. Fulke, Martiall Confuted, iv. 169. Let him looke in his lexicon, where I weene al his Greeke is.
1600. Holland, Livy, V. xxxix. 205. The Romanes … weening that there was none left alive.
1614. Camden, Rem., Prov., 313. They that be in hell wene there is no other heauen.
1721. Colin’s Mistakes, iv. 3. Well I ween, That … Dan Spenser makes the fav’rite Goddess known.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, III. xxxi. Some said that there were thousands ten; And others ween’d that it was nought But Leven clans, or Tynedale men.
1838. Mrs. Browning, Deserted Garden, xii. Though never a dream the roses sent Of science or love’s compliment, I ween they smelt as sweet.
1848. Lytton, Harold, VI. i. But well I ween that Gryffyth will never keep troth with the English.
† b. Const. infin. To ween to be or do = to think that one is or does. Obs.
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 9. Sume weneð bien sacleas of ðessere senne [of swearing], for ðan ðe me nett hem to ðan aðe.
c. 1205. Lay., 24535. Ælc wende to beon betere þene oðer.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12119. Þof þou wen make-less to be, Þat nan in lare sal teche þe.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 96. So that she wende haue al his hert yknowe.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 15. Betwen tuo Stoles lyth the fal, Whan that men wenen best to sitte.
c. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, cxi. 151. After this sorw, that she went to haue loste her sone, she hadde another.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. Prol. 131. Quhen we best wene To haue Virgill red, understand, and sene, The richt sentence perchance is fer to seik.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 150. The parret … weening to see another parret in the glasse.
† c. Const. obj. and compl. (sb. or adj.). Obs.
c. 1230. Hali Meid. (1922), 10. Al is þet tu wendest golt, iwurðe to meastling.
1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 40. Weenynge his liif glorios þat is vicious.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 12. Men schal nat wenyn euery thyng a lye For that he say it nat of ȝore ago.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, II. lxvi. (1869), 100. Gretli j am abasht þat þou þat j wende a nice man answerest me so wel.
1533. More, Answ. poysoned Bk., Wks. 1036/1. They … should shortlye perceiue in euery place where they wene themselfe many, how very few they be.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 44. Weene you … thee Greekish nauye returned?
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VII. vi. 11. Shee her selfe more worthy thereof wend.
† d. Const. obj. and infin. Obs.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 534. So wis wenst þou þe be.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 96. I wot thou wolt nothing forbere Of that thou wenest be thi beste.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 265. That thai may be kend wenand thame self till have rychtwis caus.
1528. in Pocock, Rec. Reform., I. 85. We wening the same to have been our way.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., 19. While the eye weeneth a round Globe … to be a flat and plaine Circle.
1606. Holland, Sueton., 43. Kenning a farre of Pompeis gallies … and weening them to be his owne.
† e. With simple object (usually a neut. pronoun): To think, believe, credit (something). Also, to surmise or suspect to exist. Obs.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xlii. Nis þæt ðeah no licumlice to wenanne, ac gastlice.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 440. Þeah … us ʓedafenað þæt we hit wenon swiðor þonne we unrædlice hit ʓeseþan.
c. 1230. Hali Meid. (1922), 11. Hwen þus is of þe riche, hwat wenes tu of the poure.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 2154. Na man ille dede shuld wene Þar, whar gude lyf byfor has bene.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 244. Hit were a wonder to wene.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 1031. But herke, Pandare, o word, for I nolde That thow in me wendest so gret folye.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvii. (Machor), 78. Þis quhen þe king had herd & sen, þe Ioy he had wald na man wen.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5672. Is no man wrecched, but he it wene.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 239. Neither must we here consyder, what the greatest multitude weneth, but what the trewthe is.
1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xx. 117. Quhat sall we wene of tratours kene.
c. 1570. Pride & Lowl. (1841), 65. These matters … So straunge, and so incredible to weene.
† f. coupled or contrasted with wit (wot, etc.).
c. 1290. Holy Cross, 11, in S. Eng. Leg., 1. Ich wene þat ich wot Ȝwat þis somunce amounti schal.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 47. Þer wonys þat worþyly I wot & wene.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 77. But quhethir scho … Wenit, or vist it vitterly, It fell eftir all halely As scho said.
c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 1559. Wot ye well and not wene, Whan eyther of hem had other sene, Smertely rerid her dede.
1721. J. Kelly, Sc. Prov., 69. Before I ween’d, but now I wat.
g. ellipt. or absol. Usually with adv. or conj. (as, than, when, etc.).
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xl. § 2. Uton healdan unc þæt wit ne wenen swa swa þis folc wenð.
c. 1200. Ormin, 9826. Annd tatt wass mikell wherrfeddleȝȝc Þatt dide hemm swa to wenenn.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 222. Moni þet ne weneð nout bredeð in hire breoste sum liunes hweolp.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 706. Ich am a mad man … Forto wene in þis wise.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xv. (Barnabas), 3. Bot þai wene wrang.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 470. Riȝt so rude men … Louen and by-leuen by lettred mennes doynges, And by here wordes and werkes wenen and trowen.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet, 1019. I am wastid wor þan I wend.
c. 1450. Merlin, i. 19. Thow art not so wyse as thow weneste.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VI. v. 189. I know you better than ye wene.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., I. (Arb.), 45. Which is an opinion not so trewe, as some men weene.
1601. Song of Mary, in Farr, S. P. Eliz. (1845), 432. Farre more they be than we can weene.
1615. Bp. Andrewes, Serm., Nativ. x. (1629), 90. And sure, the way is not readie to hit;… It is but a foolish imagination, so to ween of it.
1746. Francis, trans. Hor., Sat., II. viii. 26. If haply right I ween.
1808. Scott, Marm., I. xxi. Even our good chaplain, as I ween, Since our last siege we have not seen.
1850. Mrs. Browning, House of Clouds, viii. Named as Fancy weeneth.
h. used parenthetically (esp. in I ween) rather than as governing the sentence. In verse often a mere tag.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., I. 157. Eiðer of þisse teres schedde þe apostel leste ich wene [L. fudit fortasse apostolus] þa þe he seide [etc.].
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 210. Nis, ich wene, no mon þet [etc.].
c. 1300. Havelok, 655. Þre dayes þer-biforn, i wene, Et he no mete.
c. 1420. ? Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 278. Of royall rychesse wantyd she noone I wene.
c. 1500. Nut-Brown Maid, xxviii. Ye shape some wyle, me to begyle, and stele fro me I wene.
1564. Anne Lady Bacon, trans. Jewel’s Apol. (1859), 47. And do all they themselves, ween you, agree well together?
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 741. Nor turnd I weene Adam from his fair Spouse.
1764. H. Walpole, Otranto, iv. He, I ween, is no sacred personage.
1787. Burns, Humble Petit. Bruar Water, iii. A panegyric rhyme, I ween, Even as I was he shor’d me.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, iii. See what tidings that horn tells us of—to announce, I ween, some hership and robbery.
1835. Lytton, Rienzi, I. v. And never, I ween well, had she greater need of true friends than now.
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. II. Ingol. Penance, 2. A stalwart knight, I ween, was he.
a. 1873. Deutsch, Lit. Rem. (1874), 251. There will be a greater harvest still, we ween.
2. In regard to what is future or contingent: To expect, anticipate, count on; to surmise, suspect; to think possible or likely. Const. object-clause, with or without that, etc.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xx. 10. Þa þe þær ærest comon wendon þæt hiʓ sceoldon mare onfon.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 178. Ne wene non of heie liue þet heo ne beo itempted.
c. 1290. Beket, 2045, in S. Eng. Leg., 165. Wenst þou þat ichulle fleo?
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, IV. 384. Who wolde haue wend þat yn so lytel a þrowe Fortune oure Ioye wolde han ouer þrowe.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 210. My lif wend I thair suld be gane.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 182. [He] gafe the sauf condyt, wenand it wald be obeyde.
15[?]. Freiris of Berwik, 246. Quha wenit that ȝe sa lait wald haif cum hame?
1535. Goodly Primer, P ij. I had wente that I shulde haue gone to my graue in my beste dayes.
† b. with direct object (sb. or neut. pronoun).
In OE. the object is in the genitive. So (rarely) in early ME.
971. Blickl. Hom., 51. Ʒif we ane hwile beoþ on hwylcum earfoþum þær we ures feores ne wenaþ.
a. 1240. Ureisun, in Lamb. Hom., 187. Nai soþes nai. Ne wene hit neuer no mon.
a. 1250. Prov. Alfred, 161, in O. E. Misc., 112. Monymon weneþ þat he wene ne þarf, longes lyues.
a. 1375. Prov. Ælfred (2nd version), 650. Ac þanne þu hid lest wenest þe luþere þe biswiket.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10128. Prophecies com al to end, Quen Iues alþerlest it wend.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 317. Whan William was comen, & wende no tresoun, Sone was he nomen, & don in prisoun.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 81. Thei that wende pees Tho myhten finde no reles Of thilke swerd which al devoureth.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 1973. So nere hys herte the sorowe sought All-moste hys lyffe wolde no man wene.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. ii. 38. Ȝour first reskew … Furth of a Gregioun cetie sall be schaw, Quhilk thow lest wenis [L. quod minime reris].
Prov. c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 400. Hym thar nat wene wel that yuele dooth.
1670. Ray, Prov., 227 (Scottish Proverbs). He that evil does, never good weines.
c. With inf., present or perfect, with or without to († for to, † till): To expect, hope, wish; to purpose, intend, be minded.
Beowulf, 933. Ðæt wæs unʓeara, þæt ic æniʓra me weana ne wende … bote ʓebidan.
1154. O. E. Chron., an. 1140. Eustace … wende to biʓæton Normandi þær þurh.
c. 1205. Lay., 1848. Þa heo best wende to fleonne, þa weoren heo faie.
c. 1250. Owl & Night., 814. He [the fox] weneþ eche hunde at wrenche.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6853. Your faas þat yow winnes [v.r. wenis] witstand Sal haue na might o fote and hand.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 5298. In-to Egipte þen schiped he, ffor wel wend he þer siker haue be.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVIII. 50. I wend neuir till here that of the!
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, II. vi. 83. I lytel wende to haue met with yow at this sodayne auenture.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 17 b. A colde sweat brake out, so that he wened to dye straght waye.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iii. 41. And ramping on his shield, did weene the same Haue reft away with his sharpe rending clawes.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., II. v. 88. Thy Father … Leuied an Army, weening to redeeme, And haue installed me in the Diademe.
1611. Bible, 2 Macc. v. 21. Weening in his pride to make the land nauigable.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 86. They weend That self same day by fight, or by surprize To win the Mount of God.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, II. xxix. Ye ween to hear a melting tale, Of two true lovers in a dale.
1854. J. S. Blackie, in Blackw. Mag., LXXVI. 266. Beyond the bounds of earth to fly Impious he weened.
d. ellipt. with adv. (e.g., least), or conj. (ere, sooner, than, etc.), instead of inf. or object-clause.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., vii. § 1. Þonne hy læst wenað.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxiv. 50. Þonne cymþ ðæs weles hlaford on þam dæʓe ðe he na ne wenþ.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 222. Ich chulle … worpen hire oðere half, & breden uerliche adun er he lest wene.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 9471. As he stod, er he lost wende, He was schot to deþe.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1376. That may fal soner than som wenes.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 23. And wis menis etling cumis nocht Till sic end as thai weyn alwayis.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., V. 211. And heer an ende, er then y wende, y fynde.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, I. xxiii. 31. What houre we wene not þe sonne of man shal come.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, iii. 62. Quhen ȝe leist wein, ȝour baks may to the wall.
1814. Cary, Dante, Par., xxxi. 53. Round I turned With purpose of my lady to inquire … But answer found from other than I weened.
† 3. With neut. adj. or adv. and prep.: To think (much or highly) of: to feel or be affected towards; to trust in. Also without const. (cf. overween). Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 21. Þanne þe man wenþ more of him-zelue þanne he ssolde.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 109. Whan he most in his strengthe wende. Ibid., 222. Bot wolde god that grace sende, That toward me my lady wende As I towardes hire wene!
1593. G. Harvey, Pierces Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 125. He winneth not most abroad that weeneth most at-home.
† 4. intr. with of, for: To dream of, look for, expect. Obs.
1589. Martins Months Minde, E 1 b. Howbeit, it was not that so well, as they do ween for, (being perhappes reserued for his two sonnes hereafter).
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., V. i. 136. Weene you of better lucke, I meane in periur’s Witnesse, then your Master, Whose Minister you are…?
5. In renderings of certain Latin words. † a. trans. To esteem, respect; to reckon or esteem equal to.
c. 1000. Lamb. Psalter, lxxxvii. 5. Aestimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum, ʓewened ic eom mid nyþerastiʓendum to seaðe.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter lxxxvii. 5. I am wened in ilka land To þas þat ere in flosche falland. Ibid., cxliii. 3. Lauerd, whilk es … sone of man, for þou wenest him [Vulg. quia reputas eum]?
† b. To impute (an offence) to (a person). Obs.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xxxi. 2. Seli man to wham noght wenes lauerd sinne [Vulg. cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum].
† 6. In impersonal use. Only in the absol. pres. pple. weening = it seeming, as (because, since) it seemed (to some one). Const. clause (usually with that) or inf. Obs.
c. 1450. Capgrave, Life St. Aug., xxxiii. 42. For þat same had he do or þis tyme had not Valery sent him owl of þe weye, wenyng to many men þat he schuld not sone come a-geyn.
c. 1470. Gregory, Chron., in Hist. Coll. Cit. Lond. (Camden), 234. Wenyng unto the thevys that the boxys hadde ben sylvyr ovyr gylt, but was but copyr.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 92. Wherof they were sore aferde…, wenyng to them that it had be the deuyl.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss. (1812), I. cclxv. 391. They came … to a village called Puiernon, and toke their lodgynge, wenyng to them to be in surety. Ibid., ccclxxxv. 652. Ye duke and his went to Berwyk, wenyng to the duke to haue entred into the towne;… but the capitane of the towne … refused to him the entre, and closed the gates agaynst hym and his.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 233. Aiax … in his madnesse … slewe a greate noumbre of theim, weenyng to hym that he had slain Ulysses and his coumpaignie.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 276. The commons of Roane and of Beuioys … sodainely met with the Englishe Marshalles, wenyng to them they had bene Frenchmen.
