Obs. Also 3 efne, efene. [ME. efne, evene, ad. ON. efni material, pl. ability, OSw. æfni (Sw. æmna stuff, Da. evne ability).]
1. Material; subject-matter.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 335 (Cott.). Of himself he toke his euen þat he of wroght bath erth and heuen.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., clxxxii. Quhat nedis me, apoun so litill evyn, To writt all this?
2. a. Nature; form or shape. b. Natural powers.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 137. Þe heuenliche þremnesse was mid him þo he fulcnede ure helende. Þe fader on stefne. Þe sunne on mannes efene. Þe holi gost on culures hewe.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 126. Ancre … ouhte leden herd lif, ase dude þe lefdi Iudit, efter hire efne.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 57. Euchan bi his euene … wurðschipede his maumez.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 43. Ha cwikede of cleane cunde, as is in engles euene. Ibid., 43. A charbucle is betere þen a iacinct iþe euene of hare cunde.
a. 1240. Ureisun, in Cott. Hom., 187. He mot scottin efne after his euene.
c. 1325. Pol. Songs (1839), 157. Somenours … Mys motinde men alle by here evene.
