Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 freȝnan, friȝnan, frínan, 3 fræinen, -ien, Orm. fraȝȝnenn, (frayny, south. vraini), 3–5 frein(e(n, 4–5 frain(e, fran(e, -ayn(e, -eyn(e, (4 freygne, 5 frayen, fraynne), 9– frayn. Also pa. t. 4 frain. [A Com. Teut. str. vb. inflected in ME. as wk.; OE. freȝnan, friȝnan, frínan (pa. t. fræȝn, frán, pl. fruȝnon, frúnon, also wk. (ȝe)fræȝnade) = OS. fregnan (pa. t. fragn), ON. fregna (pa. t. frá), Goth. fraihnan (pa. t. frah); the Teut. root *freh-, freg- is found also in OE. fricȝan to ask, fricca herald, freht (= *freoht, friht) oracle, and (with different vowel-grade) in OS. frâgén (Du. vragen), OHG. frâgên, frâhen (MHG. vrâgen, mod.Ger. fragen); further (with metathesis), OHG. fergôn to ask, beg. The OAryan root is *prek-, prk-, found, e.g., in L. precārī to PRAY; and with -sk- suffix in L. poscĕre (:—*porksk-), Ger. forschen to demand.]
1. trans. To make inquiry of (a person) about (something); = ASK v. 2–6 (which see for constructions).
Beowulf (Z.), 1319. (He) fhæȝn ȝif him wære æfter neodlaðum niht ȝetæse.
a. 800. Corpus Gloss., C 581 (Hessels). Consulo, friȝno.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. iii. (1890), 268. Hine fruȝnon & ascodon his ȝeferan, for hwon he þis dyde.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. cxxxviii[i]. 20. Þone fælan ȝeþanc frine me syþþan.
c. 1205. Lay., 30734.
| Brien hine gon fræine | |
| of his fare-coste. |
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7193 (Cott.).
| Sua lang sco frain him, þat bald, | |
| þat suilk a gabing he hir tald. |
c. 1325. English Metrical Homilies (1862) 151.
| And this ermyt bigan to frain | |
| At Satenas, hou he hafd spedde. |
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VIII. 3.
| And frayned ful oft · of folke þat I mette, | |
| If ani wiȝte wiste · where dowel was at Inne. |
c. 1420. Sir Amadace (Camden), xvii.
| Thenne Sir Amadace franut hur the marchandes name, | |
| That hade done hur alle that schame. |
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 678.
| And sithe he freyned also swithe: | |
| ‘how fares my lady brighte?’ |
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. xi.
| I passit furth and fast at thame did frane | |
| Quhat men thay wer? |
1522. Skelton, Why nat to Court, 396.
| Ones yet agayne | |
| Of you I wolde frayne, | |
| Why come ye nat to court? |
1555. Abp. Parker, Ps. xxviii. 65. Theyr myndes disdayne Gods actes to fraine.
1575–6. Durham Depositions (Surtees), 270. The said Umphra frayned the said Thomas.
1592. Warner, Alb. Eng., VII. xxxvii. (1612), 181. I, musing, frain’d her meaning.
1703. Thoresby, Lett. to Ray (E.D.S.), Frayn, to ask. Lanc.
1803. W. S. Rose, Amadis, 160.
| Frayn’d by the knight, they told, a beauteous maid, | |
| Who, loudly shrieking, call’d on heav’n for aid, | |
| Was borne a prisoner to an armed train, | |
| As the last sun was verging to the main. |
b. intr. To make inquiries; to inquire at or of (a person); to ask after (a person), of = about (a thing).
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xix. [xxi]. (1890), 316. Swa swa me seolfum frinendum … Wilferþ biscop sæȝde.
c. 1200. Ormin, 19627.
| Þa Farisewwess haffdenn sket | |
| Off Cristess dedess fraȝȝnedd. |
c. 1275. On Serving Christ, 73, in O. E. Misc., 92. Þayh þu frayny after freond, ne fyndestu non.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3849 (Cott.). Þai frannid o þar frendes fare.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Regimine Principum, 3745. Thus of hir he gan to axe and freyne.
c. 1420. Sir Amadace (Camden), lvi.
| And if he frayne oȝte aftur me, | |
| For quethun I come, or quat cuntre, | |
| Say him my sute is quite. |
c. 1430. Syr Tryam., 1099.
| The kyng at hym can frayne,— | |
| ‘Syr,’ he seyde, ‘yowre men ar slayne, | |
| Alle nyn on a rowe!’ |
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 261.
| He franyt | |
| Of thar counsall in this caiss. |
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 227. He began to frane farther mair.
c. 1568. A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), xxxiv. 45. Ȝe preiche, ȝe fleich, ȝe frane.
2. a. trans. To ask for (a thing); to request (a person) to do something, b. intr. To ask, request. Const. for.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 129. As fortune fares þer as ho frayneȝ.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. vi. 39.
| For þis as scho fraynyd fast, | |
| He consentyd at þe last. |
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 485.
| Ful curteilie he can him frayn | |
| ‘Al the sothe him to sayn.’ |
Hence † Frayning vbl. sb.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 27371 (Cott.). Þe preist bi-gin þan his franyng.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, Adrian, 29.
| & brocht sofi befor þe kynge, | |
| þat one þis wyis mad franyng. |
c. 1394. Langl., P. Pl. Crede, 27. But by a fraynyng for-þan · faileþ þer manye.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), II. 207. At last, be lang franing of his wife, he schew quhat schame the king had done to him for his faithful service: putting his freindis to maist vile deith.
