sb. Forms: 2–5 swein, 3–5 sweyn, 4–5 swayn, 4–6 swayne, squayne, Sc. swane, 4–7 swaine, (3 swæin, suein, 4 sueyn, suayn, suain, 5 sweyne, 6 suane), 3, 7– swain. [a. ON. sveinn boy, servant, attendant, = OE. swán SWON. Occurs as the second element of a compound in boatswain (late OE. bátsweʓen), coxswain.]
† 1. A young man attending on a knight; hence, a man of low degree. (Often coupled with knight.) Obs.
a. 1150. O. E. Chron. (Laud), an. 1128. Se eorl wearð ʓewunded at an ʓefiht fram anne swein.
c. 1205. Lay., 19156. Næs þer nan swa wracche swein Þat he nes a wel god þein. Ibid., 28563. Ælc sloh adun riht Weore he swein weore he cniht.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6279 (Cott.). King ne knight, suier ne suain [Gött. suayn, Fairf. squayne, Trin. sweyn].
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 234. Þai sett hem to mete anon, Erl. baroun, sweyn, & grom.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 235. Quhill I liff, and may haf mycht To lede a ȝheman or a swane.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IX. vii. 904. For ellis alsweil may be slayne A mychty man, as may a swayne.
c. 1430. Syr Tryam., 546. Knyghtys, squyers, and swayne.
1572. Gascoigne, Posies, Fruites Warre, cx. in regiment … Where officers … Shall be abusde by euery page and swayne.
† 2. A male servant, serving-man; an attendant, follower, Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 3505. Forð wende þe king Leir, Nauede he bute enne swein.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 107. Hym boes serue hym selne that has na swayn.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 44. Worschipe me here, & bicome my swayn, And y schal ȝeue þee al this.
1568. Hist. Jacob & Esau, V. ii. F iij. The elder must nowe serue the yonger as his swayne.
1570. Levins, Manip., 200. A squayne, assecla.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Sept., 42. The shepheards swayne you cannot well ken, But it be by his pryde, from other men.
1623. Cockeram, Swaine, a seruant.
† 3. A man; a youth; a boy. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18987 (Gött.). Of mi gast i sal a streme To suayn [Trin. mon] and womman giue alsua. [Cf. Joel ii. 29.]
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1509. Swyfte swaynes ful swyþe swepen þertylle.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sir Thopas, 13. Sire Thopas wax a doghty swayn.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 15265. How sche myght venge hir on that swayn That hadde hir two sones sclayn.
c. 1440. York Myst., xvii. 207. Nowe shall þei … tell me of þat litill swayne [sc. the child Jesus].
a. 1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 226. Thus beswik I that swane, with my sueit wordis.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., March, 79. With that sprong forth a naked swayne [sc. Cupid].
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., XII. lxv. By a mighty swain he [sc. the Dragon] soon was led Unto a thousand thousand torturings.
4. A country or farm laborer, freq. a shepherd; a countryman, rustic. arch.
1579. Gosson, Apol. Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 66. Giue them whippes in their handes, and sende them like swaynes to plough and carte.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. vi. 15. The gentle Shepheard swaynes, which sat Keeping their fleecie flockes.
1594. Kyd, Cornelia, III. ii. 39. Lyke morall Esops mysled Country swaine.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 9. Your high selfe … you haue obscur’d With a Swaines wearing.
1663. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., xxix. (1687), 341. Those Swains with their Sheephooks in their hands.
1746. Smollett, Tears Scotl., 13. Thy swains are famish’d on the rocks, Where once they fed their wanton flocks.
1770. Goldsm., Des. Vill., 2. Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain.
1809. Campbell, Gert. Wyom., I. ii. The happy Shepherd Swains had nought to do But feed their flocks.
1840. Thackeray, Paris Sk.-bk. (1872), 111. The rural swains.
1892. Tennyson, in Ld. Tennyson, Mem. (1897), II. xxii. 402. I asked my way … of a Yorkshire ‘swain.’
5. A country gallant or lover; hence gen. a lover, wooer, sweetheart, esp. in pastoral poetry.
c. 1585. Fair Em, II. i. 78. In deede my Manuile hath some cause to doubt, When such a Swaine is riuall in his loue!
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. ii. 40. Who is Siluia? what is she? That all our Swaines commend her?
1662. Playford, Skill Mus., I. (1674), 67. Will Cloris cast her Sun-bright Eye Upon so mean a Swain as I?
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., III. 104. To the dear Mistress of my Love-sick Mind, Her Swain a pretty Present has design’d.
1706. Addison, Rosamond, II. ii. To be slain By a barbarous swain That laughs at your pain.
1775. Sheridan, Duenna, I. v. So! my swain, yonder, has done admiring himself.
1822. W. Irving, Braceb. Hall, iv. 38. Should any faithless swain persist in his inconstancy.
1864. F. Locker, Housemaid, viii. If her Sunday-swain is one Who’s fond of strolling.
1881. ‘Rita,’ My Lady Coquette, iii. She gives such smiles, and looks, and attentions to her devoted swains.
¶ 6. A freeholder within the forest. (A sense invented by Manwood to account for SWANIMOTE.)
1615. Manwood, Laws Forest, xxiii. 217. This word Swaine, in the Saxons speech is a Bookeland man, which at this day is taken for a Charterar or a freeholder: and so the Swanimote is in English, a Court within the Forest, whereunto all the freeholders doe owe suit and seruice.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. vi. 72. The court of sweinmote is to be holden before the verderors, as judges,… the sweins or freeholders within the forest composing the jury.
1880. Whitworth, in Antiquary, Feb., 94/1. Swanimote, Swaynmote, Swynmote, &c., or meeting of the Forest Swains.
7. attrib. and Comb. (in sense 4); † swainloaf (see 2), bread to be eaten by servants, as opposed to PAIN-DEMAINE, ‘panis dominicus’ (lord’s bread).
1358. Catal. Anc. Deeds, A. 9847 (1902), IV. 469. [Black loaves called] swaynloves.
a. 1652. Brome, Love sick Court, IV. ii. The chief Swain heads of Thessaly.
1842. Dumfries Herald, Oct. More swain-like than king-like.
Hence Swain v. intr. (with it), to play the lover or wooer; † Swainess, a female lover; Swaining, love-making, ‘spooning.’
a. 1652. Brome, Love sick Court, V. iii. That swain-ess was myself.
1840. Lady C. Bury, Hist. of Flirt, xi. He is impatient to swain it with some new face.
1840. Mrs. Trollope, M. Armstrong, i. His general manner to ladies had a good deal of what in female slang is called swaining.
