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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Wen(e, Wane, Wone, n. Also: wein(e, weyn(e, vene, veyn, waine, wayn(e, vaine, vayn, (wand), wyn. [ME and e.m.E. wen (Orm), wene (Layamon), won (c1290), wan(e (both Cursor M.), wone (c1300), woone (c1530), OE wén, ON ván.]

1. Doubt. Chiefly as but, forout(en, without(en wene, without doubt, truly.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xl 1230.
I suld haf wityne, had I bene Vyse & put out of wene, That [etc.] a1568 Bannatyne MS 93a/27.
I call that counsall nocht worth a prene That to thair kinryk makis no correction; Thocht we ws help it is no wene Thay will nocht sit to heir our actioun(2) 1375 Barb. vi 164.
Thai pressyt hym sa fast That had he nocht the better bene He had bene dede with-owtyn wen [C. forouten veyn] 1375 Barb. xiii 260.
Wit ȝe weill with-outyn wene [C. weyne] Thai war abaysit sa gretumly That [etc.] 1375 Barb. xvii 251.
In Scotland ȝeit than but wene The ws of thaim [sc. cannons] had nocht bene sene a1400 Legends of the Saints ix 180.
With-owt wene a1400 Legends of the Saints xvi 122.
He thocht but vene, Had this bene prophet, as we trew, He had nocht tholyt ȝone sinful now Tweche hyme a1400 Legends of the Saints xix 89 (see 2 below).
Wene ?1438 Alex. i 2919.
This day thris, withoutin wein, He hes me measured on the grein, Lyand as into orisounis ?1438 Alex. ii 1214.
Heir sall I challange hir sydis sene, Hir breist, hir armis and als, but weine c1420 Wynt. iii 54 (C).
Weyn a1500 Golagros and Gawane 98.
Thow sall rew in thi ruse wit thow but wene Or thou wend of this wane wemeles away c1550 Rolland Court of Venus iii 51.
Thir ladeis all war chosin … On the assyis of quhome the number is, Twentie and fiue, quhen thay war red but wene a1568 Bannatyne MS 33b/13.
Thy flesch and blud in breid & wyne but wene(b) a1450 Fifteen Ois 302.
Haue mynd of … the furthȝetting of Thi blud That fra Thi woundis in stremes ȝeid … Than wes thow lik be liklynes To ane wyne bob, as thow had bene Pressit in ane wyne persour, but wane

2. Belief, opinion. a1400 Legends of the Saints xix 89.
Dissawit I haf bene il … Trowand in wane, forowt wene, That [etc.]

3. Course of action, option; hope, expectation. Also pl.b. Will of wane, at a loss, hopeless, bewildered, see Wil(l adj.¹ for many further examples. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxv 695.
Sancte Blase had na nothir wane, Bot to the kyrk that nycht is gane, To pray God hyme succure [to] send c1420 Wynt. iii 874.
Sen othir succoure have yhe nane, Na yhe can se na bettyr wane [C. wayne] c1450-2 Howlat 43 (A).
I herd ane petuos appele with ane pure mane Solpit in sorowe that sadly couth say Wa is me, wretche in this warld, wilsome of wane c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace x 20.
Wallace the feild has tane, With viii thousand, that worthy was in wane 1535 Stewart 6200.
Thair wes na vther wane Bot byde the chance fortoun wald send thame till 1535 Stewart 22553.
The Britis quhilk wist of na vther wane Ouir Adrianis wall tha fled rycht fast ilkane a1540 Freiris Berw. 414 (B).
This satt scho still, and wist no vdir wane a1585 Maitland Quarto MS 148/171.
Ȝour hous of auld oft had no hair but ane … Quhen it was waik and without vther waine oftymis his micht and mercie did maintein it 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 85.
When he had na vther vaine, He maid him for the kirk againepl. 1531 Bell. Boece I cix.
That not be done without thair [sc. kings'] honour saif: Sekand na conques be unleful wanisb. 1375 Barb. vii 2 (C).
Vayn 1375 Barb. vii 227 (see Wil(l adj.¹ 2 b).
Wayn 1535 Stewart 30468.
So will of wand and weipand for greit wo a1627 Craig v 5.
Through the wood as I went, halfe will of waine(b) 1535 Stewart 52695.
This Alexander that of wyn wes will Throw … counsall that [etc.] … He thoillit thame to lat his sonis die(c) 1535 Stewart 36144 (see Wil(l adj.¹ 2 b).
Wone