Middle English Dictionary Entry
fīnen v.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | fīnen v.(1) Also fini. Forms: p. fīned, fōn, N fān. |
| Etymology | OF finer, -ir. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. finishen.
1.
Of an agent: to cease, leave off, stop; desist, refrain from doing something;--often with inf. or of phrase.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)120 : Heo þouȝhte wel luyte on folie, are þis guode clerk wolde fine!
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)p.7 : This ȝunge wyf nolde fyne on hire louerd to grede.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2965 : Hii ne finede neuermo, ar þe oþere were at grounde.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1136 : Thanne wolde they neuere fyne To doon of gentilesse the faire office.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3309 : He ne fan [Frf: walde he noȝt blyn] To be-hald þat leue maidan.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10054 : Þe welle o grace..þat fines [Ld: fynyd] neuermar to rin.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.2 : Of werre ne wild he fine.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)35/21 : Þe folk..was faine for to fyne.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1460 : [Pandarus] nevere gan to fyne.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.776 : To this entent he koude nevere fyne; To fisshen hire, he leyde out hook and lyne.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.151v : He [Cnut] nulde his ffeblenesse yut telle in no maner Lest Edmunde hit vnderȝete that he were ouercome, And that he [Edmund] nolde fyny [Glo.Chron.A: fine] til his lyf were bynome.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)46/51 : Fadir, we shal nouȝt fyne To youre biddyng be done.
- a1450 Rich.(Cai 175/96:Weber)4722 : I schal nevyr fyn..Tyl I have this toun i-geten.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1990 : Fyne, fole, of þi fare.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8810 : Lampis..þat fynet not to bren.
2.
(a) Of things, actions, states: to come or draw to an end, terminate; of persons: to end life, die; (b) to end or turn out (in a certain way).
Associated quotations
a
- a1300 If man him (Arun 292)8 : Pine ðat neure sal fine.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)262 : Hire soreȝe ne hire pine Ne miȝte neure fine.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1835 : Þis rain don fell þat it ne fane [Frf: with-out wane]; Bituixand fourti dais war gan.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22584 : Saint Austine..spekes hu þis werld sal fine.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7886 : Ar ich in þis werlde fyne, Ich wil queþe myne quede.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)369 : Mony clustered clowde clef alle in clowtez..Fon never in forty dayez.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)450 : Ȝet fyned not þe flod.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5463 : Of Pheton, þat Phebus made fyne.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.6083 : Þe sege..gan to fyne.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.3725 : And thus off Lide the kyngdam dede fyne.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)54/287 : In knawlage tille all cristen men That fro þis worlde were fynyd þus.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4002* : He fallis doun fey & fynes in þat stound.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4525 : Haue we in mynde how our faders þair lyues hase fynde.
- c1460 Vndir a park (Hrl 2255)12 : Thus fyned the firmament at his avisioun.
- a1500(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Dub 213)27/740* : Her fynes a fytt.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.68 : Whos Ioye fyneth alwey with meschaunce.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2707 : Be avysed how þi dom schal fyne.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.1978 : To make hem fyne ay in wrechidnes.
3.
To bring (something) to a close; to put an end to, or stop (something).
Associated quotations
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)271 : Hire sorwe and hire pyne nolde he neuere fine.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5021 : No fined þai neuer swiche a sleiȝt.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)430 : To fynde oute a-ȝens pestilence Preseruatifes to staunche hit & to fyne.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)2860 : I am comen..Thy werre for to hende and fine.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.DJoos (Trin-C R.3.21(1))138 : Benygne lady, that dedyst oure sorowes fyne.
- a1500(1426) Lydg.Hen.VI TP (Hrl 7333)113 : God..All oure trouble to enden & to fyne.
4.
(a) To bring (something) to a successful issue, to consummate or achieve (a purpose or quest); to finish or complete (a task, a story); (b) to finish off or decorate (a building); to make (something); (c) fined, of food: cooked thoroughly, done.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2814 : Þe geaunt bad tristrem belde..Beliagog in þat nede Fond him riche wald To fine.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1406 : He myȝt fyne..þe knyȝtly hiȝe emprise.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3124 : Til he parforme and fyne Hooly þe auntres.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2353 : How þat I schal þis purpos fyn.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1627 : Adrastus hadde his tale fyned.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.26 : Thow cruel Mars..This ilke ferthe book me helpeth fyne.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)2654 : All his dayes sall be fyned.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)172 : This tretys I wil fyne.
b
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1369 : Euery boterace fined with finialx..Smale tourettis..fined with pynacles.
- (1464) Acc.Howard in RC 57160 : To pay the chandeler that ffynd my lordys candyllis.
c
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)84 : Stere it warliche..and whan it is fyned, cast þerto powdours of gynger.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1275 On leome (Trin-C B.14.39)19 : He hauit ibrout of pine þat he weren ibunden inne..To ioþe [read: ioye] þat brithe suiniz [?read: scinit] & neuer er ne finit World o butin hend.
Note: Antedates word
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)25690 : Siþen on him comes sone afterwarde Victours and fightes on him ful harde, Noght for þe sogh to eximine; Til he be slaine neuer mare þai [f]in.
Note: New spelling
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)27454 : Ffirste þar kynges Iuor and hine ffight on anglande þai neuer fine.
Note: Additional quote(s)