Middle English Dictionary Entry
foun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | foun n. Also fowen, foine, faon, fawn. |
| Etymology | OF feon, foun, faon. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A young deer, a fawn; (b) the young of a lion or tiger, a cub; (c) offspring; also fig.; (d) ?as adj. or used attrib.: ?of a fawn-like (reddish brown) color; ?error for laun n. or tauni adj.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.6.5 : Be thou pullid out as a foun [WB(2): doo; L damula] fro the hond.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)260a/b : Smale bestes..beþ defendid wiþ abilnesse of membres and swiftnesse of flight, as it fareþ in hares, in fownes [L damulis] and oþre suche.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)639 : Cerua: hynde; hinulus: fawne.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)193/21 : Þei ben all spotted as ben ȝonge fownes [Eg: founez of daes].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)175 : Foowne, beeste: Hinnulus, vel innulus.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)15750 : Fond þey neuere..Ne hare, cony, ffowen [vr. foune], no ro.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)429 : Of founes, sowres, bukkes, does Was ful the woode.
- (1474) Let.Christ Ch.in Camd.n.s.1927 : All your fawnes will die.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)441 : Off Fowen, kid, lambe, þe kydney furst it lay.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)700 : Nomina Ferarum..Hec dama: a doo. Hec enulus: a fawne.
b
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)6978 : A Tigre..Whan his fovnes be lad away, He ys deceyved by merours.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)106/28 : A lyonesse..louithe the faon beste of her bringinge forthe that canne leue by praye and puruey for him selff.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)436 : Than shall oon of the fawnes [OF faons] of the lyon crowned sle the grete boor.
c
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.465 : N'yn him desir noon other fownes bredde, But argumentes to this conclusioun, That she of him wolde han compassioun.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)268/343 : He was thi fode, thi faryst foine, Thi luf, thi lake, thi lufsom son.
d
- (1487) Will Uvedale in SAC 3164 : I bequeathe my crimson fawne gowne to the Parish Church of Tychesey in..Surrey..to make thereof a cope or a chesible.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: It is difficult to credit that the single quot. under sense (d) really belongs there, since the color sense is not attested in OED till the 19th century, but neither is there any obvious alternative explanation.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Terms Assoc.(2) (Cmb Ll.1.18)232 : A neste of fawnes.