Middle English Dictionary Entry
geinen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | geinen v. Also gānen, gainen, geȝnen. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI gegna. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To be useful or profitable to (sb.), avail, help; help to heal (a sore); ~ to, be profitable or useful to (sb. or sth.); (b) to avail, be useful or helpful, serve the purpose; ppl. geining, efficacious; (c) to help (sb. to do sth.), help (to do sth., bring sth. about); (d) ?refl. to benefit oneself.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)40/684 : Ne geineð þe nawt, sweoke!
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)98a : Ne geineð me nawt to asailin him.
- a1300 Hwi ne serue (Jes-O 29)69 : Ne geyneþ vs no grene.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)24 : Or he shal singe si dedero, or al geineth him noht.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)40/1134 : Hyȝt gayneþ ham wel lyte.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2034 : Þer nis no murgȝþe þat may him gayne.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1176 : Vs gayneth no raunsoun.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)343 : Anger gaynez þe not a cresse.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)584 : Alle þe godlych gere þat hym gayn schulde.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.ML.(Hrl 7334)B.647 : Toward his deþ, wher him geyneþ no grace.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3356 : Hym ne geyneþ plate, shelde, nor targe.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)12/57 : Þan gayned him no gle.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.352 : He held his pees, non other boote hym gayned.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)165 : Þou sall haue gersoms full grett, þat gayne sall þe euere.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2035 : Þat no tresure be þam betwene, Ne no gude þat to þam may gayne.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)44/140 : Take with þe gere sclyk os may gayne To man and beeste.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)40 : Nas þer no leche..Ne no grace growyng to gayne her grym sores.
- a1500(?c1400) Triam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)1404 : Nothyng may the gayne.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)12929 : Nohht ne munnde itt geȝȝnenn to þewwtenn Godd fra þeþennforþ O þatt Judisskenn wise.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)116a : His blawunge ne geineð nawt.
- a1350 Ich herdemen (Hrl 2253)43 : Forþ to þe chepyn, geyneþ ne [read: no] chost.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)130/21 : Þaȝ me godne sckele hem telle, Nauȝt hyȝt ne ganþ.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)598 : Ȝif ȝe saie me ȝoure sores, & ich se what may gayne.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3899 : It geineþ nouȝt to flene.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12401 : Ioseph..sagh it scort; it moght not gain.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25116 : Þar es na praier þat es Sua gainand o þe mikelnes.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1608 : Of þe godelest goddez þat gaynes aywhere.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8284 : Vlixes..rod to hym ageyn..with swiche violence þat finally þer geyneth no diffence.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1341 : It geyneth not to stryve.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)143 : What geyneth armes of folkes most notable Whan cruel deth luste hem to assaile?
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)226 : Pray him..to grant vs might & maine thurgh his grace, þat most may gaine.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)405/179 : Takis gere þat moste may gayne.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21342 : Ther geyneth no raunsoun But that thou shalt devoured be.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)6472 : He segh hit wold not gayne.
- a1500(?c1400) Triam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)707 : Þer myght no speche gayne.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)970 : Þatt Judisskenn follkess lac..nu ne geȝȝneþþ itt hemm nohht To winnenn eche blisse.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14480 : Þin sawle baþe..mikell maȝȝ þe geȝȝnenn her To winnenn heffness blisse.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2755 : Hym gayneth [vr. geyneth] neither, for to gete his lyf, Vomyt vpward ne dounward laxatyf.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7470 : Geyn may no grace My lif to saue.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)1028 : Gold, þouh it gay be, hit gaynus ful lite Of hard hongur and þirst to helpe any peple.
d
- ?a1300 Thrush & N.(Dgb 86)155 : Fowel, þou rewest al mi þohut; Þou dost euele, ne geineþ þe nohut; Ne do þou so nammore!
2.
To prevail against (sb. or sth.), overcome; also, oppose (sb.); ~ a)yenes, be effective against (sth.); ~ to, diminish (joy).
Associated quotations
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2473 : So glad was he þanne þat na gref vnder god gayned to his ioye.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1787 : How myghty and how greet a lord is he; Agayns his myght ther gayneth none obstacles.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8455 : Þe kind o thinges lerd he..Gains quatkin iuel ilkan moght gain.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2074 : I schal þee gane [rime: bane, fane, wane]!
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6046 : Agamynon, the grete, gaynit no slepe, Bise was the buerne all the bare night.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4841 : Of him I gyf na fors; he may noȝt me gayne.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)368/371 : I schal geyne tho glabereris or gramly hem gref.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)167/157 : There is none so great that me dare gaine.
3.
(a) To suit (sb.), be suitable; ~ til, be appropriate for (sb.), be worthy of; ~ to, be fit for (sth.); ppl. geining, appropriate, suitable; (b) ~ to, ?to portend (good or evil).
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9975 : Itt hafeþþ fele boȝhess, Acc sume geȝȝnenn to þe fir forr þatt teȝȝ sinndenn driȝȝe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3268 : Suilk a wijf til ysaac þat mai be gainand him to take.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)16556 : In tua þis tre þai scare, Als mikel als þai sagh to þaim gainand an mani mar.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)164 : Vchon glewed on his god þat gayned hym beste.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1731 : Þe valyaunt prynce..has..Gifen vs..Grewhoundez and grett horse and alkyn gamnes That gaynez till any gome that vndyre God leuez.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3107 : Sore i was a-drad of a sweuen ȝer-while..wheþer it geyne to gode or grame, wot i neuer.
4.
Associated quotations
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5223 : Som othir Cicill hit sothly myght be, Þat was geynde to grece, þen the grete yle, Þat ferly was fer be-ȝond fele Rewmes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)11/81 : Þohte þah as heo wes þuldi & þolemod so ȝung þing as heo wes, Hwet hit mahte geinen [Tit: [kein]en] þah heo hire ane were aȝein so kene keisere & his kineriche.
Note: New spelling
Note: note for Tit: 1st four letters damaged, but certainly kein (cf. kene keiser in next line); error for geinen
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2745 : Ne we prid vs for na prouwis; predestayned we ere, Oure gods gayn vs þare-to.
Note: Mod. sense
Note: 1.(c) help (sb. to achieve a quality)--per SMK