Middle English Dictionary Entry
swǒunen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | swǒunen v. Also swoun(e, swounnen, swouni, swouȝnen, swowene, swon(e(n, swonne, swoni, swoene, swoȝeni, squoen, soune(n, sounie, sonen, zounen & (early) swochnen, swohnen & (error) swouþ; ppl. swouning(e, etc. & (errors) sqwownyg, swingge; p. swouned(e, etc. & swouened, swhounede, swonde, swoȝened, sowouned, sowunede, sowened, sounidde, (N) swunned, swound, (NWM) squonut & (?error) showned; ppl. swouned, sounid. |
| Etymology | From swǒun(e , iswowen(e, iswone, iswoȝen, isǒun, p.ppls. of swǒuen v.(2). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. iswounen v., swouen v.(2).
1.
(a) To become unconscious, faint, swoon; collapse in a swoon; also fig.; ~ and swelten; ben swouninge ded (feint), be in a dead faint; ben swouned, be unconscious; ppl. swouninge, fainting, swooning; ?also, as noun: one who swoons [1st quot.]; (b) to sleep, hibernate; (c) ?mistransl. of L degulare to devour; ?error for ME swolwen v.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)149/26 : Þe heorte..ȝeieð crauant..ase softe swohninde [Cleo: swochninde].
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)429/301 : Þe damme..suouȝnez a-ȝein þe wowe.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)355 : Ase þe Quiene on hire bedde lay..heo swounede [vr. swoned].
- c1330 Degare (Auch)1063 : Degarre fel iswoue þo, And his fader, sikerli, Also he gan swouþ [?read: swony].
- a1350 St.Alex.(1) (LdMisc 108)66/443 : For sorwe he was ney ded; As man þat hadde deþes wounde He fel swingge [?read: swuningge] doun to grounde.
- 1372 In place (Adv 18.7.21)78 : For feynting fel þat faire fod..He swounede [vr. suonnyd].
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2662 : For sorow oft..scho swound [vr. swonde].
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.913 : She hadde swowned with a deedly cheere.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2819 : Theseus his suster took anon Swownynge [vrr. Swounnynge, Swonynge] and baar hire fro the corps away.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2943 : She swowned [vrr. swounnede, swonyth] whan men made the fyr.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)513 : Mony swouȝninge lay þorw schindringe of scharpe, And starf aftur þe deþ.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.846 : Swounende ded for fere Sche was, and stille as eny Ston She lay.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4351 : As sche that was swounende feint, Sche fell.
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)246 : Flores..Sownyd [Vit: fel iswone].
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)267 : Þre sithes Florys sownydde.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)14287 : Til hir broþer graue..ho gas for til squoen [Göt: suoun; Trin-C: swowne].
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5848 : Þe kyng swoȝened for þat wounde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.449 : He swowned [vr. swhounede; C vrr. swowened, souned]..Til vigilate..fette water..And flatte it on his face.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.19 : Al for pure ioye..I swouned [vr. showned]..And laye longe in a lone dreme.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.104 : Many a louely lady and lemmanes of knyghtes Swouned [vr. Swowneden; C vrr. Swonide, Sowunede] and swelted for sorwe.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)7.129 : Hem were leuere sounye [vr. swony] oþer swelte þan suffry eny peyne.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.58 : 'Consummatum est' quaþ Crist and comsede for to sounye [vrr. swowny, swoene].
- c1400 St.Alex.(2) (Trin-O 57)36/222 : To swoȝeny he be-gan.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5143 : To the grounde doun of his stede..Troyle ȝede..for-stonet and wolde swouny.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)189/28 : Oure lady..felle downe sonyng.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)374 : Owmawtyn, or swownyn [Win: sownyn]: sincopiso.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)484 : Swownyn [Win: Swonyn], or owmawtyn: Sincopo, sincopiso.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)1330 : In hert swyftly he swunned.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)399 : I throwyn am..owte off my ladiis grace..As offtyn sqwownyg [read: sqwownyng] as I remembyr her bryght face.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)1841 : Þe geaunt he hente, & in his armes so hym wente Þat Gogmagog gan to swowene [rime: doune; F pasme].
- a1450 Diseases Women(1) (Dc 37:Singer)36 : Þe suffocacyon..makyth her to swonne.
- c1450(c1385) Chaucer Mars (Benson-Robinson)216 : Wel oughte I swowne [vrr. swone, sowne] and swelte.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)390 : Squithe squonut he thore.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)63/19 : The hert that was in hir bodi made hir to swon..for the gret sorowis that she saugh.
- a1475 *Gilb.Angl.(Wel 537)111/11 : Cathalempsie comeþ of a venemous smoke þat..afraieþ ful moche his yȝen and oftentymes makiþ him to sowne.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)645 : Men sowened on þe sonde.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)206/3 : Scho nys not dede, but sownyd [vr. swowned] for drede.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)477 : The kynge..sowowned [F se pasme] and fill down to the grounde.
- a1500 Partenay (Trin-C R.3.17)3776 : Both gan fall to grounde, Zowning.
- c1500 All lust and lykyng (Trin-C R.3.19)24 : Loue..maketh my colour for to fade, My hert to sowne.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8046 : Bresaid..swonit in swyme, as ho swelt wold.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6006 : A Swalwe..in wynter lith swounynge, Ther as sche mai nothing be sene.
c
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)101/339a : Degulo: to swowne.