fain

adj

1. (UK, archaic, dialectal, poetic)Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.

   “VVhat is the truſt or ſtrength of fooliſh man? / They that of late vvere daring vvith their ſcoffes, / Are glad and faine by flight to ſaue themſelues.”

   “The cantie, auld folks, crackin crouſe, / The young ones ranting thro' the houſe— / My heart has been ſae fain to ſee them, / That I for joy hae barkit vvi' them.”

   “[F]ine words to make foolish maidens fain. But do not excuse it; it is your country-fashion, and we know how to treat it as such.”

   “Then mean I, that I should be wonderous fain / That shamefully they one and all were slain, / Whoever against Love mean aught amiss.”

   “[M]y master is quite fain of his company.”

2. (UK, archaic, dialectal, poetic)Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.

   “[T]hey vvere faine to patche uppe the Matter vvith a little piece of Paper clappid over the foreſaid VVordes, […]”

   “By this heaunly ground I tread on, I muſt be faine to pavvne both my plate, & the tapeſtry of my dining chambers.”

   “[T]he Learned Caſtalio [i.e., Sebastian Castellio] vvas fain to make Trenchers at Baſle to keep himſelf from ſtarving, vvhen his [Michel de Montaigne's] Father vvould have given any Money for ſuch a Tutor for his Son, and Caſtalio have vvillingly embraced ſuch an Imployment upon very reaſonable Terms, but this vvas for vvant of Intelligence.”

   “Having pledged herself to remain with her aunt to the end, Christbel was fain to make the best of her life at Mount Royal, and in order to do this she must needs keep on good terms with her cousin.”

3. (UK, archaic, broadly, dialectal, poetic)Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.

   “Penker in his ſermõ [sermon] ſo loſt his voice that he was faine to leaue of [off] & come downe in the middes.”

   “[I]n this condition, he [Jesus] is fain to bear his burdenſom Croſs tovvards the place of his Execution, John 19. 17. till he vvas able to carry it no longer, but even fainted under it; […]”

   “Many Plants are mention'd in Scripture vvhich are not diſtinctly knovvn in our Countries, or under ſuch Names in the Original, as they are fain to be rendred by analogy, or by the name of Vegetables of good affinity unto them, and ſo maintain the textual ſenſe, though in ſome variation from identity.”

   “And the uſe of Fire-Guns in that taking of Conſtantinople is notorious, as you may ſee in Laonicus Chalcocondylas De Rebus Turcicis, one of the Byzantine Hiſtorians, lib. 7. vvho there makes mention of a Cannon of ſo vaſt a bigneſs, that it vvas fain to be dravvn by ſeventy yoke of Oxen and tvvo thouſand Men.”

4. (UK, archaic, dialectal)Chiefly followed by to, or (obsolete) for or of: eager or willing, or inclined.

   “Man and Birds are fayne of climbing high.”

5. (archaic, obsolete)Favourable, well-disposed.

   “I felt a spirit of love begin to stir / Within my heart, long time unfelt till then; / And saw Love coming towards me, fair and fain, / (That I scarce knew him for his joyful cheer,) / Saying, "Be now indeed my worshipper!".”

6. (archaic, obsolete)Accustomed, apt, wont.

   “[S]carcely ſhe could ryde, / And eke through heauie armes, vvhich ſore annoyd / The Prince on foot, not vvonted ſo to fare; / VVhoſe ſteadie hand vvas faine his ſteede to guyde, / And all the vvay from trotting hard to ſpare, / So vvas his toyle the more, the more that vvas his care.”

   “[T]o a buſie man temptation is fain to climbe up together vvith his buſineſſes, and ſins creep upon him onely by accidents and occaſions; vvhereas to an idle perſon they come in a full body, and vvith open violence, and the impudence of a reſtleſſe importunity.”

adv

1. (archaic, obsolete)Chiefly preceded or followed by would.

   “And in her hand ſhe held a mirrhour bright, / VVherein her face ſhe often vevved fayne, / And in her ſelfe-lou'd ſemblance tooke delight; / For ſhe vvas vvondrous faire, as any liuing vvight.”

   “How faine (like Pilate) would I wash my hands / Of this most greeuous murther.”

   “I vvould faine knovv vvhat you haue to ſay.”

   “Yet dearely I love you, and vvould be lov'd faine, / But am betroth'd unto your enemie, […]”

2. (archaic, obsolete)Chiefly preceded or followed by would.

   “Now vvould I giue a thouſand furlongs of Sea, for an Acre of barren ground: Long heath, Brovvne firrs, any thing; the vvills aboue be done, but I vvould faine dye a dry death.”

   “For to tell you truth, I love him [Jesus], because I vvas by him eaſed of my burden, and I am vveary of my invvard ſickneſs; I vvould fain be vvhere I ſhall die no more, and vvith the Company that ſhall continually cry Holy, Holy, Holy.”

   “See now, I will for the second time bathe me in this living bath. Fain would I add to my beauty and my length of days if that be possible.”

verb

1. (archaic, obsolete, rare, transitive)To be delighted or glad about (someone or something); to rejoice in; also, to favour or prefer (someone or something).

   “Hovv often vvould the Svvaines prepare their Morrice & their May / To haue a ſight of her, vvhen all enamoured vvent their vvay? / The ſprevvſeſt Citie-Lads for her vvould faine the Countrie-aire, / And that their prouder Girles had but adultrate beauties ſvvaire, […]”

2. (archaic, obsolete, transitive)To make (someone) glad; to gladden; hence, to congratulate (someone); to welcome (someone).
3. (Germanic, archaic, intransitive, obsolete)To celebrate or worship; specifically, to offer an oblation which is not a sacrificial blót (“ceremonial offering”).
4. (archaic, intransitive, obsolete)Chiefly followed by of, in, on, or to: to be delighted or glad; to rejoice.

   “A diſtaffe in her other hand ſhe had, / Vpon the vvhich ſhe litle ſpinnes, but ſpils, / And faynes to vveaue falſe tales and leaſings bad, / To throvv amongſt the good, vvhich others had diſprad.”

5. (archaic, intransitive, obsolete)To desire, to wish.

name

1. A surname.