Talk:woon

English/Middle English

• woon (English) Apparently (according to thefreedictionary.com) Webster 1913 defines it as 'dwelling', but it also appears to mean 'plenty' or 'abundance'. Obsolete. Likely usages are from Chaucer and Piers Plowman, but I haven't found anything but glossary entries. I tried g.b.c, but Woon is a common surname. :{ The 'dwelling' meaning is doubtless cognate with wone. The other seems likely to have another etymology. - Pingku 11:18, 5 December 2008 (UTC)

  "Woon, number. Originally a small number, a few ; then, an indefinite number; and hence gret woon = a great number. From A. S. hwon, few ; whence the spelling quhone in Harbour's Bruce. The loss of the aspirate is remarkable. For examples, see woon in Mayhew and Skeat's M. E. Dict."

  woon, hope, resource. This answers to Early E. -wan (see Stratmann), and is allied to Icel. van, hope, expectation ; cf. Icel. vtena, to hope for, to ween. The word is monosyllabic, and the long o is ' open,' as shewn by its riming with noon, goon, from A. S. nan, gan. Bell quite fails to explain it, and Morris suggests 'remedy,' without assigning any reason. It is common in Rob. of Gloucester, with similar rimes, and does not mean 'custom' or ' habit' or ' manner,' as suggested in Mr. Wright's Glossary, nor has it any connection with M.E. wane, custom, which was dissyllabic, and had a short vowel in the former syllable ; but it means, as here,' hope' or 'resource.' For example: ' tho he ne sey other won' = when he saw nothing else to be done; Rob. Glouc. ed. Hearne, p. 12 ; ed. Wright, 1. 275. ' And flowe in-to hor castles, vor hii nadde other won,' i. e. no other resource ; id. p. 19, ed. Hearne, 1. 442. This is one of the rather numerous words in Chaucer that have not been rightly understood.