different between faan vs fain

English

Alternative forms

• faaan

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “From sarcastic intonation?”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fæn/
• Rhymes: -æn
• Homophones: fan, fanne

Noun

faan (plural faans)

1. (dated, fandom slang, often derogatory) A fan who is more interested in fandom than in the subject of that fandom.

Derived terms

• faanish
• faanishness
• faan fiction

References

• Jeff Prucher, editor (2007) , “faan”, in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, Oxford, Oxfordshire; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, ?ISBN, page 55

Anagrams

• Afan, fana

English

Alternative forms

• faine (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fe?n/
• Rhymes: -e?n
• Homophones: feign, fane, foehn

Etymology 1

From Middle English fain, from Old English fægen, from Proto-Germanic *faganaz (“glad”), from Proto-Indo-European *pe?- (“to make pretty, please oneself”); akin to Old Norse feginn (“glad, joyful”), Gothic ???????????????????????????? (fagin?n, “to rejoice”), Old Norse fagna (“to rejoice”).

Adjective

fain (comparative more fain, superlative most fain)

1. (archaic) Well-pleased, glad.
2. (archaic) Satisfied, contented.
3. (archaic) Eager, willing or inclined to.
   • c. 1591, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, Act II scene i^[1]:

     Men and birds are fain of climbing high.

   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living

     To a busy man, temptation is fain to climb up together with his business.

4. (archaic) Obliged or compelled to.

Quotations

• 1900, Ernest Dowson, To One in Bedlam, lines 9-10

  O lamentable brother! if those pity thee, / Am I not fain of all thy lone eyes promise me;

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English fain, fayn, feyn, from the adjective (see above).

Adverb

fain (comparative fainer, superlative fainest)

1. (archaic) With joy; gladly.
   • c. 1598-99, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act III scene v^[2]:

     Leonato: I would fain know what you have to say.

   • 1633, John Donne, Holly Sonnets, XIV:

     Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain, / But am betroth’d unto your enemy

   • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe:

     The second thing I fain would have had was a tobacco-pipe, but it was impossible to me to make one…
2. (archaic) By will or choice.
   • c. 1610-11, William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act I scene i^[4]:

     Gonzalo: Now would I give a thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground— long heath, brown furze, anything. The wills above be done, but I would fain die a dry death.

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English fainen, from Old English fæ?enian, from Proto-West Germanic *fagin?n, from Proto-Germanic *fagin?n?.

Verb

fain (third-person singular simple present fains, present participle faining, simple past and past participle fained)

1. (archaic) To be delighted or glad; to rejoice.
2. (archaic) To gladden.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• an if, fina, naif, naïf

Dalmatian

Etymology

From Latin f?nis, f?nem.

Noun

fain m

1. end

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English fæ?en, from Proto-Germanic *faganaz (“glad”). The adverb is transferred from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?i?n/

Adjective

fain

1. joyful, happy
2. willing, eager
3. pleasing, enjoyable, attractive

Alternative forms

• fagen, vain, fawe, fawen, vawe, fein, fane, fayn, fayne, vayn, feyn

Adverb

fain

1. gladly, joyfully
2. willingly, eagerly

Alternative forms

• fayn, fa?e, fawe, fawen, vawe, fene, vain, vayn, vein, veyn, vane, wane

Descendants

• English: fain
• Scots: fain

References

• “fain, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “fain, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Norman

Etymology

From Old French foin, fein, from Latin faenum.

Noun

fain m (uncountable)

1. (Jersey) hay

Derived terms

• fagot d'fain (“bundle of hay”)

Old French

Alternative forms

• faim

Etymology

From Latin fam?s.

Noun

fain f (nominative singular fain)

1. hunger

Descendants

• French: faim

Related terms

• famine

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from German fein.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fajn/

Adjective

fain m or n (feminine singular fain?, masculine plural faini, feminine and neuter plural faine)

1. cool, fine, of good quality

Declension

Romansch

Alternative forms

• (Sursilvan) fein
• (Sutsilvan, Surmiran) fagn

Etymology

From Latin faenum.

Noun

fain m

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader) hay

Derived terms

• (Rumantsch Grischun) far fain
• (Puter) fer cul fain
• (Vallader) far cun fain

Related terms

• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan) fanar

Siar-Lak

Noun

fain

1. woman

Further reading

• Malcolm Ross, Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian Languages of Western Melanesia, Pacific Linguistics, series C-98 (1988)