English
fain
Fain comes from Middle English fain ‘enjoyable, pleasing’, from Old English fægen ‘happy, joyful, fain’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peḱ-‘joyful’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*faganaz‘glad’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fagan‘glad’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fægen‘happy, joyful, fain’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fain‘enjoyable, pleasing’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1513same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peḱ-‘joyful’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*faganaz‘glad’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fagan‘glad’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fægen‘happy, joyful, fain’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fain‘enjoyable, pleasing’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1513same form
Earliest quotation: c. 1513, Thomas More, The History of King Richard the Thirde (Vnfinished) […]: “Penker in his ſermõ [sermon] ſo loſt his voice…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- ‘joyful’
fight, fellow, fee, peculiar, feud, cynical, hound, fax, poodle, cynic, feu, pec, pecuniary, chenille, 26 more
through Proto-Germanic *faganaz ‘glad’
Today it means
adj Often followed by of: glad, well-pleased.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- / fain