gaynen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• geinen, geynen
• gain, gaine, gayne (Northern)
• gane (Late Middle English)
• ꟑeȝȝnenn (Ormulum)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Norse gegna; equivalent to gayn +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡæi̯nən/

Verb

gaynen (third-person singular simple present gayneth, present participle gaynende, gaynynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle gayned)

1. (ambitransitive) To be helpful, to help or aid.
2. (transitive) To win against, gain victory over.
3. (ambitransitive) To be proper or right for the situation.

Conjugation

Conjugation of gaynen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) gaynen, gayne
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	gayne	gayned
2nd-person singular	gaynest	gaynedest
3rd-person singular	gayneth	gayned
subjunctive singular	gayne
imperative singular		—
plural1	gaynen, gayne	gayneden, gaynede
imperative plural	gayneth, gayne	—
participles	gaynynge, gaynende	gayned, ygayned

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: gayne (obsolete)

References

• “geinen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-23.