- Swainishness
- Swainish Swain"ish, a. Pertaining to, or resembling, a swain; rustic; ignorant. ``An ungentle and swainish beast.'' --Milton. -- {Swain"ish*ness}, n. --Emerson. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
Swainishness
Look at other dictionaries:
swainishness — noun see swain … New Collegiate Dictionary
swainishness — swainˈishness noun Boorishness • • • Main Entry: ↑swain … Useful english dictionary
swain — noun Etymology: Middle English swein boy, servant, from Old Norse sveinn; akin to Old English swān swain, Latin suus one s own more at suicide Date: 14th century 1. rustic, peasant; specifically shepherd 2. a male admirer or suitor • swainish… … New Collegiate Dictionary
swain — swainish, adj. swainishness, n. /swayn/, n. 1. a male admirer or lover. 2. a country lad. 3. a country gallant. [bef. 1150; ME swein servant < ON sveinn boy, servant; c. OE swan] * * * … Universalium
swain — /sweɪn / (say swayn) noun Chiefly Poetic 1. a country lad. 2. British a country gallant. 3. a lover. {early Middle English swein servant, from Old Norse sveinn boy} –swainish, adjective –swainishness, noun …
swain — [swān] n. [ME swein < ON sveinn, boy, servant, akin to OE swan, shepherd, peasant, youth < IE * swe , one s own, apart] Archaic 1. a country youth 2. a young rustic lover or gallant 3. a lover or suitor swainish adj. swainishness n … English World dictionary
