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Origin and history of ween

ween(v.)

"be of the opinion, have the notion" (archaic), Middle English wenen, from Old English wenan "to fancy, imagine, believe; expect, hope," from Proto-Germanic *wenjan "to hope" (source also of Old Saxon wanian, Old Norse væna, Old Frisian wena, Old High German wanen, German wähnen, Gothic wenjan "to expect, suppose, think"), from *woeniz "expectation," from PIE root *wen- (1) "to desire, strive for."

Very common in Middle English, archaic since 17c. Also as a noun from Old English, "doubt, conjecture, opinion, belief."

Entries linking to ween

overweening(adj.)

mid-15c. (mid-14c. as overweenende, with the earlier ending), present-participle adjective from verb overwenen "be conceited or arrogant, think too highly or confidently (especially of oneself); be presumptuous, be over-confident" (mid-14c.), from over- + ween or else from Old English oferwenian "to be proud, become insolent or presumptuous." Middle English also had overwēne (n.) "presumption, arrogance" (mid-13c.); overwēnere "one who is presumptuous or arrogant."

*wen-(1)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to desire, strive for."

It might form all or part of: vanadium; Vanir; venerate; veneration; venerable; venereal; venery (n.1) "pursuit of sexual pleasure;" venery (n.2) "hunting, the sports of the chase;" venial; venison; venom; Venus; wean; ween; Wend "Slavic people of eastern Germany;" win; winsome; wish; wont; wynn.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit veti "follows after," vanas- "desire," vanati "desires, loves, wins;" Avestan vanaiti "he wishes, is victorious;" Latin venerari "to worship," venus "love, sexual desire; loveliness, beauty;" Old English wynn "joy," wunian "to dwell," wenian "to accustom, train, wean," wyscan "to wish."

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