frain

See also Frain

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English frainen, freinen (“to ask”), from Old English freġnan, friġnan (“to ask, inquire, learn”), from Proto-Germanic *fregnaną (“to ask”), from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to ask, woo”). Cognate with Icelandic fregna (“to ask, inquire”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌽 (fraihnan, “to ask”). Related also to Dutch vragen (“to ask”), German fragen (“to ask”), Norwegian frega (“to ask”), Latin precor (“ask, beseech”), Albanian preh (“rest, burial, tomb”), Lithuanian prašyti (“to request”), Polish prosić (“to request”).

Verb

frain (third-person singular simple present frains, present participle fraining, simple past and past participle frained)

1. (rare or dialectal, chiefly Scotland) to ask, inquire; demand.
   • 1830, Sir Walter Scott, The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott, baronet:

     I frained fast what was his name, Where that he came, from what country.

2. (rare or dialectal, chiefly Scotland) to question; to ask questions.

Derived terms

• fraining

Etymology 2

From Middle English frayne (“ash-tree”), from Old French fraisne, fresne (“ash-tree”), from Latin fraxinus (“ash-tree”).

Noun

frain (plural frains)

1. (obsolete, botany) the ash, ash-tree.

Anagrams

• infra

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Middle English

Alternative forms

• frein, fraign

Etymology

From Old English freġn, fræġn (“question”), akin to Old English friġnan (“to ask”).

Noun

frain

1. question

Related terms

• frainen

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Old French

Noun

frain m (oblique plural frains, nominative singular frains, nominative plural frain)

1. bit (equipment placed in a horse's mouth)

Descendants

• French: frein

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Scots

Alternative forms

• frayn, frayne, frane

Etymology

From Middle English fraynen, frainen, freinen, from Old English freġnan (“to ask”) and Old Norse fregna (“to ask”).

Verb

tae frain (third-person singular simple present frains, present participle frainin, simple past fraint, past participle fraint)

1. (transitive) to ask, ask about, ask for
2. to enquire
3. (intransitive) to make inquiry
4. to request

Related terms

• fraining