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 frainz, nominative singular frainz, 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

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§Welsh

§Noun

frain

1. Soft mutation of brain.