Obs. Forms: α. 1 wiernan, wirnan, wyrnan, wærnan, 3 wearne, 3–4 wurne, 3–5 wern, (3 worne, 5 wernne), weerne, 2–6 werne; β. 1 wearnian, war(e)nian, 3–5 warn, 3–4 Sc. varn, 4–6 warne. [Two formations: (1) OE. wiernan = OFris. werna, ON. verna (Da. værne):—OTeut. *warnjan; (2) OE. wearnian (also warnian, warenian, by confusion with WARN v.1) = OFris. warna, OS. (Hildebr.) warnen, ON. varna (Sw. varna):—OTeut. *warnōjan. two OTeut. types are f. *warnō fem. (OE. wearn) obstacle, refusal, etc., f. the root *wer-: *war- to obstruct, defend.
It is possible that the ME. and later form warn(e may descend partly from the OE. wearnian; influence from ON. varna is also possible. But the form would be normal as a dial. variant of werne:—OE. wiernan; on the other hand the ME. werne may partly represent OE. wearnian. The α and β types therefore probably do not accurately correspond to the two original formations.]
1. trans. To refuse or deny (a thing to a person); to refuse to grant (a boon, request, etc.).
In OE. and early ME. const. dat. of person and genit. of thing; later, the genitive is sometimes represented by the construction with of, but more freq. by the accusative.
α. c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xlix. 380. Se þe ne wiernð [MS. Hatton wirnð] ðæs wines his lare ða mod mid to oferdrencanne þe hiene ʓehieran willað.
c. 1000. Riddles, xxi. 11 (Gr.). Cyning mec ʓyrweð since & seolfre & mec on sele weorþað: ne wyrneð word-lofes.
a. 1122. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1018. Þa wyrnde him mann ðera ʓisla.
c. 1205. Lay., 30310. For ne scal he nauere … kine-helme broken and ȝif he hit wule auon ich hit wulle wernen.
c. 1250. Song to Virg., 39. in O. E. Misc., 195. He wyl nout werne þe þi bone.
1340. Ayenb., 189. Vor þet he him wernde his elmesse, god him wernde ane drope of weter þer he wes ine uere of helle.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, 1539. They … seyde, Graunte vs … of thy grace a bone. And somme of hem she graunted sone And somme she werned wel and faire, and some she graunted the contraire or her axyng.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 275. Þe Romaynes asked her tribute: and Sicambri werned it and wolde none paye.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. iv. 47. Yet al thing desyreth ye werne no man of helpe.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1847. But his hert is ful applied To graunte, and nat þe needy werne his grace.
1414. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 22/2. To graunte whiche of thoo that you luste, & to wernne the remanent.
c. 1430. Devils’ Parl., 406. Quod helle ‘not wiþ þy [Satan’s] poowere I myȝte not werne him [Christ] oon of tho; He took out alle þat were him dere.’
c. 1475. Partenay, Prol. 126. Hys commaundment wern shal I no-thing. Ibid., 86. Take here vnto you which you best do plese, No man shall ther-of you werne ne withsay.
β. a. 1000. Guthlac, 1183 [1156], in Exeter Bk., 176. Ic me warnade hyre onsyne ealle þraȝe in woruld-life.
c. 1205. Lay., 4719. & Belin him war[n]de [c. 1275 wornede] al þat he ȝernde.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4939. I receiud þam and warnd ham noght Of alle thing þai me be-soght. Ibid., 28889. Be man neuer sun wik of mode men agh noght warn him his liues fode.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVIII. 332. And tald thame quhat kyn velcummyng Dowglass thaim maid … And varnyt thame the playn herbery.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 101. Nabugodonosor byseged Ierusalem for tribute Þat was i-warned hym.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 1467–8. ‘For me had leuer,’ quod þe lede, ‘be lethirely forsworn … Þan anys haue greuyd þat gome, or warned him his erand! Þat euer I warned him his will, wa is me þat stonde!’
c. 1450. Capgrave, Life St. Aug., xxxvii. 47. Swech mete and drynk as he had in vse was not warned to no man þat wold ask it.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 148. Ȝe suld nocht warne me leve.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVI. xi. 679. And yf thou warne her loue she shalle goo dye anone yf thou haue no pyte on her, that sygnefyeth the grete byrd, the whiche shalle make the to warne her.
b. Of a thing: To prevent (a person) from having (something).
a. 1240. Ureisun, in O. E. Hom., I. 187. Mine sunnen beoþ wal bi-tweone me and þe. Mine sunnen werneþ me al þis swotnesse.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 700. I may wery the wye, thatt this werre mouede, That warnes me wyrchippe of my wedde lorde.
c. With dat. of person only: To refuse the request of; to deny something to.
α. c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. v. 42. Þam þe wylle æt þe borʓian, ne wyrn þu hym.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 137. Mon sulðe his elmesse þenne he heo ʓefeð swulche monne ðe he for scome wernen ne mei.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 330. [She] halseð ure Louerd so & he ne mei uor reouðe wernen hire.
a. 1272. A Luue Ron, 7, in O. E. Misc., 93. A Mayde cristes me bit yorne þat ich hire wurche a luue ron…. Ich hire nule nowiht werne.
a. 1300. K. Horn (Hall), 1404. Fikenhild gan wende Rymenhild to schende. To woȝe he gan hure ȝerne, Þe kyng ne dorste him werne.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 12. For thre thynges he taketh his lyf forto saue, That is, mete, whan men hym werneth and he no moneye weldeth, [etc.].
c. 1400. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., vi. (Sherard MS.). Whan she … asked herbergh in diuerse places … alle they werned [Gibbs MS. weerne, W. de W. refused] hem and lete hem go.
c. 1420. Sir Amadace (Camd.), xiii. Quil he hade any gud to take, He wernut no mon.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, 31. Her husbonde must nedis ordeine her that she desirithe,… for thei wol finde so mani resones that thei wille not be werned.
c. 1475. Partenay, 82. Of thes thre on [i.e., one] your plesire do and take,… Reson is ne right that you werne shold y.
β. c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 2604. And who-so askith folily, He moot be warned hastily.
c. 1420. Wyntoun, Cron., II. iii. 201. Iacob warnyt hym vttraly.
d. To refuse (to do something).
α. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 248. Þeo ancre þet wernde an oðer a cwaer uorto lenen.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12106. If þou him wenis for to lern, To lere him wel we þe noght wern.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 1367. Ȝe sigge ich wern mi nem to wiue, For y schuld be ȝour king.
β. c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xx. [xxii.] (1890), 474. Ond he blissade in þon, þæt … he ʓeseah þa his ʓeherend þone Eastordæʓ onfon,… þone hie simle ær þon warenedon to anfonne [L. quem semper antea vitabant].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3040. Hir bidding do sal þou not warn. Ibid., 3261. For quas luue he wild not warn To sacrifise his auen barn.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. Introd. (Tollemache MS.). Þat man may be a schamid … to warne to serue fader and moder, while he knoweþ þat briddes and foules serueþ … euerichone oþer.
e. absol. To make refusal.
α. 1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7553. Or þe heyemen of þe lond … He esste ostage strong inou & hii ne ssolde noȝt wurne, Ac toke him ostage god.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 130. The wylde loves rage … Hath mad him that he can noght werne, Bot fell al hol to hire assent.
1406. Hoccleve, La Male Regle, 430. For estaat real can nat al day werne.
β. 1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 30. Thai ar … nocht large of gift, and redily wil tak and wele can warne.
2. To refuse to allow (some action or course of action) to a person; to forbid (a person) to do something.
α. c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., I. vii. § 1. Hi ær Moyse & hys folce þæs utfæreldes wyrndon.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 330. ʓeorne is to wyrnanne bearneacnum wife þæt hio aht sealtes ete oððe swetes.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2966. Eft he comen to pharaon, And he wernede ðis folc ut-gon.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1021. Holy chyrche wyl þe werne þe halyday to go to þe tauerne,… whan goddys seruyse owyþ to be doun.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 333. He is to greet a nygard that wolde werne A man to lighte his candle at his lanterne.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 162. Thogh it be noght the houndes kinde To ete chaf, yit wol he werne An Oxe which comth to the berne Therof to taken eny fode.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. ii. 146. And therfore thilk processe hath no strengthe forto weerne ymagis of God to be had and vsid in the chirche.
β. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 7985. And na thing salle þam warn ne lett, To do þair wille whare-swa it es sett.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 2261. For nane other enchesowne, Bot for i warned hym to wyve My doghter.
1550. Crowley, Informacion, 142. Whoe shall warne me to do wyth myne owne as me selfe lysteth.
1550. S’hampton Crt. Leet Rec. (1905), I. I. 12. And that theye warne none to have Ale for theire money so theye have yt in theire houses.
1591–5. C’tess Pembroke, Lay of Clorinda, 12, in Spenser’s Astrophel. From them [the heavens] comes good, from them comes also il, That which they made, who can them warne to spill.
b. Of a thing: To forbid, not to allow of (some action or procedure). Also absol.
α. c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 255. ʓif hæto oþþe meht ne wyrne læt him blod.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., IX. 19. Yf so benygne And loughly be the vyne hit not to werne.
3. To refuse, forbid, deny (entry, the gate, door, way, one’s house). Constr. dat. of person or from.
α. a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 442. From hir the gate ay [? read shal] werned be Of paradys.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5840. But whan he prayde hir, pore was he, Therfore she warned him the entree.
14[?]. St. Alexius, 18 (Cott. MS.). Of all pormen of ylk a gate, there was none þat werned þe yate.
c. 1420. Avow. Arth., ix. Quo-so wernes me the waye, Hym to dethe diȝte!
β. 1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, III. 233. Þe portir with his pikis þo put him vttere, And warned him þe wickett while þe wacche durid.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5251. All þat warnyt hym þe way he warpet to ground.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 7502. The hous, quod he, such as yo see, Shal nat be warned you for me.
c. 1440. Capgrave, St. Kath., I. 737. Þere was no ȝate warnyd to no-maner wyte, But … þei were kept opyn both day & nyth.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 61. Quhen Julius Cesar was cummyn to Rome, thai durst nocht warne him the portis.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxxviii. (1811), 257. The Kynge … warned hym ye entre of his lande.
1611. Middleton & Dekker, Roaring Girl, D 2. Mist. Open. Get you from my shop. Mol. I come to buy. Mist. Open. Isle sell ye nothing, I warne yee my house and shop.
b. To forbid, exclude (a person from a place or position, Death from a person). Cf. WARN v.1 6 c.
α. a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 636. Fro thilke assemblee, if I may, Shal no man werne me to-day.
1536. Primer Salisb., Eng. & Lat., 145. Of sapiens thou art eterne Frome the and thy father who can the werne.
β. 1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. i. 36. But if that carelesse heauens (quoth she) despise The doome of iust reuenge,… Yet can they not warne death from wretched wight.
c. To stop the way of.
α. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 60 (MS. T.). Hund wile in at open dure, þer man him ne wernes.
c. 1300. K. Horn, 725 (Laud MS.). To boure he gan ȝerne Durst hym noman werne.
β. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 137. The Dowglas then his way has tane Rycht to the hors, as he him bad: Bot he, that him in ȝhemsell had, Than warnyt hym dispitously.
4. To prevent, hinder, restrain (a person or thing) from action. Const. with clause or inf.
α. c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xli. § 4. He … us ne wernð [v.r. wyrnþ] þæt we yfel don.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 408. Ȝif eni luuede þe ariht, he muhte holden þe, & wearnen þe to smiten.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 7063. What he wold do, non durste hym werne.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. xxiii. 6. In our chosun berielis birye thi deed, and no man shal mow wern [1388 forbede, Vulg. prohibere] thee.
a. 1400. St. Alexius, 516 (Laud MS. 463). So sone so she to him come, vpon þe liche she fel y-lome…. On þe liche she lay, & nolde not wond, Mighte noman hire werne.
c. 1502. Joseph Arim., 164. To delyuer goddes seruauntes he sayd he wolde; I knowe no manrr man that shall me werne.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 2726. ‘And quat thing, es,’ he said, ‘may warn þat godd ne may his will of do?’ Ibid., 13733. ‘Vs thinc to lang we duell,’ said þai, ‘Qua warns yow to wend a-wai?’
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 50. Ȝif þei ben his riȝtfully oure kyng may not warne ne lette his hoste to reste in þo places.
c. 1400. Sege Melayne, 500. Thay stirtt vp on those stedis full steryn, Þay fande no man þat þam wolde warne.
c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 1833. My hawke … Flewe … in to an olde barne, To reche at a rat, I coude not her warne.
b. Phrases, To warn (a person) his will or of his will; to warn (a person’s) thoughts.
α. 1340–70. Alisaunder, 905. But all his werk was in waste, þei werned his thoughtes.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7288. He was tarriet with the Troiens … And wernit of his wille, þof hym wo thoght.
β. [a 1400–50: cf. 1 β.]
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 6465. Thay preset so the prince with power of knightes, Þat þai warnit hym his wille, & away put.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 3011. Trowiste thow to warne me of my wille?
c. To resist.
α. c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 85. In þe deie of liureisun … he wile ison hwiche boð þo þet muȝe stonden aȝein þes fleisces lust and wernen his aȝene fleisces iwille.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 22342. Sal nan ha might þair might to warn.
5. To refuse to take or accept.
α. c. 1300. Havelok, 926. Sit now doun and et ful yerne: Daþeit hwo þe mete werne!
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1824. Ho bede hit hym ful bysily, & he hir bode wernes.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 16236. Coth pilate,… To varn yur consail better it es þan to do mar foli.
b. To deny (a statement).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 21334. Þe stat of ilk ewangelist Bers in him-self vr lauerd crist. He es man and ox, leon, and ern, Mai na skilful man þis wern.
