sb. and a. Obs. Forms: 1 hwon, huon, 3 whon, wan, 4 qu(h)on(e, 4–6 quhoyn(e. [OE. hwón, the instrumental case of which, hwéne, is represented by WHEEN. After c. 1200 the word is exclusively northern.] Few, a few.
Construed in OE. (i) as a sb. or an adv. with dependent genitive, (ii) as an adj. (indeclinable), in ME. as an adj. and absol., (iii) as an adv. = a little, a little while (see b, c).
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark p. 3/18. De septem panibus et paucis pisciculis, of seofa hlafum & hwon lytle fiscas.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 32. Ʒenim pipor … & hwon sealt. Ibid., Do huniʓes hwon to.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17285. Þaa quon þat heild wit þe þair-witt. Ibid., 19495. O quoner þan o thre, Mai na biscop sacrid be. Ibid. (13[?]), 19782 (Gött.). He bad þa men be all vte-done, Þat in þat hus left bot a quone [Cott. a fon].
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxiv. (Alexis), 265. Certis, now are fundine quhon Þat in þat manere wald haf done.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 49. We ar quhoyne agayne sa fele.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. i. 38. A few wordis on this wys Jupiter said. Bot nocht in quhoyn wordis him answer maid The fresch goldyn Venus.
b. Na whon (= OE. náteshwón, ná tó þæs hwón), not at all.
c. 1205. Lay., 13203. Nusten þa Bruttes na whon whæt Vortiger hæfde idon.
c. A litel wan (= OE. lýthwón): a little while.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 69. Þole me louerd alitelwan þat ich bimurne mi sor, er ich wite to þe þestere wunienge.
