Winsome

a. Forms: 1, 5 wynsum, 2–3 wunsum, 2, 4 winsum, 3 wonsom, 4 winsom, wonsum; 7–9 n. dial. wunsome, 8– (in 8 only Sc.) winsome. [OE. wynsum = OS. wunsam, OHG. wunnisam (MHG. wun(ne)sam), f. wyn(n WIN sb.¹ + -sum -SOME. Sense 3 came into the literary language from northern dialects.]

  I.  OE. and ME. senses.

  † 1.  Pleasant, delightful, agreeable. Obs.

Beowulf, 612. Ðær wæs hæleþa hleahtor, hlyn swynsode, word wæron wynsume.

a. 900.  O. E. Martyrol., 3 May. Þær com upp of þære eorðan wynsumes stences rec.

a. 1000.  Phœnix, 13. Þæt is wynsum wong, wealdas grene.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 35. Hit walð me þunchen þet softeste beð, and þet wunsemeste þet ic efre ibad.

c. 1205.  Lay., 1187. He makede bi þon weofede a swiðe wunsum [c. 1275 wonsom] fur.

a. 1225.  Juliana, 70. Hit colede anan ant warð hire as wunsum as euer eni wlech weter.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 5792. A wonsun [sic] thede, A land rinnand bath honi and milk.

  † 2.  Kindly, gracious; merciful. Obs. rare.

c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xxii. (1890), 472. He wæs se swetesta lareow & se wynsumesta [L. suavissimus].

c. 1205.  Lay., 153. Feier wes þe wimmon & wunsum hire monnen.

a. 1300.  E. E. Psalter ci[i]. 3. Þat winsom es to alle þine wickenesses.

  II.  Modern senses.

  3.  Pleasing or attractive in appearance, handsome, comely; of attractive nature or disposition, of winning character or manners.

1677.  W. Nicolson, in Trans. R. Soc. Lit. (1870), Ser. II. IX. 322. Wunsome, neat, pleasant.

1724.  W. Hamilton, Braes of Yarrow, i. Busk ye, busk ye, my bony bony bride; Busk ye, busk ye, my winsome marrow.

1792.  Burns, My Wife’s a winsome wee thing, i. She is a winsome wee thing, She is a handsome wee thing, She is a bonnie wee thing.

1818.  Scott, Br. Lamm., xiv. If the young folk liked ane anither, they wad make a winsome couple.

1833.  H. Coleridge, Poems, Sonn., viii. The rugged root that bare the winsome flower Is weak and wither’d.

1843.  Lytton, Last Bar., IV. viii. I know thou art fair and winsome.

1873.  Dixon, Two Queens, V. vi. I. 276. Henry broke into his winsome laugh.

1889.  Buchanan, Heir of Linne, xix. She looked very winsome in her plain black dress.

  4.  Cheerful, joyous, gay. dial.

1787.  Grose, Prov. Gloss., Wunsome, smart, trimly dressed, lively, joyous. N.

1825.  Brockett, N. C. Gloss, Winsome, wunsome, lively, cheerful, gay.

  Hence Winsomely adv., Winsomeness in senses 3 and 4 of the adj. (OE. wynsumlíce, wynsumnes did not survive.)

17[?].  Jock o the Side, xxv. in Child, Ballads, VI. 480. O Jock, sae winsomely ’s ye ride, Wi baith your feet upo ae side!

1825.  Jamieson, Winsomelie, in a cheerful and engaging way. Winsomeness, cheerfulness and engaging sweetness.

1875.  Mrs. Randolph, Wild Hyacinth, i. She could not have been called beautiful, but there was a winsomeness in Hyacinth Ettrick’s face that rendered criticism a hard and ungracious task.

1883.  Mrs. Bishop, in Leisure Hour, 83/1. Who came forward and most winsomely shook hands with us.