Obs. Chiefly poet. Forms: 3 woan, 3–4 won, 4–5 woon, wone. [Midland and Southern variant (with ǭ) of WANE sb.2, which is probably a. ON. ván hope, expectation, and therefore identical with WONE sb.3 The germ of the sense of ‘dwelling-place’ is to be seen in ON. examples such as þá er allar vánir vóru rannsakaðar when all the ‘expected places’ (places where it might be expected to be) were searched; cf. Norw. von place where one expects to find something, fishing-place, hunting-ground. Association with WON v. assisted the establishing and further development of the sense in ME.; cf. also WONE sb.1 II. The allocation of meaning in particular instances is often doubtful.]
1. A place of habitation or abode, dwelling-place.
c. 1275. Serving Christ, 68, in O. E. Misc., 92. Me graueþ þis gode, in greote and in ston, Þer wereþ vre wlite in wurmene won.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xiv. 46. So wyde in world ys huere won, In uch a toune untrewe is on.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 2456. No hadde þai no won to wille Bot þe wode so grene.
14[?]. Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.), 85/116. Pray we þat byrde so bright as bon … Þat owr dwellyng may be in her wone, With hym that for owr sake was slone.
2. sing. and pl. A dwelling-house, dwelling, habitation: freq. applied to a palace.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 418. Wiðinnen ower woanes ne lete ȝe nenne mon slepen.
c. 1350. Athelston, 755. Boþe in-same þey rod To Westemynstyr wone.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 140. Hov wan þou into þis won in wedez so fowle?
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2400. Ȝe schal in þis nwe ȝer aȝayn to my wonez.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 172. A woon wonderlie well y-beld, Wiþ arches on eueriche half.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 18361. Thei caste al doun thes worthi wones, Led & tyle, sclat & stones.
c. 1430. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903), 207. And al þe welþe withinne þi woon To susteine þee and þin householde.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. xxxiv. Reparrellit was that godlike plesand wone.
15[?]. Flodden F., lxxvii. in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 332. He tooke me from my father deere & keeped me within his woone.
1570. Levins, Manip., 168/11. A Wone, habitatio.
b. pl. Rooms, chambers, apartments.
c. 1325. Orfeo, 351. Amyd the launde a castel he sye … Within were wyde wonys.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 917. Haf ȝe no wonez in castel walle?
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 331. The wynter wones on the sonny side.
14[?]. Tundale’s Vis., 1623. Large and rownde were tho wones, Þe flore was paved with preciouse stones.
c. sing. and pl. (with sing. concord). A city.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2472. Thay had wonne that wone be theire awene strenghe!
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 9857. Yonder won [sc. Troy] for to wyn.
c. 1440. Capgrave, Life St. Kath., I. 141. For the grete welthe þat was in þat wonys [sc. the city of Alexandria].
d. In or within one’s wones: in one’s possession.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 76. He that stant to day alofte And al the world hath in hise wones. Ibid., 134. Thogh a man at ones Of al the world withinne his wones The tresor myhte have everydel.
3. sing. and pl. An inhabited place; a country, realm, territory, domain; gen. a place. Phr. within wones, in wone (freq. as a tag) = everywhere, anywhere.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8951. Passent calanged his fader wones, Þe kyng for robberye of þe stones. Ibid. (1338), Chron. (1810), 75. [He] fulle bare mas many wone, of gode men er non left.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sir Thopas, 90. He so longe hadde riden and goon That he foond in a pryue woon The contree of Fairye So wilde.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 295. Ther was ynowh withinne wones Of wepinge and of sorghe tho.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 18. Deþ, as ich lyuede, Wonede in þo wones, and wyckede spiritus. Ibid. (1399), R. Redeles, II. 180. Wher so þey fferde be ffryth or be wones.
a. 1400. Leg. Rood, viii. 347. Fadres and Modres þat walken in won.
c. 1400. 26 Pol. Poems, xxiii. 8. Prestes are lanterne hem to wysse Þe wise weyes to heuene wones. Ibid. (1412), xi. 94. Hem thar not drede, where þey go, Here wele and worschip, in euery won.
c. 1440. Capgrave, Life St. Kath., I. 26. A noble man,… Gracious in feld, peisible in wones.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, liii. 126. Twelve the wysest Of Al that won.
14[?]. How Good Wife taught Dau., 44. in Q. Eliz. Acad., 45. Ne fayre wordes brake neuer bone, Ne neuer schall in no wone.
b. Applied to this world (esp. in worthly or worldly wone); also to heaven (cf. also quots. 14[?] in 1 and c. 1400 in 3). Phr. worthly or worthy in wone, distinguished in the world or in this life.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xvi. 51. In al this wurhliche won,… Never ȝete y nuste non lussomore in londe.
a. 1375. Lay Folks Mass Bk., App. IV. 637. From his blisse we schal be flemed Out of þat worþli won.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 54. Þo þouȝte þe wrecches to bewile þat worly [v.rr. worþi, wrthi] in wone. Ibid., 134. With wordus þei worshipe þat worliche in wone.
c. 1400. Melayne, 168. Þose worthely men in wone.
c. 1400. Anturs Arth., xiii. Welcum, Waynor, i-wys wurlok in wone.
14[?]. T. Chestre, Launfal, 933. To wonye yn worldly wone.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., i. 184. To walk here in this worthely wone.
