Obs., dial. or arch. Forms: 1 wunung, 2–3 -ing, -ieng, (3 -(i)unge, -iȝinge, wun(n)ing, woniinge, 4 -yȝing, -enge, -(e)yinge, -iing, Sc. wonnyne), 4–5 wonyng(e, -inge, -iynge, 4–6 wonnyng(e, (5 wunnyng(e, vonyng, 6 arch. woonning, 9 dial. wunning, wunnen), 4– wonning, woning. [OE. wunung, f. wunian: see WON, WONE v. and -ING1.]
I. 1. The action or state of dwelling or abiding. To make one’s woning, to take up one’s abode, to dwell.
c. 960. Æthelwold, Rule St. Benet (1885), 109. Ʒif he eft on æniʓne timan hine sylfne to mynstres wununge ʓefæstnian wile.
971. Blickl. Hom., 13. We þæs ʓelefað … þæt swa hwylc man swa mildheortnesse nafað, ne biþ þær Cristes … wunung on þære heortan.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 127. Þerefore he makede his wunienge in þe wilderne.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 190. Mi cume & mi wuniunge, þauh hit þunche attri, hit is þauh healuwinde.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2604. In is stepmoder herte is woniinge he [sc. the Devil] nom.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 914. In womman sal mi wonning be. Ibid., 6157. Þair wonning þar … Four hundreth yere to þan had bene.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, lxxvii. 66. His wonnynge is amange men that has clene thoghtis.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxvi. (Baptista), 761. Sum cristine þare wonnyne mais, Þat þar propire kirkis hase.
1407. Scogan, Mor. Balade, 86. Lat hem [sc. vices] have no wonning In your soules.
c. 1440. York Myst., iv. 3. The place That I haue graunte you … To haue your wonnyng in.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 532/1. Wonynge, or dwellynge, mansio.
2. A place of habitation, dwelling-place.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xxx. 315. Wæs seo wunung þær swyþe wynsum on to wicenne.
c. 1000. Ags. Hom. (Assmann), iii. 454. Se hælend sæde þæt on his fæder huse syndon maneʓa wununga.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 69. Þole me louerd alitelwan þat ich bimurne mi sor, er ich wite to þe þestere wunienge.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 5572–3. To certein woniinge he hom broȝte boþe lowe & heye, So þat hor woniinge were al bi weste weye.
1340. Ayenb., 149. Þe erþe is woniynge of bestes and of men.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. iv. (Tollem. MS.). Þe … hyȝest heuen,… cuntrey and wonynge of blisful men.
c. 1400. Lay Folks Mass Bk., App. III. 123. His soule þat is þe wonyinge of crist.
c. 1430. Hymns Virgin (1867), 28. Ihesu! me brynge to þi woniynge.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 442. In Gyan land full haistely couth ryd, Raissyt feill fyr, and waistyt wonnyngis wid.
1592. Greene, Groat’s W. Wit (1617), 3. When I came first to this Cittie, my whole wardrope was onely a sute of white sheepe skins,… my woonning, the wide world.
1602. W. Basse, Three Past. Elegies, iii. (1893), 66. My wonning is in yonder stall.
3. A dwelling-house or dwelling-room, dwelling, habitation.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. vi. 14. Wyrc ðe nu anne arc … & ðu wyrcst wununga binnan ðam arce.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 74. Habitatio eorum non habet januam … Hore wunnunge naueð no ȝet.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 594. He made hire vnder erþe a woniinge … & huld hire þere … priueliche.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 921. Nov walle þe a wonnyng þat þe warisch myȝt.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 177. The lady hir leif has tane, And went hyr hame to hit wonnyng.
c. 1450. Capgrave, Life St. Gilbert, xlii. 28. Whan he say veryly þat he was hool he took leue and walkith on-to his wonyng.
a. 1529. Skelton, E. Rummyng, 94. Her name Is Elynour Rummynge, At home in her wonnynge.
1824–8. Craven Gloss., Wunnen, Wunning, a dwelling. In some parts of Craven this word is nearly extinct. When a cottage is divided into two parts, or habitations, it is called a house with two wunnings.
1901. G. Meredith, Reading of Life, etc., 115. Clouds of them [sc. flies], under some herdsman’s wonning, where then are the milk-pails.
II. 4. Custom, usage, habit. rare.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 534/2. Wunnynge, or vsynge of custome, frequentacio.
1624. in Cosin’s Corr. (Surtees), I. 23. He knoweth my woning, lett me se what he can say.
III. 5. attrib.: won(n)ing-place, -stede (STEAD sb.), -wane (WANE sb.2; cf. winning-wane, WINNING vbl. sb.2), a dwelling-place.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1404. Here *wonynge placys yn joye were dyghte.
13[?]. Cursor M., 2076 (Gött.). Bi me au þu [sc. Cain] noght to duell, Þi woning place es made in hell.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 18358. In helle mot be her wonyng-plas!
a. 1400–50. Bk. Curtasye, 847, in Babees Bk., 327. Of alle oure synnes cryst be oure leche, And bryng vs to his vonyng place!
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneis, II. 842. For if the Gods my life wold haue proroged, They had reserued for me this wonning place.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5375. I giue him *woningsted to wale For euermare.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 76. So grete vengeance he nam … Fro Ȝork vnto Durhem no wonyng stede was.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 3734. Oure werkis & of oure wonynge-stede, if ȝe wald knawe, I sal declare ȝow þe cas.
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), H iij. Where hath ye sowle … In mannys body his wonnyngstede.
c. 1400. Anturs Arth., 316 (Th. MS.). For me buse wende one my waye,… Vn-to my *wonnynge wane.
c. 1500. Gest Robyn Hode, cxlviii. in Child, Ballads, III. 63/2. Where is thy wonynge wane?
