Obs. Forms: α. 1 fandian, -iȝan, 2–3 fandien, 2–4 fondien, 3–5 fond(e(n, south. dial. vonden, -ien, (3 feonden), 3–4 faand, (faunde), 4–5 fand(e, Sc. faynd, 4–5 found(e, (5 foond, fownd(e). β. 1 ȝefan-, ȝefondian, ȝ i(y)vonden, ifonden. [OE. fandian, ȝefandian = OFris. fandia, OS. fandôn to tempt, visit (Du. vanden to visit a woman after her confinement), OHG. fantôn to visit (the mod.G. fahnden, to raise hue and cry, is commonly believed to be identical in spite of unsolved phonetic difficulties).
The pa. t. and pa. pple. occas. appear in contracted forms fond (16th c.), fonte (14th c.).]
1. trans. To put to the proof, try, test (a person or thing); to make trial of (one’s strength, skill); to taste (food, etc.); in early rise with gen.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., I. xii. § 4. Þæt þæm weorce nanum men ær ne ȝerise bet to fandianne þonne þæm wyrhtan þe hit worhte.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Mark viii. 11. And þa ferdon ða pharisei … and his fandedon.
c. 1205. Lay., 23842. Þat he fehten mihte and fondien [c. 1275 fondie] hine seolue. Ibid., 30092. Heore maines heo uondeden wel ueole siðen.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 29. To fonde þe hweðer þu beo treowe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2902 (Cott.). Mani man … þam-self can noþer faand (Gött. fonde] ne feil.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 107. Now fares Philip þe free too fonden his myght.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 618. I will … se quhat fors that thai can faynd.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3372. Fonde of the fyneste, thow freliche byerne.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 681. Quod Alexander to þis athill as he his arte fandis.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 36. My servand I will found and frast.
absol. a. 1300. Cursor M., 542 (Cott.). Þe erth [gis man] þe tast, to fele and faand.
b. With sentence as obj.: To prove, try to find out, see.
a. 1000. Runic Poem, 25 (Gr.). Garsecȝ fandað, hwæðer ac hæbbe æðele treowe.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 2410 (Gr.). Ic wille fandiȝan nu … hwau þa men don.
c. 1205. Lay., 2949. Ic wille fondien whulchere beo mi beste freond.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 5946.
| Ic sal fonden and sen | |
| Quat tiding so it cam on ðe niȝt. |
c. 1300. Harrow. Hell, 68.
| Forte buen oure fere, | |
| Ant fonden how we pleyen here. |
c. 1440. York Myst., xx. 264.
| I schall thynke on þam wele, | |
| To ffonde what is folowand. |
c. To examine, scan.
13[?]. Pearl, xv. (Gollancz). Her figure fyn, quen I had fonte.
d. To ‘tempt,’ ‘prove’ (God). In early use const. gen. after OE.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 93. Hwi iwearð hinc swa þet ȝit dursten fondian godes.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter, cv[i]. 14. Þat fanded God in drines.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XII. 364. Thai faynd god all too gretumly.
2. To endeavour to lead into evil; to tempt.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 67. He fondede god solf mid his wrenche.
c. 1200. Ormin, 5945.
| He þurrh þe laþe gast | |
| Wass siþþenn fandedd þriȝȝess. |
c. 1275. Passion, 28, in O. E. Misc., 38.
| Þe holy gost hyne ledde vp in-to þe wolde | |
| For to beon yuonded of sathanas þen olde. |
1340. Ayenb., 15. Zuo heþ þe dyeuel diuerse maneres … to uondi þe uolk.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, Andreas, 167.
| Scho me fandyt besily | |
| To syne with hyr in lichory. |
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XV. 120. In whiche flood þe feend fondeþ man.
b. In good or neutral sense: To try to induce (to do something).
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VI. xviii. 276. He hym fandyde … of Scotland to tak þe crowne.
3. a. To have experience of, deal with (a person); to have (carnal) acquaintance with. b. To make experiment with (a thing); to prove, try. c. absol. To have experience (of something implied).
c. 1175. Cott. Hom., 239. God þurh his mucele milce ne letes us nefer fandie.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 224. Hadde he fonded sume stunde, he wolde seggen oðer.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 860.
| Ȝongling, þou schalt abide! | |
| Foles þou wendest to fand! |
a. 1330. Roland & V., 470. So hard he was to fond.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 740. Hee … fonded hur fleshlych or hee fare wolde.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 1137. But malthes colde in other crafte thou founde. Ibid., III. 551. Cannetes nowe with craftes may be fande.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 741. Marie fande first the avowe of gloriouse maydenhede.
4. To enquire; to seek, look for; to enquire into (a matter); to search (a place), explore (a track). Also const. of, to enquire about, hence, to care for.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 104. Of smelles … ne uond ich nout mucheles.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 6441 (Trin.).
| Þis ille folk was wantoun to fonde | |
| þat moyses hadde vndir honde. | |
| Ibid., 10840 (Trin.). | |
| Þis aungel sende þe trinite … | |
| Nazareth þe toun to fond. |
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4871. Þat þan fonde all þe flote fiftene dayis.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 640. Þey … vondeden þ’ place, and made hit ryde Tyll [etc.].
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. ix. 369. Þai fayndyd of þis þe kyngis wille.
b. absol. To ask.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 1034.
| Leeue fader … fonde I, mee tell, | |
| The sterre þat yee staren on · sticketh it in heuin? |
5. To attempt, try. Const. to with inf.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 10. Þene acursede gast þæt feondeð to fordo me.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 455. Ȝe stallewardes knyȝtes, þat … þes kyng vondeþ bryng to noȝte.
c. 1300. Cursor M., 21224 (Cott.).
| Mani oiþer men in strijf | |
| Fanded for to folu his lijf. |
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 41.
| Till that the barnage at the last | |
| Assemblyt thaim, and fayndyt fast | |
| To cheyss a king thar land to ster. |
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 7. Elsynus bisshop of Wynchestre evere among fondede to have þe see.
c. 1450. Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 1750.
| Why er we þus in sleuth sett? | |
| Let vs fande som helpe to gett. |
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 304. He fondyd to put ye prerogatyue … from ye munkys.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. vii. 26.
| For in the sea to drowne herselfe she fond, | |
| Rather then of the tyrant to be caught. |
absol. c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 565. What may mon do bot fonde?
b. To busy oneself.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1682. In þe kechene … arn crafti men … þat fast fonden alday to flen wilde bestes.
6. To attempt, undertake (a deed). Also with sentence as obj.: To take care, see (that).
Beowulf, 2454. Þonne se an hafað þurh deaðes nyd dæda ȝefondad.
a. 1300. Beket, 676. Siththe he wende him eft into the see: passage forto fonde.
1307. Elegy Edw. I., v.
| Kyng of Fraunce, thou hevedest sunne, | |
| That thou the counsail woldest fonde, | |
| To latte the wille of kyng Edward | |
| To wend to the holy londe. |
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 656. Ffaunde my fforestez be ffrythede.
c. 1400. Melayne, 1401. Þou fayles of þat þou fande.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 120.
| He was in þe holy lond, | |
| Dede of armes for to ffond. |
a. 1455. Holland, Houlate, xlvii. Ȝaipe, thocht he ȝung was, to faynd his offens.
7. To acquit oneself (well); also with refl. pron.
c. 1470. Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, IX. 1272.
| For Inglissmen thai had haldyn the hycht | |
| In wachman lyff, and fayndyt thaim rycht weill. | |
| Ibid., X. 1023. | |
| Sa fand thai thar a gentill worthi knycht | |
| At Climace hecht, full cruell ay had beyn, | |
| And fayndyt weill amang his enemys keyn. |
8. To go, proceed; also with refl. pron. = FOUND v.1
a. 1340. Cursor M., 12978 (Cott.). Apon þe heist fell he faand.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 2671. Þan fandis he furth in-to þe fild.
c. 1440. York Myst., xviii. 149. Fande þe furthe faste for to flee.
c. 1650. Sir Lambewell, 517, in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 160. A softly pace her palfray fand.
