v. Obs. [OE. *fnéosan (whence fnéosung ‘sternutatio’ (Wr.-Wülck., 162), fnora ‘sternutatio’ (Corp. Gloss.), ȝe-fnésan to sneeze (see below), cognate with Du. fniezen, ON. fnysa (Da. fnýse, Sw. fnysa to snort).
The wk.-grade of the root *fneus- (? cogn. with Gr. πνέ-ειν, root *pneu- to breathe) is represented in OE. fnora sneezing (Corp. Gloss.). Closely parallel in sound and sense, though belonging to a different ablaut series, are ON. fnasa (see FNAST sb.) and fnœsa (:—*fnōs-ja) to snort.]
intr. To sneeze; also, to puff, snort. Hence Fnesing vbl. sb.
c. 1000. Æleric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 162. Sternutatio … snytingc, uel fneosung.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Manciple’s Prol., 62.
| He speketh in his nose, | |
| And fneseth faste, and eek he hath the pose. |
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VII. xi. (1495), 230. Constantyne sayth that fnesynge is a vyolent meuynge of ye brayne to putte out superfluytees of fumositees therof.
c. 1400. Beryn, 42. And þere-with she gan to fnese.
