Obs. Forms: 1 lendan, 3 lænde, Orm. lendenn, 3–6 lende, 4 lenden, 4–5 leende, 4–6 leind, lend, leynd(e, 5 leend, (lynd). Pa. t. 3 lænde, lende, 4 lend, lended, -id, -it, -yd, -yt, 4–5 lente, 4–6 lent, 5 leende. Pa. pple. 4 lende, lente, 4–6 lent. [OE. lęndan = OHG. lenten (MHG. lenden), ON. lenda:—OTeut. *landjan, f. *landom LAND sb. Cf. LAND v.]
1. intr. To arrive, come. Also refl.
Sometimes conjugated with the verb to be.
11[?]. O. E. Chron., an. 1036. Man hine lædde to Eliʓ byriʓ swa ʓebundenne, sona swa he lende, on scype man hine blende.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2141. Swa þatt he [þe steoressmann] muȝhe lendenn rihht To lande wiþþ hiss wille.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1868. Þe schipp on land bigan to lend. Ibid., 22053. An angel … i sagh lendand Wit a mikel cheigne in hand.
13[?]. Sir Beues, 4277 (MS. A.). Þai lende ouer þe se beliue, At Souþhamtoun þai gonne vp riue.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 201. Of what londe art þou lent.
a. 1400. Octouian, 615. The seuende day har schyp lente At Japhet.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 573. Than lendis him vp þe leue kyng his lady to vysite.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 4488. To morne or none to þe leendys Fyue hundreth’ of þi best frendys.
15[?]. Geste Rob. Hode, VII. xlii. Now shalte thou se what lyfe we lede, Or thou hens wende, Than thou may enfourme our kynge, When ye togyder lende.
b. To go, depart.
[a 1310: see 2.]
a. 1375. Joseph Arim., 207. A child cominge þorw, his come was nout seene, Siþen lenges a while and a-ȝein lendes. Ibid., 709. Þei lenden of þe toun and leuen hit þere.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 105. Lete fleischeli knowynge from þee be lent.
2. To light (up)on. lit. and fig.
This would seem to be the original meaning and in the common ME. alliterative phrase love is lent, but the verb may have been subsequently otherwise interpreted as = lean, to incline; in some contexts it was perh. associated with next vb.: cf. LEND v.2 2 α (quot. 1430).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4214. Al mi luue on him was lend. Ibid., 10776. A duu þat was fra heuen send þare lighted dun, and þar-on lend.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., vi. 28. From alle wymmen mi love is lent ant lyht on Alysoun. Ibid. Levedi, al for thine sake longinge is y-lent me on.
c. 1340. Cursor M. (Cotton Galba), 29322. Þe elleuynd poynt [of cursing] opon þam lendes þat witandly with-haldes tendes.
c. 1400. Melayne, 1044. Thynk appon Marie brighte, To whayme oure lufe es lentt.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 28. Longinge is in me so lent.
c. 1460. Emare, 404. The kynges love on her was lent.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xxv. 35. Sich light can on vs leynd In paradyse full playn.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 498. Gif his lust so be lent, into my lyre quhit.
3. To tarry, remain, stay; to dwell, abide.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2966. He dred þe folk was ful o pride, Quils he war lendand þam biside.
c. 1320. R. Brunne, Medit., 1039. A! sone, here may y no longer lende.
1352. Minot, Poems, vii. 36. Thai lended thare bot litill while, Til Franchemen to grante thaire grace.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, III. 747. And, quhill him likit thar to leynd, Euirilk day thai suld him seynd Wictalis for three hundred men.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 729. On englisch marche sall’ þou lende.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xi. 352. Thus long where haue ye lent?
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. x. 9. Quhatsumevir in the braid lochis weir, Or amang buskis harsk leyndis ondir the spray.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., 26140. That we ressaue him alway for oure freind, At oure plesour in oure landis to leind.
b. Conjugated with the vb. to be. To be lent = sense 3. Lent (pa. pple.) = remaining, abiding, dwelling.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1084. Aungelles … Aboutte my lady was lent, quen ho delyuer were.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1319. Þe lorde of þe londe is lent on his gamnez.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxi. (Clement), 229. With me is lent a ȝung man, callit to nam clement.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13857. He fraynit … In what lond he was lent.
a. 1440. Sir Eglam., 87. Evyr syth thou were a chylde Thou haste byn lente wyth me.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 591. Thair was na leid on lyfe lent in this land.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 3207. Theyr company and mynysters that were there lent.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. Prol. 14. Langour lent is in land, all lychtnes is lost.
c. refl. To make one’s abode, settle. rare.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2479. Abram lendid him o-nan Biside þe folk of chanaan.
4. causal. To cause to come; to bring, place.
a. 1200. Moral Ode, 122. God ȝeue þet vre ende bo god and wite þet he vs lende [Egerton MS. lende, later copy lenne].
c. 1205. Lay., 1989. Neh him he heom lænde [c. 1275 lende].
