Forms: 3–4 lan(e, 5–6 Sc. lane, layne, 3–8 lone, (4 lon, 5 lonne, 7 loyane), 4–6 loon(e, (5 lowne, 6 londe), 6–7 loane, 6– loan. [a. ON. lán neut. (Da. laan, Sw. lån) = OE. lǽn fem., MDu. lêne (Du. leen), OHG. lêhan (MHG. lêhen, mod.G. lehn) neut.:—OTeut. *laihwniz, -oz-, neut.:—OAryan *loiqnes-, -os- (Skr. rēknas inheritance, wealth), f. root *loiq- (: leiq- : lĭq-) represented in Gr. λείπειν to leave, Goth. leihwan, OHG. lîhan (mod.G. leihen), OE. léon to lend.
The OE. lǽn did not survive into ME., being superseded by the Scandinavian form; but its derivative vb. lǽnan is the source of LEND v.2]
† 1. A gift or grant from a superior. Obs.
a. 1240. Sawles Warde, in Cott. Hom., 257. Wiit … þonkeð god ȝeorne … of se riche lane [MS. T. leane] … þat he haueð ileanet him.
a. 1250. Prov. Ælfred, 186, in O. E. Misc., 114. Ayhte nys non ildre istreon; ac hit is godes lone.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10179. In thrin his godes did he dele þat godd had lent him of his lane.
13[?]. Evang. Nicod., 1529, in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr., LIII. 419.
| Þus all þa saintes þanked him ryght | |
| Þt slyke lane wald þam len. |
a. 1375. Lay Folks Mass Bk., App. iv. 640. Vr lord lene vs þat lon.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sompn. T., 153. God be thanked of his loone.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 1916. The lady … Dwellyd as nonne … Loveing god of hys loone.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xix. 271. Thou leyne vs lyffyng on thi lone.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., XII. (Wolf & Lamb), xix. Lordis that hes land be goddis lane [rhymes tane, gane].
2. A thing lent; something the use of which is allowed for a time, on the understanding that it shall be returned or an equivalent given; esp. a sum of money lent on these conditions, and usually at interest. Phr. † to loan: as a loan.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14036. Tua men … asked him penis to lan.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvi. (Nycholas), 810. Þe Iow … gert cal hyme in Iugment, to prowe his lane þat he lent.
1388. Wyclif, Exod. xxii. 25. If thou ȝyuest money to loone to my pore puple.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. iii. 16. Ȝeve ȝe loone, hoping no thing ther of [Luke vi. 35].
1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 387. Euery man that payeth to such a yefte or lone aboue specificied.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), IV. xxi. 226. He the whiche receyueth that londe of money.
1533. Gau, Richt Vay, 17. Our saluior sais in the vi chaiptur of S. Luc. len ȝour layne traistand no thing thairfor.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. ii. 20. The Lord giue thee seed of this woman, for the loane which is lent to the Lord.
1740. W. Douglass, Disc. Curr. Brit. Plant. Amer., 11. Their Money being Loans of Paper Credit called Bills, from their Government to private Persons upon Land Security.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, II. 409. Dhar ceded to the British government … as security for a pecuniary loan, the province of Bairsia for five years.
1863. Fawcett, Pol. Econ., I. iv. (1876), 37. Indian railways have been constructed by loans subscribed almost entirely in England.
b. fig. Said, in recent use, of something (as a word, a custom) ‘borrowed’ or adopted by one people from another.
1891. T. K. Cheyne, Psalter viii. 405. To regard the conceptions of Isa. lxv. 17, and still more, of Isa. lxvi. 15 as mere loans from Mazdeism is uncritical.
1892. E. P. Barrow, Regni Evangelium, iv. 78. Inward graces and outward opportunities are loans which may be enlarged by use and must be accounted for.
3. The action of lending; an instance of this; also in phr. † at, † by, † in, on or upon loan; and † to put to loan, in quot. fig.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 244/136. ‘Leneth me,’ he sede, ‘Ane hondret quarters of þat corn … þis schipmen seiden ne dorre we make no lone.’
c. 1386. Chaucer, Shipman’s T., 295. No wight in al this world wiste of this loone.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. V. 194. Lumbardes of lukes þat lyuen by lone as Iewes.
1454. Rolls of Parlt., V. 245/2. Ther shal be severally leveide and had by wey of lonne and preste to hym.
1463. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.), 220. Item, delyveryd to the sayd Straton, by lone, xijd.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 496. Any bargeyn or lowne of money by way of vsury.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 244. Money … prested out in lone.
1646. Massach. Col. Rec., 4 Nov. (1853), II. 164. The Corte … formerly granted Maior Nehemia Bourne the loane of sixe great guns.
1712. Hearne, Collect. (O. H. S.), III. 319. I am promis’d the loan of it [a book].
1721. Rhode Island Col. Rec. (1859), IV. 297. To permit and suffer the said Richard Ward to have and take upon loan as much of said bills … as by them shall be thought needful.
1729. New Hampsh. Prov. Papers (1870), IV. 553. The vote of the House … for re-emitting some bills at loan.
1753. Washington, Jrnl. (1754), 6. The Waters were quite impassable, without swimming our Horses; which obliged us to get the Loan of a Canoe.
1813. J. Adams, Wks. (1856), X. 36. I am much obliged to you … for the loan of this precious collection of memorials.
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 972. If the loan is not upon the vessel, but upon the goods and merchandize.
1845. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. 605. He incessantly pressed for a ‘brave sum of money’ on loan.
1858. W. H. Sumner, in N. Eng. Hist. & Gen. Reg., XII. 226. I obtained the loan of that Order Book.
1900. Mary Carus-Wilson, Irene Petrie, Pref. p. xii. I am indebted … to many friends for loan of letters, etc.
transf. and fig. (rare). 1538. Elyot, Dict., Addit., Animam debet … he hath not his lyfe but in lone.
1609. Heywood, Brit. Troy, V. xlix. 118. The blow was put to loane.
1854. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 297. She gratified Clive by a momentary loan of two knuckly old fingers.
† b. occas. The action of hiring or letting.
1601. Exp. Judges riding West. & Oxford Circuit, 49, in Camden Misc. (1858), IV. It. the loane of vessells vs. iiijd.
1790. Weston Rec. (Massach.), 5 April (1893), 414. The proceeds of the Sale or Loan of the Same [pews] to Discharge the Debts of the Town.
4. National finance. a. A contribution of money, formerly often a forced one, from private individuals or public bodies, towards the expenses of the state, the amount of which is acknowledged by the government as a debt; sometimes, the sum of money so contributed.
1439. Rolls of Parlt., V. 8/2. Ye gret loones and presttes, ye which yei have afore this tyme made unto our said Soverain Lord.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 8. At the tyme of the same lone or taking of the seid money.
1542–3. Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII., c. 2 § 1. Euery high collectour of any .xv. subsidie or other taxe or lone.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 102 b. At the last loane some lent the fifth part.
1603. North’s Plutarch, Seneca (1612), 1217. He … ransacked all Italie with impositions and excessiue lones.
1626. in Crt. & Times Chas. I. (1848), I. 126. The money which the aldermen gave the king, they neither presented in the name of a loan nor of their own proper gift.
1772. Junius’ Lett., lxviii. 347. Several persons … refused to contribute to a loan exacted by Charles the First.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Fr. Wines & Pol., vi. 82. Loans of almost every kind, and under every species of pretence had been raised upon the suffering nation.
1845. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., II. 143. They … obstinately refused to grant a loan which they were called upon to advance, and which was to be repaid out of the proceeds of the tax for the Turkish war.
1868. G. Duff, Pol. Surv., 162. Since Juarez triumphed, there have been no forced loans, no exactions.
b. An arrangement or contract by which a government receives upon its own credit advances of money on specified conditions, esp. the payment of a stipulated interest.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. viii. 324. The frequent opportunities of conferring particular obligations, by preference in loans [etc.].
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, I. 109. It had been thought necessary to offer … ten per cent. per annum, on a loan.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), II. 429. To reduce the charge on account of the loan to 3 or 31/2 per cent.
1853. Bright, Sp. India, 3 June. The Company has contracted loans to the extent of 16,000,000l.
5. attrib. and Comb. a. simple attributive, as loan-account, -act, -chest, -fund, -shop; b. objective, as loan-contractor, -jobber, -jobbing; † loan-bank, an establishment from which poor people could borrow money at a low rate; † loan-bill = exchequer-bill; loan-collection, a collection of works of art, curiosities, or the like, lent by their owners for exhibition; loan-god, a god borrowed from another religion; loan-holder, one who holds debentures or other acknowledgements of a loan; a mortgagee; † loan-house = LOAN-OFFICE 1; loan-monger, a contemptuous name for a loan-contractor; so loan-mongering vbl. sb., loan-mongery; loan-myth, a myth borrowed from a foreign mythology; loan-note, an acknowledgement of indebtedness signed by an officer of a borrowing society on its behalf; † loan-recusant, one who refused to contribute to a loan; loan-society, an association of persons who pay a periodical subscription in order to form a fund from which loans may be made to members or others; loan-word [= G. lehnwort], a word adopted or borrowed from another language. Also LOAN-MONEY, LOAN-OFFICE.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 22 Aug., 6/3. The customer … is informed that a *loan-account … has been opened in his name.
1743. New Hampsh. Prov. Papers (1871), V. 668. The *Loan Act for emitting £25,000 which his Majesty has condescended to approve.
1662. Petty, Taxes, 11. If publick *loan-banks, lombards, or banks of credit … were erected.
1746. Connect. Col. Rec. (1876), IX. 250. A certificate … for letting out the loan bank made by this Colony.
1872. Yeats, Growth Comm., 63. Loan banks lent money.
1722. Lond. Gaz., No. 6078/2. The Exchequer Bills, called *Loan Bills.
1886. Willis & Clark, Cambridge, III. 473. There were special *loan-chests, the borrower deposited some object of value as a pledge in the chest out of which his loan had been taken.
1895. H. F. Brown, Biog. J. A. Symonds, I. 100. Symonds saw the first *loan collection of old masters [at Manchester].
1834. Tait’s Mag., I. 390/1. The vitals are eaten out of Old England by subsidies, *loan-contractors, and Jew-jobbers.
1835. Act 5 & 6 Will. IV., c. 23 § 1. Certain Institutions for establishing *Loan funds have been … established … for the Benefit … of the Labouring Classes.
1893. Dk. Argyll, Unseen Foundat. Society, xvi. 521. A loan-fund had been opened.
1901. A. Lang, Magic & Relig., ii. 15. The Theory of *Loan-Gods; or borrowed Religion.
1823. Byron, To Bowring, 10 Oct., in Moore, Lett. & Jrnls. Byron (1830), II. 693. It will be requisite for the *loan-holders to set apart … 50,000l. sterling for that purpose.
1883. Manch. Exam., 6 Nov., 5/1. The shareholders and loanholders would have confidence.
1622. T. Scott, Belg. Pismire, 79. Their Lumbards or *Loane-houses, are principally for the benefit of the poore.
1797. in Spirit Pub. Jrnls. (1802), I. 84. *Loan-jobbers and Contractors are quarrelling who shall rob us.
1822. in Cobbett, Rur. Rides (1885), I. 144. Loan-jobbers, stock-jobbers, Jews.
1831. T. L. Peacock, Crotchet Castle, i. (1887), 15. A junior partner in the eminent *loan-jobbing firm of Catchflat and Company.
1837. Disraeli, Venetia, I. iv. He … turned up his nose at the Walpolian *loanmongers.
1898. Spectator, 8 Jan., 39. The plunder of conquered States for the benefit of the victor through the agency of the loan-monger.
1826. in Cobbett, Rur. Rides (1885), II. 259. Till excises and *loanmongering began, these vermin [the Quakers] were never heard of in England.
1822. Examiner, 419/2. This must be the case even if *loan-mongery goes on.
1887. Lang, Myth, Ritual & Relig., I. 322. Many Greek myths are *‘loan-myths.’
1883. Law Rep., 11 Q. Bench Div. 564. The *loan-notes of the Cherry Tree Building Society.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 75. The *Loan-Recusants appeared the only men in the peoples affections.
1849. N. & Q., 1st Ser. I. 5. The Lombard merchants … were the first to open *loan-shops in England.
1835. Act 5 & 6 Will. IV., c. 23. An Act for the Establishment of *Loan Societies in England and Wales.
1874. Sayce, Compar. Philol., v. 171. *Loan-words are common to all dialects.
1900. Margoliouth, in Expositor, April, 248. Isaiah’s oracles were full of Aramaic loan-words.
