a. and sb. Obs. Forms: 4, 6 solein(e, 4–6 soleyn(e, 6 solleine; 4 soulein, 5 souleyn; 5 solain, 6 solaine; 5 sulayne, 5–6 solayn(e. [app. a. AF. *solein, *solain, a derivative of sol SOLE a. Cf. OF. soltain, soutain (med.L. solitaneus). Now represented by SULLEN a. (see sense 5).]
A. adj. 1. Unique, singular. rare.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 982. Trewly she was to myn eye, The soleyn Fenix of Arabye, For there lyueth never but one.
c. 1460. Wisdom, 579, in Macro Plays. Kynde nobyll of kynrede, me ioy yovyn hase, Ande þat makyt me soleyn.
c. 1475. Partenay, 6104. So by hym was made and furged again Off Maillers the church, with fresh werke solain.
b. Singular, strange, unusual.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 16. Therof a solein tale I rede, Which I schal telle in remembraunce Upon the sort of loves chaunce.
c. 1475. Partenay, 5431. Where ye shall finde this solain auenture, Full strang vnto sight of ech creature.
2. One and no more; single, sole.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3805. Þis solayne sope if I sup quethire sustene it may Þe menbris of þe Messedones & of þe many Persens.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 134. Anothyr yewyth a vyse consail and Sauyth al a roialme, and so may noght do the Souleyn streynth of one man.
3. Of places: Lonely, solitary. rare.
1388. Wyclif, Job iii. 14. Consuls of erthe, that bilden to hem soleyn places [L. solitudines].
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 6. Ofte, whanne I scholde pleie, It makth me drawe out of the weie In soulein place be miselve.
b. Of actions: Done in privacy or solitude.
c. 1475. Partenay, 4394. Noght-withstandying [he] went to se hir dedes solain.
4. Apart from or destitute of a companion or companions; unaccompanied by another or others; all alone; solitary.
c. 1381. Chaucer, Parl. Foules, 607. Lat eche of hem ben soleyn al here lyue. Ibid., 614. Leue thow soleyn.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 320. Thus fulofte there he sat To muse in his philosophie Solein withoute compaignie.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2592. I gyfe þe grace,… With-thy thowe say me sothe what thowe here sekes, Thus sengilly and sulayne alle þiselfe one.
a. 1412[?]. Lydg., Two Merchants, 527. He weepith, wayleth soleyn and solitarye.
a. 1542. Wyatt, Ps. cii. 20, in Anglia, XIX. 437. So made I me the solaine pelycane.
b. Of life: Spent in solitude.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 2723. His solayn lif he had begonn he vsed forth als he was wonn.
5. Averse to society; disinclined to be sociable or friendly; morose, sullen.
For the later history of this sense see SULLEN a.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, IV. 66. And some were so soleyne and sad of her wittis, Þat er they come to þe clos acombrid þey were.
a. 1400. Rom. Rose, 3896. He hateth alle trechours, Soleyn folk and envyous.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 463. Soleyne, of maners, or he þat lovythe no cumpany, solitarius.
a. 1529. Skelton, Sp. Parrot, 304. Addressyng your selfe, lyke a sadde messengere, To ower soleyne seigneour Sadoke. Ibid., Agst. Comely Coystrowne, 51. It is a solemnpne syre and a solayne.
1597. J. King, On Jonas (1618), 282. Philo, mee thinketh, rightly expressed the qualities of these Saturnine, solleine, discontented men.
b. transf. Of bearing or demeanor.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Tribulacyon, II. Wks. 1200/1. An whole floud of all unhappy mischief, arrogant maner, high solayn solemne port.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., May, 213. At last her solein silence she broke, And gan his newe budded beard to stroke.
6. Reserved, retiring, modest.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun (Roxb.), 27. Hire speche was lawe and soft, souleyn and fulle discrete.
B. sb. 1. A single or solitary person.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XII. 205. He sit neither … wyth maydenes ne with martires, confessoures ne wydwes, But by hym-self as a soleyne, and serued on þe erthe.
2. A portion of food for one person.
Perhaps the same as OF. solain ‘portio monachica’ (Du Cange, s.v. solatium).
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 463. Soleyne, or a mees of mete for on a-lone, solinum.
Hence Soleinty. Obs.
c. 1400. Wycliffite Bible, Isaiah xxiv. 12. Soleyntee (ether desolacioun) is left in the citee, and wretchidnesse schal oppresse the ȝatis.
1420–2. Lydg., Thebes, I. 259. Thus ful ofte gendred is Envye In folkes hertes, of soleynte and pryde.
