Obs. exc. Sc. Forms: see prec.; cf. also TWINE v.2 [ME. twinnen, f. TWIN a. or sb. For the development of the senses cf. TWIN sb. 4.]
1. trans. To put asunder (properly two things or persons, or one from the other); to separate, disjoin, disunite, sunder, sever, part, divide; † to deliver, set free; fig. to distinguish.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 254. Euerichon to dealed [MS. T. itwinned] from oðer.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 13. Engel & meiden beon euening in uertu of meidenhades mihte þah eadinesse ham twinni ȝette & to-tweame.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 390 (Cott.). For to tuin dai fra night. Ibid., 7948. Þi hus … Sal neuer tuind [v.rr. tuinned, twynned] be fra suord. Ibid., 22912. Nan es … þat can Tuin þat erth þat com o man Fra þat erth þat es bredd o best.
c. 1400. Love, Bonavent. Mirr. (1907), 252. Our bodily felauschip is twynned, and now moste I nedes be departed fro the.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6704. Twede fra scotlande bernyce twynnes.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., i. 11. Oone god in persons thre, Which may neuer twynnyd be. Ibid., ii. 325. With cheke bon,… Shall the and thi life twyn. Ibid., vii. 12. From hell he will theym twyn.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. vii. 11. From the sweit lyf twynnit vntymusly.
1637. [see 2].
1686. G. Stuart, Joco-Serious Disc., 58. Then out he drew a gully knife With that he twinned me and my life.
1826–. in dial. glossaries (Chesh., Lanc., Northumb.).
1832. Motherwell, Poems, 184. The waves and cruel wars hae twinn’d My winsome luve frae me.
1855. Fraser’s Mag., LI. 95. Ab, my cruel cruel stepdame, who hath twinn’d our love for aye.
† b. To divide or share; to part with. Obs. rare.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 86. Þing þat a man wynnes, It is told purchase, whedir he it hold or tuynnes.
1790. Shirrefs, Poems, 74. Narrow’s the saul wha winna twin his gear To … help the poor!
c. To deprive of.
1722. Ramsay, Three Bonnets, I. 180. His [Samson’s] strength, O’ which she twinn’d him at the length.
a. 1800. Fine Flowers in Valley, in Child, Ballads (1882), I. 220/1. She’s taen out her little pen-knife, And twinnd the sweet babe o its life.
1887. Service, Dr. Duguid, xvi. 103. It was just like the twinnin’ him o’ his vera life to part wi a plack.
2. intr. a. Of two persons or things: To go asunder; to separate, part.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 396. Leoue ureond beoð sorie hwon heo schulen twinnen.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1823. When þe body and þe saule salle twyn.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), xxv. And or þei twynne þei moste acorde where þe metynge shall be on þe morowe.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.), i. 271. Lightenes, darkenes, I byd yow twyn.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 60. How suld we twin [ed. 1621 twine] that na man can depart?
1637. Rutherford, Lett. (1862), I. 209. We should never twin again, except heaven twinned and sundered us.
1790. Scots Songs, I. 77. We twa will never twin.
† b. To depart, go away (also in weakened sense, to go, proceed); to escape, get free. Obs.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, iv. (Jacobus), 375. Out of þis warld þat we ma twene But schame, det, or dedly syne.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 835. Now draweth cut er þat we ferrer twynne He which þat hath the shorteste shal bigynne. Ibid., Monk’s T., 15. O Lucifer … Now artow sathanas, þat mayst nat twynne Out of miserie, in which þat thou art falle.
c. 1400. Lydg., Flour of Curtesye, 256. And if you liste I dyed, I wolde assente, As ever twinne I quik out of this lynde!
c. 1422. Hoccleve, Learn to Die, 183. I keepe nat þat y shal hennes twyne [rhyme synne].
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Devot. Poems, v. 22. Or thou be sommound by vncerten death,… Sen tym is precious tak it or ȝe tuin.
† c. With from: To separate oneself from; to part from, take leave of; to depart from, leave, forsake, renounce. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23182 (Edin.). Fra þat dai forþe … Sal neuir fra bodi sauil tuin.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxiv. (Pelagia), 182. Men but nombre … haf I Gert … fra god twyn.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pard. Prol., 102. Yet kan I maken oother folk to twynne From Auarice.
1406. Hoccleve, Misrule, 42. Whan fro thee twynned shee.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 247. Thy feet embracyng fro whiche I shal nat twynne, Mercy requeeryng. Ibid. (1430–40), Bochas, I. xiv. (MS. Bodl. 263), 62/1. Whan the sperit shal fro the bodi twynne.
d. With with: To part with; to take leave of; to deprive oneself of, give up.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 2750. He takis þam of his tresoure & twynnes with þaim faire.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, E iij b. When he [the hare] is female and kyndelis hym with in In .iij. degrees he hem berith or he with hem twyn.
1591. R. Bruce, Serm. (Wodrow Soc.), 207. No heart … can twin with the thing that it loveth, without exceeding sorrow.
1629. Sir W. Mure, True Crucifixe, Introd. 38. As crucified to sinne Readie for Him, with each thing els to twinne Wee labour should.
1721. Ramsay, Katy’s Answer, iii. He’s unco sweer To twin wi’ his gear.
† e. To break asunder; to burst or cleave in twain. Obs.
c. 1450. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 326. Myn herte with peyn is pressyd, For sorwe myn hert doth twynne.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, II. 706. For whiche the citezens … Were sore disconsolate, like for to twyn.
