gaine

See also: gainé

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French guaine, from Old French guaïne, inherited from Latin vāgīna (“sheath, scabbard”). Doublet of borrowed vagin. Cognate with Italian guaina, Catalan beina, Spanish vaina, Portuguese bainha.

The change of the onset from Vulgar Latin /v/ to Old French /(ɡ)w/ is due to Germanic influence. One theory sees in it a confluence with Frankish *wāgi (“cup”, compare Old English wǣġe). Alternatively it might be simply that as a military term the word was used most frequently among the Frankish warrior class and therefore came to be generalised in the form corresponding to their accent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡɛn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛn

Noun

gaine f (plural gaines)

1. sheath, scabbard (for dagger etc.)

   Synonym: fourreau

2. (technology) casing, sheathing
3. (botany) sheath

Related terms

• vagin

Verb

gaine

1. inflection of gainer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “gaine”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• gênai

Middle English

Etymology 1

Adjective

gaine

1. Alternative form of gayn (“direct, fast, good, helpful”)

Etymology 2

Preposition

gaine

1. Alternative form of gain (“against”)

Etymology 3

Verb

gaine

1. Alternative form of gaynen