adv.
'pleasantly, beautifully'
(Modern English bein)Probably an adverbial usage of bene (adj.).
PGmc Ancestor
(1)*baina-; (3) *bōni-
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
cp. beinn 'straight, direct; hospitable, helpful, accommodating'
(ONP beinn (2) (adj.))
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
cp. Far beinur, Icel beinn, Norw bein
OE Cognate
(3) cp. bōnian ‘to ornament’
Phonological and morphological markers
Summary category
DD1c
Rare in ME (outside the Gaw MS, only in c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.); OED has one further occurrence from 16c Scots.
Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus
Gaw 2402; Pe 198