bene

adv.

'pleasantly, beautifully'

(Modern English bein)

Etymology

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

Attestation

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

Bibliography

MED bēne (adv.) , OED bein (adj. and adv.) , HTOED , Dance bene (adv.)