Frain

From Middle English frainen, freinen ("to ask"), from Old English freġnan, friġnan ("to ask, inquire, learn"), from Proto-Germanic *fregnaną ("to ask"), from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- ("to ask, woo"). Cognate with Icelandic fregna ("to ask, inquire"), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌽 (fraihnan, "to ask"). Related also to Dutch vragen ("to ask"), German fragen ("to ask"), Norwegian frega ("to ask"), Latin precor ("ask, beseech"), Albanian preh ("rest, burial, tomb"), Lithuanian prašyti ("to request"), Polish prosić ("to request").

Full definition of frain

Verb

1. (rare or dialectal, chiefly Scotland) to ask, inquire; demand.
• 1830, Sir Walter Scott, The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott, baronet:I frained fast what was his name, Where that he came, from what country.
2. (rare or dialectal, chiefly Scotland) to question; to ask questions.

Derived terms

• fraining

From Middle English frayne ("ash-tree"), from Old French fraisne, fresne ("ash-tree"), from Latin fraxinus ("ash-tree").

Noun

1. (obsolete, botany) the ash, ash-tree.

Anagrams

• infra