Winne

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. An old form of the verb meaning to gain or obtain something through effort ; an archaic noun for great happiness or gladness
2. A obsolete verb for achieving or securing a prize or possession ; a rare old word for joy, pleasure or delight
3. Archaic usage meaning to acquire or attain something by struggle ; a dated term for a feeling of deep contentment and joy

Etymology: Old English "wynn" meant joy, delight or pleasure, and the same word gave its name to a letter of the Old English alphabet, the wynn (ƿ), which stood for the "w" sound. Middle English kept the sense of gladness in the form "winne." The word belongs to a family spread across the Germanic languages. Scots has "win" and "wind" with the same sense of pleasure, German has "Wonne" meaning bliss or delight, and Danish has "ynde" for grace. All of them trace back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning joy or desire, which is linked to an Indo-European root for wishing, desiring or loving.