In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
fainest
superlative form of fain: most fain
• Stefani, fansite, naifest, nefasti
Source: Wiktionary
Fain, a. Etym: [OE. fain, fagen, AS. fægen; akin to OS. fagan, Icel. faginn glad; AS. fægnian to rejoice, OS. faganon, Icel. fagna, Goth. faginon, cf. Goth. faheds joy; and fr. the same root as E. fair. Srr Fair, a., and cf. Fawn to court favor.]
1. Well-pleased; glad; apt; wont; fond; inclined. Men and birds are fain of climbing high. Shak. To a busy man, temptation is fainto climb up together with his business. Jer. Taylor.
2. Satisfied; contented; also, constrained. Shak. The learned Castalio was fain to make trechers at Basle to keep himself from starving. Locke.
Fain, adv.
Definition: With joy; gladly; -- with wold. He would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat. Luke xv. 16. Fain Would I woo her, yet I dare not. Shak.
Fain, v. t. & i.
Definition: To be glad ; to wish or desire. [Obs.] Whoso fair thing does fain to see. Spencer.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
29 March 2025
(adjective) without care or thought for others; “the thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; ‘Let them eat cake’”
In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.