franion
English
Etymology
Uncertain.
Noun
franion (plural franions)
- (obsolete) A cheerful, frivolous person, a silly man; a loose woman.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, page 215:
- First by her side did sitt the bold Sansloy,
Fitt mate for such a mincing mineon,
Who in her loosenesse tooke exceeding ioy;
Might not be found a francker franion,
Of her leawd parts to make companion:
- 1595, George Peele, The Old Wives’ Tale, The Malone Society Reprints, 1908, lines 12-14,
- […] as I am frollicke franion, never in all my life was I so dead slaine.
- 1830, Charles Lamb, “Going or Gone” in Album Verses, with a few others, London: Edward Moxon, p. 75,
- Fine merry franions,
- Wanton companions,
- My days are ev’n banyans
- With thinking upon ye;
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