hain

Meanings

Verb

• To hedge or fence in; inclose; protect by hedging
• To save; spare; refrain from using or spending
• To be thrifty; be economical

Noun

• An enclosure; a park

Origin

• From earlier hayne, from Middle English *haynen, *heynen, from Old Norse hegna ("to protect; defend"), from Proto-Germanic *haginjaną ("to hedge"), equivalent to hedge + -en. Cognate with Icelandic hegna ("to fence; confine; punish"), Swedish hägna ("to fence off; enclose; protect"), Danish hegne ("to enclose; fence in"). Related to hedge.
• The noun is from Middle English heyn.