gaine

Meaning

Noun

1. sheath, scabbard (for dagger etc.)
2. casing, sheathing
3. sheath

Verb

1. inflection of gainer:
2. inflection of gainer:

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡɛn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French guaine, from Old French guaïne, inherited from Latin vāgīna (“sheath, scabbard”). Doublet of borrowed vagin. Cognate with Italian guaina, Catalan beina, Spanish vaina, Portuguese bainha.
The change of the onset from Vulgar Latin /v/ to Old French /(ɡ)w/ is due to Germanic influence. One theory sees in it a confluence with Frankish *wāgi (“cup”, compare Old English wǣġe). Alternatively it might be simply that as a military term the word was used most frequently among the Frankish warrior class and therefore came to be generalised in the form corresponding to their accent.