franion

English

Etymology

Uncertain.

Noun

franion (plural franions)

1. (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, 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,^[1]

     […] 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^[2], London: Edward Moxon, page 75:

     Fine merry franions,
     Wanton companions,
     My days are ev’n banyans
     With thinking upon ye;