~ Henry Ward Beecher
And for those who are interested in following the trails...overweening
1340, from prp. of overwenen "be conceited, presume," from O.E. ofer-wenian, from ofer + "over" + wenian (see ween).
I've heard "overweening" before, but just decided to look it up after reading an article, which I had intended to link to... Sadly, I must have closed it, and that was hours ago, and now I can't remember where I had read the word used. So we will have to make do with the HWB quote I offered at the opening.ween
O.E. wenan "to think," from P.Gmc. *woenijanan (cf. O.S. wanian, O.N. væna, O.Fris. wena, O.H.G. wanen, Ger. wähnen, Goth. wenjan "to expect, suppose, think"), from *woeniz "expectation," from PIE base *wen- "to wish, desire, strive for" (see Venus). Archaic since 17c.
Venus
O.E., from L. Venus (pl. veneres), in ancient Roman mythology, the goddess of beauty and love, especially sensual love, from venus "love, sexual desire, loveliness, beauty, charm," from PIE base *wen- "to strive after, wish, desire, be satisfied" (cf. Skt. vanas- "desire," vanati "desires, loves, wins;" Avestan vanaiti "he wishes, is victorious;" O.E. wynn "joy," wunian "to dwell," wenian "to accustom, train, wean," wyscan "to wish"). Applied by the Romans to Gk. Aphrodite, Egyptian Hathor, etc. Meaning "second planet from the sun" is attested from c.1290 (O.E. had morgensteorra and æfensteorra). The venus fly-trap (Dionæa muscipula) was discovered 1760 by Gov. Arthur Dobbs in North Carolina and description sent to Collinson in England.
-Tim
