Help in using the Middle English Dictionary

• MED: understanding the dictionary entries
• MED: understanding the character display of Middle English
• MED: choosing a search type
• MED: searching by date
• MED: using the searches: lookup searches
  (incl. regular expression searching)
• MED: using the searches: entry searches
• MED: using the searches: quotation searches
• MED: using the searches: quotation searches
• MED: some suggestions on spelling
• MED: links to the HyperBibliography

• HyperBibliography: browsing options
• HyperBibliography: choosing a search type
• HyperBibliography: using the searches: standard searches
• HyperBibliography: using the searches: bibliographic reference searches
• HyperBibliography: using the searches: LALME searches

• About using the Corpus

• General Search Tips
• Boolean Searching
• Precedence of Boolean operators
• Proximity Searching

MED: understanding the dictionary entries

*For more information about stencil links, please see MED: links to the HyperBibliography below.

Help topics

MED: understanding the character display of Middle English

Why would we do this?

Middle English includes characters that are no longer part of our standard alphabets or punctuation and thus are not represented by contemporary fonts. In addition, the MED uses several diacritics to distinguish between, for example, short and long versions of a given vowel. Because of the current limits of Web technology and/or the lack of public domain fonts, we have difficulty representing these characters. We have compromised by making by hand these little images that simulate the appearance of many of the characters in the original texts. As Web and font technology develop, we hope to be able to eliminate the use of these character gifs.

Help topics

MED: choosing a search type

• are similar to a standard paper dictionary lookup using a word as your entry point; lookups search the headword or the form section (headword and forms).
• are useful when you want to know the meaning of a known Middle English word or to see examples of its use.
• may miss entries that are related to your topic but do not use your exact search term as a headword or within a form section. Regular expression searching, available only in lookups, is useful when you are uncertain of the exact spelling.

• search within the parts of an entry (such as form section, etymology or label, definition, quotations) alone or in combination.
• find Middle English words relevant to your area of interest (e.g., looking for definitions that include the Modern English word "love" will help find Middle English words related to various kinds of love).

• find a specified word, phrase or combination of words within the Middle English quotations illustrating each dictionary entry.
• retrieve quotations with a specified date or from a specified text.
• combine in one search such items as a specified word, date, text, or manuscript.
• include data from the HyperBibliography in your search criteria.

MED: using the searches: lookup searches

• A Lookup on a headword is a traditional dictionary lookup and matches your word exactly unless you use some type of regular expression searching.
• A Lookup on a form section searches for your word in all orthographic forms and variants recorded in the form section (i.e., headword and forms).

1. Enter your word or phrase in the text box.
2. Click on the search button to submit your search.

For example: You are searching for the word stat. You decide to do a lookup.

1. Enter stat in the lookup text box.
2. Choose whether you wish to search on headword only or on the headword and forms section.
3. Click on the search button to submit your search.

All lookup searches return a list of matches linked to the full MED entries for those matches.
 

simplified regular expression searching: It is possible to use wildcard characters in a modified form of regular experssion searching in order to look for variant forms within form sections: * means zero or more of any character. ? means one character, ?? means exactly two characters (but any two characters), and so on. [ ] searches for any single one of the characters within the brackets.  For Example:   tak "tak" as a complete form tak *tak "tak" at the end of a word psitak, stak, tak, thistel-tak tak* "tak" at the beginning of a word tak, takel, tken, taket, etc. t[aeiou]k "tak", "tek", "tik", "tok", "tuk", as complete forms tak, tik, tuk t*aunce "t" followed by zero or more of any character before "aunce", as complete forms temperaunce, traunce, tresaunce, etc. tr?m "tr" followed by any one character before an "m", as complete forms trim, trum t???m "t" followed by any three characters before an "m", as complete forms tharm, theim, thrum

Full regular expression searching is also available for lookup searches.

Help topics

MED: searching by date

Help topics

MED: using the searches: entry searches

• A search of the Entire entry will retrieve all entries containing the word or phrase, text, author, date, etc.(or a combination of these) you specify; search items could appear in any of the parts of the entry (form section, definition, quotation, etc.).
• An Etymology search will retrieve all entries whose etymological statements contain the specified search item(s), e.g., an etymon, cognates, dialect or modern equivalents, etc. It may, for example, be used to retrieve any part of the contents of an etymological statement such as: [Cp. MLG snaven to stumble, snappen, snapperen to babble & obsolete G schnappen to totter; for snatirs ?cp. Norw. dial. snatra to sniff, snort, sputter or MLG snateren to talk nonsense.]
• A Language of etymon search is restricted to the language labels themselves; thus a search of "af" (AF for Anglo-French) will retrieve all entries which cite "AF" as  language of etymon. Note that a search on "a" alone would retrieve all entries with language labels beginning with "A", such as "A", "AE", "AF", "AL", "AN", etc., so if you are searching for, e.g., Anglian etymons, you should enter "a " ( i.e., "a" followed by a space).
• A Definition search will retrieve all entries in which the definitions contain the words, phrases or labels you specify. Definitions are in modern English, though they may include illustrative phrases in Middle English. Within definitions, Labels (italicized terms, usually abbreviated) are: 1) grammatical labels such as imper., ref., ppl., 2) semantic field labels, such as law, her., physiol., 3) general semantic labels such as fig., person., iron.. A list of these usage labels is available.
• A Date, Stencil, or Manuscript search will retrieve entries containing at least one of the search items specified. For help on framing date searches, click here.
• Searching within a Quotation will retrieve entries whose quotations or stencils have text that matches your search term. If you are interested in quotations only, you will want to use Quotation Searches. But if you want to combine quotation searching with other restrictions (for example, to identify every MED entry in which there is a quotation from Chaucer using a word of possible or certain Middle Dutch etymology), then you should use an entry search.

To search:

1. Enter the words or phrases that you wish to search in the text boxes.
2. Use the pull down menus next to the text boxes to indicate the part of the entry to which you would like to restrict your search.
3. If you would like to combine multiple search terms, use the pull down menus to select Boolean operators.
4. Click on the search button to submit your search.

Help topics

MED: using the searches: quotation searches

• Quotation: searches text of quotation itself -- the actual Middle English portion of the quotation
• Date: searches manuscript date and the (often conjectural) date of composition, if supplied. Composition dates are enclosed in parentheses. For help on framing date searches, click here.
• Stencil: searches the contents of stencils. For contents of stencils, see the entry map.
• Manuscript: searches manuscript abbreviation and shelfmark, and retrieves quotations with the specified manuscript abbreviation or shelfmark or both.
• LALME ref.-County name: draws on LALME information in the HyperBibliography and searches for quotations from texts or parts of texts whose dialectal provenance has been established by LALME. An Index of abbreviations for county names will pop up to facilitate this search.
• LALME ref.-LP Number: draws on LALME information in the HyperBibliography and restricts searches to quotations from texts or parts of texts for which LALME provides a Linguistic Profile number.

To search:

1. Enter the words, phrases, dates, or other terms that you wish to search in the text boxes.
2. Use the pull down menus next to the text boxes to indicate whether you would like to restrict your search to a certain part of the quotations and stencils.
3. If you would like to combine multiple search terms, use the pull down menus to select Boolean operators.
4. Click on the search button to submit your search.

1. Enter doke in the text box.
2. Click on the pull down menu and select Quotation by clicking on it.
3. Click on the search button to submit your search.

Help topics

MED: some suggestions on spelling

You have two possible routes to follow, and you may wish to use different spelling strategies for each. The first is to use the Lookup search and search by headword or headword and forms. This is the first field you find in an MED entry, before the definitions begin. The second is to search for a given form using one of the other two main search options.

1. Lookup searches: In the form section the MED has assembled a summary of the spelling forms of the headword occurring in the quotations. But the possible multiplicity of forms in the quotations is reduced to manageable numbers by various kinds of normalizations in the form section. Most of these are fairly predictable (þ, ð and th are normally treated as th; vocalic y or j and i as i; vocalic w and v as u; sh, sch, ssh, ssch are usually reduced to sh; -ed, -yd and -id are treated as ed; double vowels are reduced to single vowels). In general, normalization is in the direction of the forms found in Chaucer or 14th century East Midland Middle English.

   You need to bear this in mind as you type in search items in a Lookup search of headwords or form sections. The precise spelling form you are in search of may be well attested in the quotations, but may be "normalized" in the form section display. If a Lookup search fails for the form you type in, consider (a) substituting possible "normalized" spellings, (b) using wildcard characters as described elsewhere in the Help section and on the MED Lookups page, (c) using one of the other two MED search options offered.

2. Other searches: "Search the MED entries" and "Search the MED quotations." The former will allow you to enter either the precise spelling form in which you are interested, or a truncated form of it (note, however, that wildcard character searches are available only in Lookup searches). If your search is unsuccessful, consider possible variant spelling forms which may be attested and helpful, involving such common alternatives as: double or single consonants or vowels, y/3, 3/gh, þ/ð/th, u/v, u/w, i/j/y, e/ea, e/eo/ie, on/oun, -ed/-yd/-id, -es/-is/-ys, the presence or absence of final -e, and the various possible reflexes of the OE vowels and diphthongs.

   Be careful about copying and pasting in Middle English words in text boxes. The upper-case letters A, O, T, and Y will be read respectively as representing ash (æ, Æ), oe (the oe ligature), thorn (þ, Þ) or (ð, Ð), lower or upper-case yogh.

MED: links to the HyperBibliography

The current status of any stencil in MED entries or search results is shown by its font weight. Bold links are complete, supply manuscript details, and link reliably to the appropriate HyperBibliography entries. The remaining normal links are under development, and use a rudimentary matching process. We make them available as a useful temporary resource, but they must be used with caution. They may:

• not link to anything, because the corresponding HyperBibliography entry has not yet been created.
• offer an incorrect match, because of some partial correspondence between a stencil and a HyperBibliography entry.
• offer a number of matches, one or none of which may be correct.
• link to the correct HyperBibliography entry (and many of them will do this).

Help topics

HyperBibliography: browsing options

HyperBibliography titles: A list, alphabetically ordered, of the titles of all Middle English works cited in the MED. Titles are almost always taken from the Manual, but the spelling is normalized or modernized to simplify searching.

Authors: A list of identified medieval authors whose works are quoted in the MED. In most cases their names do not occur in stencils but they may be retrieved here or from the full entries in the HyperBibliography.

Stencils: A complete (and long!) list of all stencils used as as bibliographic references for MED quotations. For more on stencils, see the entry map.

Manuscripts and Prints: A list of all manuscripts and prints cited in the HyperBibliography. Choosing this option will take you to a list of manuscript repositories and collections. Where the MED cites multiple manuscripts from the same repository (e.g., Corpus Christi College, Cambridge), selecting one of these repositories or collections will take you to a list of individual manuscripts arranged by shelfmark and linked to the HyperBibliography entries which cite the manuscripts. If only one manuscript is at present cited from a given repository (e.g., Queen's College, Cambridge), the link will take you directly to the HyperBibliography entry which cites that manuscript.

Documents: "Document" is used to identify a large class of records and archival material, including letters, legislative and juridical materials, registers, inventories, accounts, etc. Our information on the current repositories for many of these materials is incomplete, and is, therefore, provided only when we have been able to confirm our records.

Help topics

HyperBibliography: choosing a search type

Standard searches

• search the entries by specified field such as author or title of work.

• A quick way of finding an item identified by one of four standard print bibliographies. Use when you have a citation number from one of those bibliographies.

• Finds texts and manuscripts quoted in the MED and copied in a scribal dialect identified by LALME.

HyperBibliography: using the searches: Standard searches

• Author: use for finding entries for works by known medieval authors. Note that anonymous works are not so identified, and must be searched by title or other identifier. A browsing list of identified authors is offered on the main HyperBibliography page.
• Title: use for finding entries for works by known title. Parts of titles will work in this search.
• MS abbreviation and/or shelfmark: use for identifying works in specific manuscripts or collections. Either the abbreviation (e.g., Hrl for Harley) or the shelfmark number (e.g., 2253) will work to retrieve a list of possibly matching manuscripts; combined (e.g., Hrl 2253), they will yield a list of all works from the specified manuscript.
• MED stencil: useful for experienced MED users who are accustomed to thinking of works by their MED stencil names. Search by any part of the stencil. Do not use the uppercase characters A, O, T, Y, which are used in MEC to represent ash (æ, Æ), oe (the oe ligature), thorn (þ, Þ) and (ð, Ð), lower or upper-case yogh.

  Do not mix styles in a single text-box (e.g., Lydg.Sudden FPD); enter the italicized segment in a different text box. Preserve exact spacing of stencil.

• Word or phrase: useful for broad coverage of entries (the search looks covers all parts of entries). Also useful for finding entries containing a known editor or edition or series (searching on EETS will retrieve all entries that include Early English Text Society editions).
• Word or phrase or LP in LALME: enables you to search by LALME Linguistic Profile number, if known, by county (see LALME searches by county), and also by terms which may be included in LALME information in MEC ("northern," "East Anglian," "main hand," "hand A," etc.)

1. Select the field you would like to search from the pull down menu.
2. Enter your word or phrase in the text box.
3. Hit enter or click on the search button to submit your search.

You are interested in the works of Reginald Pecock.

1. Choose Author from the pull down menu.
2. Enter Pecock in the text box.
3. Click on the search button to submit your search.

Help topics

HyperBibliography: using the searches: Bibliographic reference searches

• Manual: A Manual of the Writings in Middle English, 1050-1500. Gen. eds. J. B. Severs, A. E. Hartung. New Haven, Conn.: Connecticut Academy of the Arts and Sciences, 1967 --  .
• Wells: J. E. Wells. A Manual of the Writings in Middle English, 1050-1400. New Haven, Conn.: Connecticut Academy of the Arts and Sciences, 1916. J. E. Wells, et al. Supplements [9]. 1919-1952.
• IMEV: C. Brown and R. H. Robbins. The Index of Middle English Verse. New York: Columbia University Press, 1943. R. H. Robbins and J. L. Cutler. Supplement. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1965.
• IPMEP: R. E. Lewis, N. F. Blake, and A. S. G. Edwards. Index of Printed Middle English Prose. New York: Garland, 1985.

1. Select the bibliographic source you are using from the pull down menu.
2. Enter the citation number in the text box.
3. Click on the search button to submit your search.

You are searching for the HyperBibliography entry for "a form of an oath for a herald" listed in IPMEP with the citation number 346.

1. Select IPMEP from the pull down menu.
2. Enter 346 in the text box.
3. Click on the search button to submit your search.

Help topics

HyperBibliography: using the searches: LALME searches

We recommend that you read a note about LALME and LALME references in MEC.

To search scribal dialects by county:

1. Select the county from the pull down menu.
2. Click on the search button to submit your search.

Help topics

About help in using the Corpus of Middle English

Help topics

Some general advice on searching and using the forms

Bookbagging

"Bookbagging" is an easy and efficient way to restrict your searches to a single text or a subset of texts in the Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. Each search option allows you to restrict the search to selected works from the CME Bibliography. Your search will otherwise extend through the entire database. If you wish to use the bookbag option, first click on the selected works button, check the works you want to use, click on the button at top or bottom which takes you back to your chosen search option, and proceed with your search. A list of the works you have chosen for your bookbag will appear below the search boxes.

Pull down menus

Many of the search forms have options that are available on pull down menus.

• Put your mouse on the box and hold down the mouse button to see your choices.
• Select a choice by clicking on it.
• For example: If you wish to choose the or operator in a Boolean search, you need to pull down the operator menu and select or.

Submit buttons

In Boolean and proximity searches, you have to push the submit button to make the search work. Hitting the enter key is not enough. Move your mouse to the button and click.

Text boxes

In a search form with more than one box you have to fill out the first box. Otherwise your search will not return any results. Make sure that you place your cursor in the text box before you begin typing.

Boolean searches

Boolean searching allows you to combine search terms and/or fields. You may combine the terms with and, or, and not.

This search should be used:

• when you want to find two or three words or phrases in conjunction with one another (using and).
• when you want to search for alternate combinations of words or phrases (using or).
• when you wish to eliminate items that contain combinations of terms (using not). Be careful using Not. It can exclude large bodies of potentially useful material.

Precedence of Boolean Operators

Boolean expressions are operated on from left to right. This means that you will need to take some care in formulating your search.

For example: You wish to find any entries that contain the word worthiAND either the words woman ORlady.

Your search should be formulated as: (woman OR lady) ANDworthi.

Understanding the results:

• Since the search works from left to right, the search will first look for the set of texts that contains EITHER woman or lady.
• Then the search will look within that set of texts for the ones that also mention worthi.
• Those texts will be your results set.

• Since the search works from left to right, the search would have first looked for the set of texts that contains BOTH the words worthi and woman.
• Next it would have looked for the texts that contain the word lady.
• Then it would combine those two sets of results and eliminate the duplicates to give you your results.
• This means you could have a whole set of texts that contain lady but make no mention of worthi and woman (your first choice).

Proximity Searching

Proximity searching looks for the co-occurrence of search terms.

It is a useful type of search:

• When you want to search two or three words or phrases in conjunction with one another.
• When you want to have more control over the relationship of searched words and phrases than you have in a Boolean search.
• When you want to look for words or phrases within a designated number of words or characters of each other.
• When you want to find places where one term is Followed By another or places where words are Not Near and Not Followed By other words.

Keep in mind:

• That the order of terms is important. If you want a text that contains the words prison and stone near the word walls, you need to type stone and walls in the first two boxes, with prison in the third. You know the first two words are nearest one another, and the other is near the two. There are parentheses around the first two boxes to remind you of this.
• That higher proximity values (more characters or words) usually increase the number of results, but decrease the likelihood that the terms will be intellectually related.
• The default operator choice is Near. Click on the menu box to change this.
• Don't forget to click the search button to submit your search.