Middle English Dictionary Entry
flōten, -ien v.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | flōten, -ien v.(1) Also flotten. P. flot(te, flōte, flōted(e. |
| Etymology | OE flotian. The ME past tense form flōte(n, may belong to flẹ̄ten rather than to flōten. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. fleten.
1.
(a) To rest or move on the surface (of a liquid), to float; to sail or drift (in a ship); of fish: to float or swim; (b) of humors: to flow; (c) of an odor: to be wafted (on the air); (d) of persons: to move about, run.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1033 : Alle his scipen gode þa floten [Otho: fleoteþ] bi sæ flode.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)33/4 : Ele..wile flotten ouer alle wætes.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)18 : Hi floten swiþe riued bi dich & bi pulle.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)458 : Þe fisches sturten op with þis song..So þicke huy floten [vr. flote] bi eche side, no water man ne iseiȝ.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5255 : Heueden þat were of ysmite..Flote [vr. floten] in blode al fram þe grounde.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7109 : Mani mouþe þe gres bot..Paiens floted in her blod.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24833 : Forth þai floted [Phys-E: flotin; Göt: sailed] on þat flod.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)421 : Þe arc..flote forthe wyth þe flyt of þe felle wyndez.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)248 : A wylde walterande whal..bi þat bot flotte.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)19970 : Mo than a thousend..sonken & flooten forth as blyve.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)256/19 : Gader þat flotythe above.
- ?a1450 Add.Mir.Virg.(Add 39996)348/62 : A fisschere segh Hir floten on þe water on hegh.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)280b/a : Þe hertes blood and hare blod congeleþ neuere, but it is alway þynne and flotyng.
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)81/37 : Þe ouere partye, fro whom humores flotyn [L fluunt].
c
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)46 : A fayr reflayr ȝet fro hit flot [rime: spot].
d
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)21/562 : Þaȝ he [Christ] were inne hys man hode Amanges ous to flotie.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2436 : Hij ferden so dere in halle And floteden so fyre in felde, þe folk of Perce so gan abelde.