Middle English Dictionary Entry
crāven v.
Entry Info
| Forms | crāven v. Also crafen, craufen, crawin & creven. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. WS crafian, Merc. *creafian. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To ask for (sth.), ask (sb.) for (sth.), beg, pray, request; be asking; (b) ~ after (for, upon), to ask for (sth.); ~ at (of, on, unto), ask (sb.), beg, importune; (c) to beg, be a beggar; (d) to ask (sb. to do sth., that sth. be done, to have sth.); (e) to claim (sth.) as one's due; demand (rent, tithes, wages, inheritance, etc.); also fig.; ~ lif of, require (someone's) life of (sb.), hold (sb.) responsible for (someone's) death; ~ right, demand (someone's) rights, seek justice for (sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)74 : His nome þet we of him hafen, he hit haleȝe, þet we crauen.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)122 : Huy ȝolden, þo he it creuede.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)633 : He sat him up and crauede bred.
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)134 : Þe pouere men schulle ye haue Your almesdede for to craue.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)456 : Off him þat doþ him merci craue, He shal ben iuged.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)60/1690 : And ȝyf hys make mone craueþ..He moȝt hyȝt do wyþ sorye mod.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)581 : Noght anely als I will craue, Bot, fader, als þou vouches saue.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)479 : Ȝif he þenkeþ more to craue, to me send he Olyuer.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)3.215 : Men þat knoweþ Clerkes Meede hem craueþ.
- c1390 Cato(1) (Vrn)616 : He þat nul not whon he may, Ofte haþ not whon he wol craue.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1329 : Ȝyf a pore man þe craue A melys mete.
- a1475 Inf.Chr.(Hrl 3954)626 : Euerry cloth had hys hu..No betere myth men kraue.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.Virg.& Chr.(Hnt HM 111)36 : With salte teeres, craue I thy pitee.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)101 : Crawyn [KC: cravyn]: Proco, procacio, rogito.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)2403 : He send to Seon leue to craue to lede his folke thrugh owt his land.
- ?c1475(?a1400) LChart.Chr.B (Cmb Ii.3.26)331 : He that woll no mercy craue [vr. crye], Of me no mercy schall he haue.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)853 : Thou schalt haue what þou wylt craue.
- c1500 Serm.AS (Ashm 61)418 : Thys is helpe with-outene craue.
b
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)1a : Ant ȝe, mine leoue sustren, habbeþ moni dei icrauet [Cleo: icraued] on me after riwle.
- a1325 Prov.Hend.(Cmb Gg 1.1)st.42 : Ȝeve þi cunte to cunning, And crave affetir wedding.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.518 : What thyng we may nat lightly haue, Ther after wol we crye al day and craue.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)3.221 : Men þat teche chyldren craue of hem mede.
- c1400 PPl.A(1) (Hrl 875)3.215 : Þese kunnynge clerkis crauen vpon mede.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4702 : To God I pray, þat he his soule haue, After whos help of nede I most crave.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)4078 : Na mare on þe þan wil þai craue [rime: haue].
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)17/14 : For help ful hertly gun þai craue [rime: graue].
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)20017 : Messangers went..Help and succour of him to craf, Þe kyng arthur and þam to saf.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1636 : Efter mor aw non to craue.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)198/142 : For comforte þei call and craue.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.730 : Thy mercy is redy to euery wight That list vnto the to calle and crave.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)818 : All my loue thou schalt haue And þeraftur no lenger crave.
- a1500 Theoph.(RwlPoet 225)p.16 : Mi lord wil me don hauen What thyng me list of hym to crauen.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)205 : Hee..Craved soone at þe kyng þat comelich beurde For too welde too his wife.
c
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)7.49 : And non so bold beggere to bydden and craue.
- a1450(?1404) As þe see (Dgb 102)169 : A glosere is gredy ay to craue.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)13/143 : It is better hold that I haue then go from doore to doore & craue.
d
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3290 : So nedeth noght that I schal crave The Sonnes Carte forto tarie, Ne yit the Mone, that sche carie Hire cours along upon the hevene.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)801 : Comez to yor knauez kote, I crave.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4107 : Of cuthbert relyks gude men him craue, Or ellis of Edelwald, to haue.
e
- a1275 Stod ho (Tan 169*)9 : Kuinde craued nou þe riht.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3171 : Was hem nogt werned ðat he crauen, for here swinc-hire he nu hauen.
- ?c1335 Swet ihc hend (Hrl 913)p.84 : If he dei þat stund, His lif sal be icrauid of þe, Þeȝ þou ȝif him no wonde.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.85 : Þe Chirche schal..kepe mi Bones; For of my Corn and Catel heo Craueþ [vr. crauide] þe Tiþe.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)249 : Þeuwe and þral may not craue Þorw riht non heritage to haue.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)964 : To ple I-chulle þis princes hauen, And þi rihte I-chulle crauen.
- c1390 In a Chirche (Vrn)83 : Of crist bi couenaunt we now craue Þat Ioye þat schal neuer haue ende.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.160 : Charite..ne chaffareth nouȝte, ne chalengeth, ne craueth.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5493 : Þou crauyst [vr. cravys, claymest] herytage in þis lande, And..þou hast þertoo no ryȝt.
- c1450 As y gan wandre (Lamb 853)60 : Now is deeþ on me ful boold, And for his rent he wole me craue [vr. crawfe; rime: staue, graue, haue].
- c1450 There is no creatour (Lamb 853)43 : Lete neuere þe feend oure soulis craue [rime: haue, saue, ȝaue].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)156/143 : I xal hem craue what they haue. Iff they raue or waxyn wood, I xal hem reve.
2.
To long for (sth.), desire.
Associated quotations
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)483 : Kinges & kaysers krauen me i-now.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3343 : What worldes good that thou wolt crave, Axe of my yifte and thou schalt have.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)50.505 : Of what Manere thing that herte wolde Crave, Anon Rediliche they it there haue.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4442 : Þan ȝe couett & craue castels & rewmes, And thristis eftir all thingis.
3.
(a) To ask (a question), question (sb.); (b) to interrogate (sb.) judicially [cp. Mat. 5.25; Luke 12.58].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2427 : Than ate laste comen there Hise Macons, for thei scholden crave Wher that he wolde be begrave.
- c1400(1375) Canticum Creat.(Trin-O 57)534 : Anon þeȝ alle..For to wyten what was siknesse, Faste on him gonne craue.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)211 : Þus if we þis question craue..Answer haue we halili here.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)54b : But and god fortune the for to haue This science..Discover it not, who ever the crave.
b
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)75/19 : Hit te wile betachen ðe crauiere, ðe ðe wile crauen of elchere senne.
4.
To accuse (sb.).
Associated quotations
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)118.121-2 : Noghte gife þou me to me crauand [vr. krauand me; L calumniantibus me]. Onfange þi hine in gode to be; Noght þe proude sal craue [L calumnientur] me.