Middle English Dictionary Entry
dāte n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | dāte n.(1) |
| Etymology | OF date, from L dactylus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The fruit of the palm tree, a date; ston of dates, date stone.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)380/115 : A ȝeord of palm cam in is hond..Þe ȝeord was ful of Dates.
- c1330(?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch)p.632 : Fykes, reisyn, dates.
- (1384-5) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103594 : Clous, Grenginger..Dates.
- (1391) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5270/18 : Fyges, dates, et sugre.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)282a/a : Dromedarius..eteþ hey and ryndes and loueþ wel þe stones of dates.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.31 : Cast þerto..Dates ymynced, canel, & powdour gynger.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)307/27 : Þe stoon of a date.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)1500 : Þer on scho segh Heng many a full fayr date.
- (?c1400) Will York in Sur.Soc.4519 : In iiij lb. de dates, xij d.
- (1420-1) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.506 : Pro xii balis dates.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)30/4,24 : Palme treesse berand dates..þai liffe with dates and rutes and herbes.
- (1425) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.189/1517 : For v poundes of dates xv d.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)435 : Take dates and raisynges of Corance.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)187a/b : Drye figes ben hote & drye and it is..þe same of dates, And þerfore þai mature and softene.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)53 : Commodytes called commynge oute of Spayne..fygues, raysyns, wyne..and dates.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)648 : Clercz were not knowe by þaire cloþing þat tyme..Ne by drynkyng of dollid wyne, ne by datz at eue.
- (1453) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)323/37 : Datis, þe bale ij d.
- (1467) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.613 : Pro ii butts datys val. £ vii.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)21/145 : I ffynde datys gret plente.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)5 : Dates in compost.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)223/34 : A date of þe palme.
- a1500 When nettuls (BodPoet e.1)p.269 : When..laurell ber cherys..And okes ber dates.
2.
(a) The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera); ~ tre; (b) date kirnel, ~ ston, dates bon, the pit or stone of a date.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)89 : Þer weore growyng so grene Þe Date wiþ þe Damesene.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1364 : Alemandres gret plente..and many a date-tree There wexen.
- c1450 When the son (Frf 16)29 : Datrees, gernadez, euer blowyng orengys.
b
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)172b/a : A dactilare made to þe likkenesse of date kirnelles.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)11.164 : The palmes forto sette he must ha mynde. Now datis bones trie out [etc.].
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)16/27 : Date stanes.
- a1500 Sln.2584 Med.Miscell.(Sln 2584)130/15 : Date stonys.