Middle English Dictionary Entry
dēd n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dēd n. Also dæd, dead, diad. |
| Etymology | Blend of OE dēaþ n. & dēad adj. See other examples under dēth. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Dying, death; fig. the end (of fleshly desires); also, Death personified; (b) cacchen ~, to catch (one's) death; don to ~, kill (sb.); drauen to ~, die; haten to ~, have a mortal hatred of (sb.); pelten (smiten) to ~, kill (sb.) with blows; (c) ~ bed, deathbed; ~ dai, day of death; ~ mark (point), end of life, point of dying; ~ strau, deathbed.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6835 : Þæ com þe færliche dæd & falde hine to grunde.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8424-6 : Herigal..sweor þat Euelin i ðon dæi dæd sculde þolien. Euelin wes swiðe of-dred, for me him dead bi-hæhte.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)402 : Summe sulen folwen fendes red, And ben in sorwe after ðe dead.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)484 : He fel dun on dedes swog.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4405 : Þat shame shulde al day be me neste Þat y were a-ferd of þe ded.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)28/220 : Scho..sufferd ded for goddes sake.
- (1434) Misyn ML (Corp-O 236)127/23 : Contemplacion is deed of fleschly desires.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)20/22 : Bettyr it is..þat criste after oure dede [L mortem] to vs say, [etc.].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)115 : Dede or dethe, substantyue: Mors, letum, interitus.
- c1440 HBk.GDei (Thrn:Horstmann)311 : Bot for he thoghte all one his gudes & noghte one the dede, a voyce come fra almyghtty god &..sayde, 'A, foule, this nyghte [etc.].'
- a1450(a1400) Athelston (Cai 175/96)660 : Halff my land..I þe geue..And al afftyr my dede.
- c1450 ?Rolle Luf es lyf (Lamb 853)95 : Loue is more strenger þan deed.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14677 : Abraham..toc hiss sune..& hoff þe swerd upp wiþþ hiss hannd To smitenn itt to dæde.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13070 : Herodias him hated to ded [rime: rede].
- a1400 Floris (Eg 2862)72/46 : I wyl þat Blaunchefloure be do to deede.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)3 : The Jewes dude Jesu to dede.
- c1475(a1400) Amadace (Tay 9)p.30 : I traue I haue keȝte my dede.
- c1450 Heile be þou marie cristis (Lamb 853)16 : Þou be in stide & in stalle Whanne y schal drawe to deed.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4550 : Þe paynyms to dede war pelt.
c
- a1425 Al es bot (Glb E.9)75 : When þou lys in þi bed opon þi dede stra, þou wenes to gif it þi frende & leues it þi fa.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)9 : The thridde shal be for..thilke that shulen ligge in here dede beddes with out havinge counfort.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)1540 : For my deed day comes at hand.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)2775 : He es so nere þe deed poynt.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5565 : Þus a synfull wreche..Es tane and has deed marke.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Correction: the same Cursor quot. (l.13070) is under two different entries: 1.dēd n., sense (b): haten to ~, to hate (sb.) mortally and 2.deth n., sense, 3a.(h): haten to ~, to hate (sb.) mortally. It is hard to understand how in prose or in a non-rime position, the spelling ded can be assigned with any confidence to one or the other of these synonyms. There is a Lovel. Grail quot. with the same spelling also under deth and it is possible that it should have been assigned to ded. Perhaps these spellings should be dropped from deth and both be put in ded, along with all other forms in -d, and then note in both glosses that -d forms are all in ded n.--per MJW
Note: Correction: dede needs to be put in as an 'Also' and cross-reference. The MED is not very clear about the ded(e spelling--it's also listed in the forms under deth. What is the MED policy on assigning these quots?--per MJW
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.16ra (1.4) : 'Infancia' is til the 7 ȝere, 'puericia' bygynneþ wiþ þe 8 ȝere and endith wiþ þe 14 ȝere..'senectus' fro þe 80 to þe 100, 'decrepita' fro þat he waxeþ lame for elde to his dede day.
Note: Antedates sense (c).