Middle English Dictionary Entry
dēf adj. (& n.)
Entry Info
| Forms | dēf adj. (& n.) Also dæf, deaf, deif, diaf; infl. dǣfe, defe, deffe, deife & deave, deve, diave, dieave. |
| Etymology | OE dēaf |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Unable to hear; of a person, an ear, hearing: deaf; blind and ~, ~ and blind, ~ and doumb, doumb and ~; (b) as noun: deaf person(s, the deaf; (c) ~ boren, born deaf.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15500 : Dumbe menn & dæfe he ȝaff To spekenn wel & herenn.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)129 : And for-þi gredeð ure drihten to us alse to deue [L surdos] men.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)48/4 : Ne i þe hus ne beo iboren na mis-limet bearn, nowðer halt ne houeret, nowðer dumbe ne deaf.
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.41 : Þi mouth is dumb, þin ere is def [rime: under linde and lef].
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)335/424 : Þe Iustise i-werth boþe def and blind.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)336/434 : Become he is blijnd and def.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)58/1643 : And ȝef þe man..By cheaunce doumbe were..And deaue.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)1/14 : Blind and dyaf and alsuo domb, Of zeuenty yer al uol rond, Ne ssolle by draȝe to þe grond.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.35.5 : Eres of deue [WB(2): deef] men shul ben opened.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.446 : But she was som del deef, and that was scathe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.347 : Dissimule as thow were deef.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.585 : So ben my wirres overlad..[I] stonde, as who seith, doumb and def.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)257a/b : Vynegre..helpeþ deef eeren & openeþ þe hierynge.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)139/6 : He bigan to loke aboute him as it hadde be a deef man.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.31/27 : Aftir a Ioconde feiste..was hadde of recouerynge men..of blynde men, dome men, and deif men.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)432/1081 : Oon Wolmarus, born off gentill blood, Dowmb, deff, podagre, and an Essex man..Lay a-deyeng.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)115 : Deffe [Win: Deef]: Surdus.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Add 17866)887 : If a man haue eres wyde, Pureter wil þer in waxe thyke And make þe heryng defe & wyke.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)138/3 : Drop a drope of þis oyle in þe deue ere.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)9924 : Thy body..lyth now blynd & deff.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)524 : Resone I haue made bothe deffe & dumme.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)1544 : Y wene that ȝe ben domne & def.
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)777 : Men all most wax defe & dum.
b
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)75/34 : Ac clepe ðo wrecches and to unmihti, þe blinde, ðe dumbe, ðe deaue, ðe halte.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)52/10 : Ant comen dumbe & deaue to hire bodi as hit lei, & botneden alle.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)30a : Ich heold me..stille as dumbe & deaf [Pep: deef; L homo non audiens] deð, þet naueð nan ondswere.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)76/193 : Deue and doumbe and blinde also he helde þoruȝ godes grace.
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)894 : Þe blind men makedist to se, þe doume to spek, þe deue to hire.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)56/27 : At cherche kan god..yelde..þe speche to þe dombe, þe hierþe to þe dyaue.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)211/9 : He þet wile scornj ane dyaue.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.43.8 : Bring outforth the blinde puple, and the hauende eȝen; def [L surdum; WB(2): the deef puple], and eres ben to hym.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)261/204 : Þis corseynt..ȝiueþ nou hele to def and doumbe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)14420 : He..heled þar bath dumb and def [vrr. deff, defe, deef; rime: flur and lef].
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Lev.19.14 : Thou shalt not curse to the deef.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)205/132 : Both dome and deffe..He cures þam.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)126 : Croked & cancred, he keuered hem alle, Boþ þe dombe & þe deue [vr. The deef & þe doumbe].
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)95a : But he heeleþe þe deff, þe halte, þe croked, þe lame.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)239/229 : He xal cawse..þe def to here.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)45/13 : Voundyrfull miracles..as the blynd to se..the dombe to Speke, the deue to hyre.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)187a/a : Men of þat cuntreye..ben deef bore [L nascuntur surdi] by cause of passing huge noyse.
2.
(a) Of inanimate things: without a sense of hearing, deaf; (b) unwilling to hear; ~ ere, a deaf ear, an ear that will not hear; don that ~ ere, leien ~ ere to, maken ~ ere to, to refuse to listen to (sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)14/25 : Ow nulle ich iheren, ne heien nan of ower godes, þe dumbe beoð & deaue & blinde.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)42/6 : Þu witlese wiht wurchest..blodles & banles, dumbe & deaue baðe.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)179/44 : Honouri him þat made þe man, ant þine maumates bileue..for heo beoth doumbe and deue.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)206 : Ne bilieuez nouȝht opon Mahun ne on teruagaunt..For huy beoth boþe deue and doumbe.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.286 : Alle ydoles nys but a thyng in veyn, For they been dombe, and ther to they been deue [vrr. deeue, def, defe].
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)496 : Þe Cros is a cold Creatour And euere ȝit haþ ben def and dom.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5917 : Þe same serpent..In cursid ydoles, dovmbe, defe, & blynde, Ful ofte spekis.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4281 : In this Temple was a tor ymage..þof it defe were & doumbe, dede as a ston.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)63/26 : It semys nott a man..to kys a womman þat wurshuppis mawmettis, þat er defe & dom.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9887 : Forr hæþenndom..Iss harrd & starrc all allse stan & dumb, & dæf, & blind off Godd To cnawenn & to cwemenn.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)129 : Deue we ben..þanne we heren speke bodes word and nimeð þer to litel geme oðer non.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7221 : Þat is uor noȝt þe oþer sede, vor þe folkes herte is So iharded þat hii beþ deue & blinde [vr. blynde & defe] iwys.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)189/2 : Þe dom ssel by yeve aye þo þet ne habbeþ ydo þe workes of merci, uor god ham wile do þet dyaue eare.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)211/11 : To zuiche uolke makeþ god þet dyeaue eare.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)57.4 : As of aspide, def [L surdæ] and stoppand his eren.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.42.18,19 : Ȝee deue [WB(2): deef] men, hereth..Who..def, but to whom my messageres I sente?
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)57.4 : Als of a neddre def als-swa, Þat stoppand es his eres twa.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.61 : For god is def now a dayes and deyneþ nouht ous to huyre.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7609 : Ley no deef ere to my spekyng.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.1.23 : Allas! with how deef an ere deth, cruwel, turneth awey fro wrecches.
- a1450(c1405) Purvey Determ.(Trin-C B.14.50)178/271 : We, hasting to oure contre, schullen passe wiþ a deffe eere to þe dedely soungyis of þe mermaidens.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)848 : I thereone dyd crye; The worlde was deef.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3795 : Kyng Phelyp took þeroff non hede, But layde þertoo a deff eere.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)194/9 : God wole leie too þe def eere to riche folke.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)234/2 : To suche men makeþ God a def eere.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)2.22.87b : Makes def ere to hem as þaw þu herd hem not.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.567 : They woll lightly swerve and turne the bak..When they list they be deiffe on the better side.
3.
(a) Empty; ~ netle, a stingless nettle; ?Lamium album [cp. dede netle]; ~ note, a nut without a kernel, something worthless; (b) dull, stupid; as noun: a fool.
Associated quotations
a
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)116 : Deffe [Win: Deefe] nettylle: Archangelus.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)156/4 : J sigh wel that to crye and braye shulde nouht be woorth to me a def note [F un hututu].
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)718/36 : Hee sunt partes fructuum. Hoc nauci, indeclinabile: defe.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)116 : Deffe, or dulle: Obtusus, agrestis.
- (a1483) Tailors' Gild Exeter315 : Yf any Brother..dysspysse anoder, callenge hym knaffe or horson or deffe or any yoder mysname, he schall pay.
4.
(a) Anat. Of hemorrhoids, veins: not running or flowing, closed, stopped; (b) surg. of an instrument: dull, flat, blunt.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)94a/a : For blode goþ out of hem [hemorrhoids] And is purged (at leste to þe heued of þe veynes, þat it be salued as to þe surde or defe [L surdas; *Ch.(2): stoppede veynes]), Somtyme naturaly, Somtyme without nature..som [hemorrhoids] ar surde i. defe, not flowyng; som forsoþ open and flowyng.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)56/7 : If þer appere, forsoþ, in þe lure bolnyngs blo and blak, or rednez to þe quantite of a bene or gretter..sich bene called of Avicen deef emeroydez, for þer rynneþ noþing out of þam.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)53b/b : Instrumentez..7a. impellenciez i. puttyng in, holowe & defe [L concaua & surda].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)54a/a : If þe arwe..may not be drawen oute bi þe partie bi which it entred, be it put in wiþ impolencez holow or defe [*Ch.(2): with holwe schouynge instrumentis or wiþ massyf; L cum impellentibus concauis aut surdis] to þe opposite partie.
5.
?In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1290) Close R.Edw.I65 : Adam Def.
- (1297) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 1642 : Elias Defling.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400 Treat.Penit.Job (Pep 2125)183/87 : Þe kyng putteþ hym a deef eere and wul nat hure hym.
Note: Variation on phrase in sense 2.(b), putten a ~ ere refuse to hear (sb.); -- with dative object.