Middle English Dictionary Entry
dilūvīe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dilūvīe n. Also diluve, diluvi & deluvi(e, delive, delivie, delivio, (error) deluuþ. |
| Etymology | L dīluvium & OF diluv(i)e, deluv(i)e (beside deluge). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A flood, deluge; the (gret) ~, Noah's flood; (b) fig. a disaster.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)45.4 : Þe deluuþ [read: deluuy; vr. deluvie; L gloss.: diluuium] gladeþ þe hous of heuen, þe almyȝtful halwed Noe and his.
- c1390(?a1325) Adam & E.(2) (Vrn)227/12 : And þer heo [tablets] weoren ifounden aftur þe deluuie.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.839 : By the synne of lecherie god dreynte al the world at the diluue [vrr. diluuie, delivie, delyve, delivio; diluge].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.6.17 : Y schal brynge watris of diluuye, ether greet flood, on erthe.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)188 : Make me a refute as thou didest..to Noe in the time of the diluvie.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)229 : Noe, in the grete diluuie, that ys to say, Noes flood.
b
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.251 : At domes day a dyluuye worth of deþ and of fuyr at ones.
- c1430 Chaucer Scog.(Cmb Gg.4.27)14 : Þu causist þis deluuye [vr. diluge] of pestelence.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4941 : Or any drope of þi delume [read: deluuie] drechet [?read: drenchet] had þe erd.