Middle English Dictionary Entry
drūerīe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | drūerīe n. Also driwerie, druwerie & druri(e, dreuri(e, dreure, drouri. |
| Etymology | OF drüerie |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Love, affection between the sexes; also, courtly love; (b) love-making, flirtation, etc.; (c) fig. love between God and man; (d) affection for a thing.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300 Thrush & N.(Dgb 86)76 : Þrestelcok..þou const to luitel goed, Þis wimmen for to shende: Hit is þe swetteste driwerie, And mest hoe counnen of curteisie.
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)93/382 : For his gode compaygnie A wunne he haþ þi druerie.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3957 : Womman ne kepte of no kniȝt as in druerye, Bote he were in armes wel yproued.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)43/953 : Par gret druri, I let þat erl ligge me bi.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.2085 : Herkneth to my spelle Of bataille and of chiualry, And of ladyes loue drury Anon I wol yow telle.
- a1400 Floris (Eg 2862)98/820 : Wete ȝe wel weturly, Heele y wyl ȝoure drury.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)699 : I compast hem a kynde crafte and kende hit hem derne..And dyȝt drwry þerinne, doole alþerswettest.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)844 : Myrthe..By druery and by solas, His leef a rosyn chapelet Hadde mad, and on his heed it set.
b
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bede (Dgb 86)146 : Þes proude leuedies Þat louen driweries, And breken here spousinge.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1507 : Þe lady loutez a-doun..Much speche þay þer expoun Of druryes greme & grace.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2449 : Morgne la Faye..hatz dalt drwry ful dere sum tyme With þat conable klerk [Merlin].
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3350 : Trowe ye not Troy is..doublit of delitis & druris at all?
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)995 : Launfal..neuer, yn no folye, Besofte þe Quene of no drurye.
c
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)89b : Þe deore druerie þet he haueð to his deore spuse.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1065 : If þou wyl dele drwrye wyth Dryȝtyn, þenne, And lelly lovy þy Lorde..Þenne conforme þe to Kryst.
d
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(Hrl 2277)366 : Þo þe coupe was ymaked to þe louerd seint Nicholas, He wiste hire wiþ gret drueri.
2.
(a) A person one loves; beloved, paramour; (b) fig. [said of Christ, the Virgin, etc.].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2713 : Ofte he goth to bedde unkist, And seith that for no Druerie He wol noght leve his sluggardie.
- a1400 Cato(3) (Frf 14)59 : Fle to take wife..bot ho be honest..halde hir for na druri, if ho be vnchest!
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2210 : Many man so lees his broþer, Many lefdy hire amy, Many maiden her drury.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5064 : He is a wrecche..no such beeste To be loved is not worthy, Or bere the name of druery.
- c1450 Dice(1) (Frf 16)228 : A gentyl drury..Ye were to walken by a ladyes syde!
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8436 : Seint Marie..Cristes drurie!
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)127/23 : Þou art crystes oȝene drury.
- c1400 Ihesu my lefe (BodDon c.13)6 : Ihesu..swete ert þou, my swete dreury.
- c1440 Ihesu cryste saynte (Thrn)65 : Ihesu, my dere & my drewrye.
3.
(a) A token of love or affection, a keepsake; (b) anything highly prized; a treasure or jewel; also fig.; beren ~, to bear the prize, be supreme.
Associated quotations
a
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)271 : Derre druri ne ȝef neauer na lefmon to oðer.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)67b : Þis wes his druerie þet he leafde ant ȝef ham in his departunge.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)1017 : Ich vnder-fong þis present..Hir druerie ich vnder-fong, Hir kniȝt to [be] wiþouten wrong.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2033 : Þenn dressed he his drurye double hym aboute.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)3779 : To Manne and his fere full grett myrth can þei make And gaf þem drewres dere.
- a1450 I have a ȝong suster (Sln 2593)3 : I Haue a ȝong suster fer be-ȝondyn þe se, many be þe drowryis þat che sente me.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)641 : For the druweries of ladies and damesels make knyghtes to vndirtake the hardynesse of armes that thei don.
b
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)1.85 : Treuþe..is as derworþe a drurie as deore god him-seluen.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21372 : Quen it [þe rode] had ben tua hundret yere Al vnder mold, þat druri dere.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23786 : Allas þat for a littel lust, A druri [Göt: dreuri] þat es bot a dust, We thral vs til vr ful fa.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2995 : Athenes was ful of..many faire maiden and leuedye: Of al þe werlde hij baren drewrye.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)25/126 : Now haue þai made þi biging bare..Quite ertou..Of catell and of drewris dere.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1406 : Sho was al dight with drewries dere.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7825 : Þare [in heaven] es alkyn druryes and rychesce.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Arun 507)149 : Deuocion is a worthi drurie þat god sendis to þe hert to glad it with.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)1106 : When Cetes saw..Iason that schepes skyn bryng, He hadde..gret envy That he raff him that drury.
- c1440(?a1400) St.John (Thrn)17 : So was þou daynte as drowry derely endent.
- a1450(?c1343) Rolle EDormio (Cmb Dd.5.64)67/206 : Þow will noght covayte þan to be riche, to have..many kyrtels and drewryse.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)217/518 : Hayll! dyamaunde with drewry dight.
- a1500 Pennyw.Wit(2) (Cmb Ff.2.38)32 : Haste any money..That y myȝt þe bye some ryche drewre?