Middle English Dictionary Entry
eg(ge n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | eg(ge n.(1) Also eeg. |
| Etymology | Cp. OI egg. This ON word appears first in the N and the nEM dialects beside the (historically corresponding) native ei, which predominates elsewhere throughout the ME period. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. ei.
1.
(a) The edible egg of a domesticated fowl; (b) glair or whit of an egge, the white of an egg; oil of egges, an oil extracted from eggs; yolk or yelk of an ~; (c) fried egge; hard ~, an egg roasted or boiled hard; rau ~; rere ~, a partially cooked egg; sodden ~, boiled egg; (d) egge shel, eggeshel-ful, egge silver, egge yolk, q.v.
Associated quotations
a
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)102 : Tak eggys and temper hem wyth Jus of Parcyle.
- (1423-4) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.179 : For c of egges.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)6451 : Als þe yholk ymyddes þe egge lys, And þe white obout on þe same wys, Right swa es þe erthe..Ymyddes þe hevens þat gas obout.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)178b/a : Eggez. Oua ar temperate; neþerlez þe white declineþ to frigidatem, þe ȝolk to calitatem with sedacioun.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Millers & B.(Hrl 2255)3 : Lyk a man vpon that tour [i.e. the pillory] to abyde, For cast of eggys wil not oonys spare, Tyl he be quaylled.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)16/21 : A monk wantid now ane howr slepe, or a negg of his serves in his dissh.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)16 : Schap hem yn maner of a dove egge.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)27/23 : In this tyme shulde chykenys be ete, and kydes and eggis.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)22 : Take swongen eggus..And cast in þy sewe and sethe hit þenne.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)40b : A egge: ouum, ouiculum, ouulum.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)84/7 : Eggys and chese byn molton flesche.
- a1500 3rd Fran.Rule (Seton)50/3 : Thay may ete eggis and chese.
b
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)105 : Tak..ȝolkys of Eggys.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)114a/b : Oile of whete & oile of egges.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)436 : Do therto pouder of pepur and rawe ȝolkes of eggus.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)250/14 : Take þe yelkys of eggis and salt.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)256/8 : Oyle of eggis..ys good for þe gowte.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)212/29 : Take þe whyte of eggys and swyngyl it ryȝt wele.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)216/6 : Claryfye þe iuce of endyffe with þe gleyr of eggis.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)76 : Take oyle of egges & anoynt þe sore.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)39 : And ȝolke of egge þen shalt þou take.
- a1475 Limn.Bks.(Brog 2.1)76 : To make gume, take the whyte of xx egges, and make clere gleyre of heme.
- a1475 Limn.Bks.(Brog 2.1)73 : To temper rede lede, medylle hyt wyth gleyre of ane egge.
c
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.63 : He eet..egges yfrved [vr. fried] with grece.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)444 : Dresse the sothen egges in dysshes.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)431 : Take harde eggus sothen.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)429 : Alaye hit wyth yolkes of rawe eggus.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)205/18 : Let hym vse þe seyd powdyr with rere eggis.
2.
(a) The egg of a wild bird; (b) the egg or reproductive body of a snake.
Associated quotations
a
- (1431) Will York in Sur.Soc.3015 : Unum chales copp argenti..ad modum unius gripe egg.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.343 : Many other briddes Hudden..her egges [vrr. egghes, eeggis, eyren]..In mareys.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)507 : Þen come þar-in a litill brid..And þar it nestild..Qwill scho had layd..a litill tyne egg.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.81 : Pigmeis..fiȝhte ageyne cranes, whose nestes and egges [Trev.: eyren] thei breke.
b
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)90.13 : The snake werpis and the tade nuryssis the eg [vr. eyi], and tharof is broght forth the basilyske.
3.
(a) rent egges, eggs used in payment of rent; (b) soper ~, an egg allowed to members of a convent for the main meal on feast days.
Associated quotations
a
- (1366) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.9945 : Et de 240 Rent Egges..In 400 Rent Egges.
b
- (?a1450) Doc.in Dugdale Monasticon 1445 : Five tymes in the yere..[she] schall aske the clerke of the kychyn soper eggs for the covent, and that is, Estir, Wytsontyd, the Assumption of our Lady, seynt Alburgh, and Cristynmasse, at eche tyme to every lady two eggs.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Sln.2401 Artist.Recipe (Sln 2401) 319/1 : Take þe wytt of an negene and temper ytt with þe cristall well togeder.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(b). New spelling (?negene). ?Or add quot. to n- prosthetic list of examples.