Middle English Dictionary Entry

ē̆nde n.(1)
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Entry Info

Forms ē̆nde n.(1) Also end, eende, eynde, inde, yende, yin(de, ȝend.
Etymology OE ende.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
The end (of an action, process, condition, or period of time); conclusion, termination, cessation.
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2.
The termination of existence (of something); the end (of the world, of all things, etc.).
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3.
The act of dying; death; also, manner of dying.
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4.
Completion, accomplishment.
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5.
The end or conclusion (of a book, chapter, story, or the like).
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6.
The last or concluding part (of a period of time, process, story, book, or the like); the last or final stage (of a disease); daies of ende, the last days or closing period of a person's life.
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7.
Final or ultimate condition; ultimate fate (of a person or thing); haven the worse (betere) ende, be defeated (victorious) in a conflict; have the worst (best) of it.
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8.
Final consequence or result of a course of events or action; outcome, upshot; to the baddere ende, with the worse result, to worse effect; the wrong way.
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9a.
Purpose, intention, aim; to this (that) ende, with this (that) purpose, to this (that) end;--usually followed by a that clause.
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9b.
A final or ultimate objective; the end result sought; the end, as opposed to the means used in realizing the end; also, a 'final cause' in the Aristotelian sense.
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10.
Final resolution of a problem or situation; way of solving a problem; expedient; conclusion or settlement (to be) reached after deliberation; settlement, agreement.
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11.
Ultimate basis; fundamental principle.
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12.
The essential truth about a matter; the long and short of it.
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13.
Meaning, significance, import.
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14.
(a) One of the two extremities or ends (of an elongated object, a street, a line); also fig.; from ende to other, from ende to ende, from end to end, throughout the whole length ; (b) one terminus of a range of values
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15.
Special types of ends or terminal points: (a) the point (of a spear, a staff, the tongue); (b) the eye (of a needle); (c) the foot (of a table); (d) the mouth (of a river).
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16.
A fragment or remnant (of anything elongated) which was originally an end or tip; a candle end.
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17.
The border, edge, or outlying part (of a country, region, the world), the outskirts (of a city or village); fro ende to ende, fro ende unto other, throughout (the world, a country).
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18.
Boundary or bounds; in endes, within the confines, in the land (of a people).
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19.
Limit, bounds, measure: (a) of number, magnitude, degree, etc.; (b) of the senses and the emotions.
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20.
A part of a country, territory, town, or the like; a region, district, quarter. [Freq. in place names such as Est-ende, Norþ-ende.]
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21.
A quarter of the compass; a direction.
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22a.
A part, portion; a bit.
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22b.
Member (of a family); al the ende, ech ende, all the members; the uttermeste ende, the remotest member (of a kindred).
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23.
Prepositional phrases:
23a.
at þe(n ende, at an ende, atenende, at ende, (a) finally, in the end, at last; also, at the end, lastly; (b) at the end or conclusion (of a period of time); (c) finished, completed, over; (d) at the point of death, dying.
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23b.
at..wittes ende, bewildered, at a loss what to do.
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23c.
buten ende, without end, forever.
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23d.
in non ende, in no way, not at all.
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23e.
on ende, (a) finally, in the end, at last; (b) on end; in or into an upright position; (c) successively, continuously, without intermission; (d) diligently, unremittingly; (e) altogether.
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23f.
withouten (ani) ende: (a) adv. endlessly, eternally, unceasingly; adj. endless, eternal, infinite; subst. eternity; into withouten ende, eternally, perpetually; (b) for all time to come, in perpetuity, for good; (c) world withouten ende, forever, eternally.
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24.
Noun phrases:
24a.
crop and ende, everything from beginning to end.
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24b.
ord (ore, ordfrume) and ende, beginning and end;--a common epithet of the Deity.
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24c.
ende and ord (word), ende of orde, ord (word) and ende, ord fram than ende, beginning and end, everything, all; from start to finish.
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24d.
first ende, head or spearhead (of an army).
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24e.
last (latere) ende, (a) the final or concluding part (of anything); (b) the last hours of a person's life; the point of death; (c) the end of the world; (d) the sequel; (e) the remotest part (of a country).
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24f.
most ende, principally, mostly.
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25.
Verb phrases:
25a.
bringen to (til, on) ende, (a) to terminate (an action or process); (b) to bring (a task or purpose) to completion or fulfillment; to accomplish; (c) to bring (an institution) into existence; to establish; (d) to end the existence of (a thing or person); to destroy or kill; (e) to bring (a person or thing) to a (specified) final state or destiny.
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25b.
comen to ende, (a) to come to an end, terminate; (b) to be fulfilled or realized; (c) to come to a (specified) final state or issue.
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25c.
don to (til) ende, to perform fully.
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25d.
knowen to the ende, to know or understand fully.
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25e.
maken (an) ende, (a) to finish or conclude an action; esp., to finish speaking or writing; (b) to bring a task to completion or fulfillment; (c) to die; (d) to reach a decision or agreement; to make a (final) disposition.
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25f.
maken (an) ende of, (a) to cause (something) to cease; stop (something); (b) to finish or conclude (a speech, story, etc.); (c) to destroy or kill.
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25g.
setten ende of, to cause (something) to cease; to terminate.
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25h.
setten spel (tale) on ende, to give a full account or narration; to make a clean breast of something.
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25i.
taken ende, (a) to come to an end; to cease; (b) to die.
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25j.
tellen to ende, to give a full account.
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26.
Combinations: (a) ende bound, upper limit; ende cost, border (region); ende dai, q. v.; ende kin, ?remoter kindred; ende land, district, region; ende-sith, q. v.; ende ston, a kind of building stone; ~ wol, some grade of wool, perhaps derived from the skirting or shanks of the fleece; (b) altar ende; brigge ende; chapter hous ende; finger endes, finger tips; lane ende.
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Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1400 Treat.Penit.Job (Pep 2125)187/192 : Þe erþe is so fer fro heuene þat þer is non ende, ȝet is þe proude man ferþer fro God.
Note: ther is non ~ 'it is infinite'. Additional quot. for sense 19.(a).

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: The phrase 'ende wol' (see sense 26.(a)) appears in OED once, from 1848, s.v. end n., similarly paired and contrasted with 'clift wool': "1848 9th Rep. Deputy Keeper Public Rec. App. ii. 111 in Parl. Papers 1847-8 XXXVIII. 9 'The clift wool to be kept by itself, and the endwool by itself.'" OED defines it as 'refuse wool'; Hanham (note in loc., EETS 273 (1975), p.289) disputes that gloss but offers only surmises in its place, '?remaining stocks of old wool; ?clean wound wool.' MED's gloss, which assumes that the phrase denotes a part of the fleece, as 'clift wool' does, is likewise a guess.

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