Middle English Dictionary Entry
ē̆rd n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | ē̆rd n.(1) Also ard(e, urde. |
| Etymology | OE eard; senses 3 and 4 come from erthe, with which erd became confused in the N and parts of the EM area. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. eren plow, & erthe.
1.
(a) A dwelling-place, esp. one's native land or region; homeland, abode; (b) a dwelling or home.
Associated quotations
a
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1130 : Þær æfter ferde se abbot of Clunni ham to his ærde.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)68 : Off all þatt enngleflocc þatt fell Off heoffness ærd till helle.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)5648 : All heoffness ærdess land Þe winnenn shall & ahnenn.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8413 : Intill heoffne & inntill Paradisess ærd.
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)149 : Ure erd is on heuene.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29173 : Inne France wes his ærd.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)35.5 : Swa doð pilegrimes ðe lateþ her awen eard and fareð in to oðre lande.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)97a : Þah ha her þolien as in uncuð lond & in uncuð eard.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)460 : Ich fare hom to min Erde.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)383 : He ben don ut of blisses erd.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.190 : Peers..preiede hunger to wende Hom to his oune hurde [vrr. erþe, ȝerde].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2370 : Of chanaan þou sal be sire..þar sal be þi kiddli ertd [vrr. erd(e].
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)248 : In paradys erde.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1006 : Sodomas..ever hade ben an erde of erþe þe swettest.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2842 : Excludit out of his erd [Dub: erth].
b
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3227 : Hogely he wondirs, þat euire suld emperoure in erth slike ane herde [Dub: place] wild.
2.
A bounded area of land; a country or region.
Associated quotations
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)59/77 : His riche is al þis middeleard. Eorðe and heofene and uwilchered, ofer alle is his muchele mihte.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1635 : Brutus ladde his ferde in Armorichen earde [Otho: in Armoriches erþe].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2754 : Heo senden ouer al þan ærde [Otho: erþe] to biȝeten muchele ferde.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27271 : Þe king of Gascunnes ærd.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)30703 : Ut of Spainisce ard [Otho: eorþ].
- c1330 Roland & V.(Auch)215 : Where he com in ani erd, Ich man was of him aferd.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1808 : I am here [on] an erande in erdez vncouþe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)912 : [Philip] aires toward Ermony, þat erd [Dub: erth] to distroy.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1046 : Þare tuke he [Alexander] tribute..Out euyn in-to þe occident of all at þare duellid, Of gwilke þe erde & þe erthe Europe was callid.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3493 : Þis erd of ynde is ilk dele enhabet with bestis.
3.
(a) The physical earth; (b) this earth as the dwelling-place of man and other creatures; in (on) erd(e; (c) the people of the earth; (d) the dry part of the earth's surface, land; (e) the ground as surface, as stratum, or as place of burial; (f) the earth as bearer of vegetation; (g) earth as substance, soil, dirt; (h) the 'earth' or 'dust' of which God made man; man as made of 'earth'; (i) potter's clay.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)281 : He [God] haldis heuen and erde [vrr. erth, erþe] stedfast.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)18205 : For erdes [vr. erthis] werld þat has bene ay.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4153 : He somenede færd swulc nes næuere eær on erde [vr. erþe].
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)3034 : As oule and stormes strong, So criestow on heye In herd.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)206 : Hou he..Sent intill erde [vr. erth] þe hali gast.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)2891 : Ouer al þis erde [vrr. werld(e, werd].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)601 : Olde Abraham in erde onez he syttez.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)892 : Þe uglokest unhap þat ever on erd suffred.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)140 : Half etayn in erde I hope þat he were.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)31/5 : Þe heyest & sekerest ȝyftys þat I ȝeue in erde.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)553 : In erde a heuenely tresor.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)271 : Of my gracious goddis, þe grettest on erde.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)6 : Adam..named alle bestis and foules upon erde.
c
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3211 : Welcum be þou, werraiour, þat all þe erd [vr. werld] loutis!
d
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)383 : Þe watris all he calid þe se, þe drey he calid erd [vr. erth].
e
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)4699 : Þe erde [vr. erth] clang for hete and drohut.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)11064 : Maria..liftid fra þe erd [vr. erth] saint john.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)551 : All þe erd euyn ouer sa egirly schakis.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)383/6 : Þies iiij brethur..rotid abown erde.
f
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.71ra : It lyth in þe erde long, & at last it cometh vp most lyk folefoot. & it is long er he lawnche, & than wil snailes ete it.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)4574 : Þai [cattle] had etin þe erd [vr. erþe] al bare.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)25 : Alle þingis þat growyn on erde.
g
- (1443-9) Paston2.61 : He stowpyd doun and toke up herd..seying..'I take here poscession of myn inheritance.'
h
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)928 : To þat erd [vr. erth] þat þu was of tan.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)1134 : [God speaks to Cain] Erd [vr. erth] þu sal be nu maledight.
i
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.4ra : Tempere togidre & clense thorw a clene lynen clout & put in a vessel of erde [Arun 42 (f.34v): an erþen vessel] or siluer & lat stonde o nigth.
4.
Combs.: (a) erd dine, ~ dene, an earthquake; (b) erd(es folk, people of a certain region, a people; (c) erdgrouen, grown up in a cave or in filth, as vermin; (d) erd pottere, a potter who works with clay; (e) erd quake, an earthquake; (f) erd quave, an earthquake; (g) til erdward, towards the earth, earthward.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)20499 : An erdedin [vrr. erth-din, erþequake] þar come þat schoke Alkin þing.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)47/30 : Þer xal be an erdene.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)182/28 : I make erdedenys for to feryn þe pepil.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1880 : God sente on ðat erdfolc swilc dred.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3372 : Amalec..welte ðor stone and iaboch, ðat herdes folc him louerd toch.
c
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1753 : A grub, a grege out of grace, ane erd-growyn [vr. erth-growen] sorowe.
d
- -?-(1440) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.96156 : Thomas Curteys, erdepotter.
- (1467) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.96187 : Willelmus Mede, erdepotter.
e
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)49/7 : Þer fell a grete thondre & ane erd-quake.
f
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)80 : The erdequaves [vr. erthquaves] come..often.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)164 : The erdqwave threw it fer awey.
g
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)22573 : Vp to þe lift rise sal þe see..þe fisses..Til erdward [vrr. doun to þe erþ; to erþewarde] þan sal þai fle.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)20249 : Hafes in yow now reuȝ and pete Of our neghburs..Welner yitte þoru your herd drifen, In endelise sorow for to lifen, Bot yie fight with wapen in hende Your awn contre for to defende.
Note: Additional quot.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL