Middle English Dictionary Entry
ē̆venen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | ē̆venen v. Also (Orm.) effnen & emnen. |
| Etymology | OE efnan, ge-. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To make level or smooth; to level off or smooth out; (b) to level (with the ground); (c) to fill up (a depression).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.28.25 : Whan he shal euenen [L adæquaverit] therto his [the field's] face.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)127/8 : Whanne þou hast remeued of þe boon þat schal be remoued, euene þe brynkis with schauynge.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)6.39 : Euen therthe.
b
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.7.13 : It smoot it [the tabernacle]..and al doun to the erthe euenede [L coæquavit].
c
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)3 Kings 11.27 : Salomon beeldide Mello, and euenede the swelwȝ [L coæquavit voraginem] of the citee of Dauid.
2.
(a) To bring into alignment, make flush, adjust; (b) fig. to straighten out, adjust.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)100b/a : If þe..tailebone be broken, put in þe thomb of þe riȝt hand into þe towel & euen þe broken bone wiþ þe toþer.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)101b/b : For to geder togider..þe broken pecez & euen hem after her figure.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9208 : All þatt ohht iss wrang & crumb Shall effnedd beon & rihhtedd.
3.
(a) To make equal or uniform (in a certain dimension); (b) to make uniform (in consistency).
Associated quotations
a
- (1463) GRed Bk.Bristol2.66 : That all maner of cloths that schold passe in Sherman..be evenyd In breed.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)65b/a : Be þai [ingredients] solued and be þai colded & medled al in a pot..vn to þai be equate .i. euened.
4.
To moderate or allay.
Associated quotations
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)100/16 : He euenyd his herte fro malyce, & his tunge fro angry woordys.
5.
(a) To make equal in rank, dignity, merit, etc.; to regard as of equal rank; to try to equal, to vie; (b) to regard or treat as comparable, to compare; (c) to be alike in character or quality; -- refl.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1396 : Forr þatt teȝȝ wolldenn effnenn hemm ȝæn Godd þurrh modiȝnesse.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)49a : Secnesse þet godd send..eueneð to martir þene þolemode.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)134 : Þe blynde proude þet hare wyt wylleþ emni to godes wysdome.
- a1400 Ancr.Recl.(Pep 2498)86/28 : Þe mede is mychel þat liþ to þe þolemode man oiþer womman, for he is euened to martir.
- a1425 Benj.Minor (Hrl 1022)166/9 : Oure lorde has euend me with my sistere Lya.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1073 : What schulde þe mone þer compas clym, & to euen wyth þat worþly lyȝt Þat schynez vpon þe brokez brym?
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)18 : Goddes sone..to alle þat were firste predestinate to heuene, he openyde heuene & euenede hem to aungels.
- a1500 St.Jerome (Lamb 432)340/8 : Ne wene no-mane to do wrong to seint Johne and to the apostellis, evenyng Jerome vnto theme.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15979 : Forr þatt teȝȝ Haliȝ Gastess mahht Effnenn wiþþ erþlic ahhte.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)34/367 : Lo nu hu þis vnþeaw ne eueneð þe nawt ane to wittlese beastes..þu þet art i wit wraht to godes ilicnesse.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)74/745 : But voluptuosite eueneþ him to as a fot page Þat preseþ tofore wiþ gret outrage.
c
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.323 : All þe entent of þinges temporele Þat alway meveþ so contynuelly, They caste to counterfete euerydele Þe perdurable lyf of god on hy..Bot..it may not evene hym-self þerto.
6.
(a) To be equal (in number, intensity, brilliance, etc.); (b) ppl. proportionate or adequate.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)24/256 : Ne nan of þes oþres crunen, ne hare wlite..ne mahen euenin to hare, se vnimete brihte ha beoð.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)10/91 : Helle is..ful of brune uneuenlich, for ne mei nan eorðlich fur euenin þer towart.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)48/19 : Þe multitude of þe percienes..may noȝte be euend to þe multitude of þe greckes. For sewrly we are ma þan þay.
b
- a1425 LChart.Chr.C (Roy 17.C.17)647/280 : Þe fyrst lewe es schryft so smert..Þe ferthe es penance ewened þer-to.
7.
To compare by analogy or metaphor.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1206 : Forrþi sinndenn alle þa..Effnedd wiþþ gæt, & nemmnedd gæt.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)161 : Ðis woreldes biwest is efned to wastene.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)133 : Þe heuenliche fader..efnede him [St.John] to engel.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)39 : Al þis lif þe we on liuen is to nihte iefned.
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)273 : Tu mi leue ihesu, for þi mikle meknesse, to lamb was euenet.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)41a : Vre lauerd iþe godspel seolf eueneð heoueriche to goldhord.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)21b : Salomon eueneð bacbitere to stinginde neddre.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)35a : Þus beoð gederinde ancres..to uoxes ieuenet.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)298 : Ore louerd euenede him-sulf to a lomb.
- a1400 Ancr.Recl.(Pep 2498)93/8 : Her foule kyndles fleschlich fondynges may ben euened to fote wounde.
- (c1390) Chart.Abbey HG (LdMisc 210)348 : To whom may I licken þe..þou douȝter of Ierusalem?..to whom may I euen þe?
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)74/23 : Dauið anan efter þet he haueð ieuenet ancre to pellican, he eueneð hire to nihtfuhel þe is under euesunges: Similis factus sum pellicano solitudinis; factus sum sicut nicticorax in domicilio.
Note: New form: P.ppl. (early) ievenet.
Note: Quot. belong to sense 7.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)169/36 : Magdalene, þet speleð tures hei-nesse, is to marie i-efned, Þuruh hwat is bitocned hope of heih merci.
Note: Additional quot.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 7.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section: Also even(e, emni, (early) evenin, (Orm.) effnenn; p.sg.3 evenede, & ewened, (early) efnede; ppl. evened, & evend; (early) i(evenet, i(efned, (Orm.) effnedd.--notes per MLL