Middle English Dictionary Entry

fāren v.
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Entry Info

Forms fāren v. Also fearen, varen, vearen, fair(e, feren. Forms: inf. (1) fāre(n, feare(n, vāre(n, veare(n, (2) (only Lamb.Hom.) ? fẹ̄ren; p. (1) fọ̄r, vọ̄r, foir, (N) fūr, (2) fẹ̄rde, vẹ̄rde, (3) fārd(e (c1400-), (4) furde, fierde, firde; ppl. (1) fāre(n, fārn, ifāre(n, ifearen, ivāre(n, (2) fẹ̄r(e)d, ivẹ̄red, (3) i)fāred, ivǣred; perf. sg.3 is fāren.
Etymology OE (1) faran, fōr, faren, & (2) fēran, fērde, two verbs whose range of meanings is nearly identical. ME preserves only the past tense form of fēran, which is synonymous with fọ̄r. Some instances of ferde (esp. in the sense of 'depart, leave') included here may represent the past tense of ME a)ferren (OE feorrian, fyrran), as do furde, fierde in SLeg. & Firumb.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) To travel, journey; go on one's way (from one place to another); go about, wander; also, come or go (to, from, with, or after a person); ayain faren, come back, return; (b) betake (oneself) on one's way; (c) pursue (one's way), take (a journey), follow (a street); also fig.; (d) faren up, get up.
Show 52 Quotations
2.
(a) To move away (from a place or person); take one's leave, depart; escape; go (as the opposite of come); -- often with from, of phrase, or with advs. awai, forth, out; occas. refl.; (b) to depart (from life), go (to heaven, hell), die; faren henne (hethen).
Show 33 Quotations
3.
(a) To go or move about (in a certain manner); faren mid childe, be with child; (b) of rumor, report: go about, spread; (c) of a river: flow.
Show 9 Quotations
4.
To advance (against another) with hostility; attack.
Show 7 Quotations
5.
(a) Of time, events in time: go by, pass; advance, draw (to an end); (b) of a person: advance in age.
Show 9 Quotations
6.
(a) To proceed (to or with an action); continue (in an activity), go on doing something; faren aboute, busy oneself (with an activity); (b) to proceed or get (to or into a certain condition); (c) to go (and do something).
Show 23 Quotations
7.
(a) To conduct oneself, behave, act (in a certain manner); also, carry on, act up; faren with (oneself); (b) faren as though, pretend; (c) of things: behave, react.
Show 26 Quotations
8.
(a) faren with, bi, to (a person), to behave or act toward; deal with, treat; (b) faren with (a thing), to be concerned or busy with; to engage in, practice, or experience (something); what faris thou with?, what are you doing?
Show 18 Quotations
9.
To get along, fare, live, or exist (in a certain manner or under certain conditions).
Show 20 Quotations
10a.
(a) faren wel, do or feel well, prosper; (b) faren il, do or feel badly, have bad luck; (c) faren a)mis, fare or feel badly; go astray; (d) faren, give birth [used as a veiled expression].
Show 23 Quotations
10b.
fare wel!, fareth wel!, (a) a salutation at taking leave or on speeding someone on his way: Godspeed!, good-by!; (b) as noun: a formal leave-taking; (c) in dismissing something from one's mind, in giving something up, or of something that is lost or gone: good-by!, good riddance!; farewel feldefare!, good riddance!; go farewel, be set aside; (d) bidden (seien) farewel, say good-by; give up (something).
Show 29 Quotations
11.
To be (well or ill) provided (with food, hospitality).
Show 10 Quotations
12.
(a) impers. hit fareth, it goes, happens, or turns out (in a certain way); -- often with bi, of, in, with phrase of the person or thing concerned; (b) fare so hit fare, come what may; as her cas ferde, as was their fate; faren treue, come true.
Show 27 Quotations
13.
To have issue or outcome (in a certain way), turn out (so and so).
Show 7 Quotations
14.
To be, appear, or seem (like something else).
Show 13 Quotations
15.
(a) wel faring (farand), good-looking, handsome, comely; foul farand, il ~, bad-looking, ugly, un-seemly; merie faring song, cheerful-sounding song; (b) farand, seemly, excellent, splendid.
Show 20 Quotations
16.
= ferien: (a) to transport, carry; (b) to tread (a person) under foot.
Show 2 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: This quot. should be removed, since it was taken under withfaren v.: a1425 Al es bot (Glb E.9 1) : Al es bot a fantum þat [we] with ffare.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2152 : Full boustous folk and ill faryng, With visages fowle, full gresely to beholde.
  • a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)3020 : With myghti men of mervelous makyng..Ther wepons fowle and ill faryng.
    • Note: Additional quote(s) for 15.(a)--per SMK
  • c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)24 : Riche soper þer was idiȝt, And murie hi uerden þer aniȝt.
    • Note: New spelling
  • c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)319 : They..wolde nought eles To seche þem a Souereine þe citie to ȝeme; Farre þen þeir owne folke fare they nolde.
    • Note: We don't seem to have a sense that quite covers this - 'go in search, look further than their own folk' [to find a ruler]

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1500 Sln.963 Artist.Recipes (Sln 963) 243/4 : Take þat that fareth as hit were blood, and put hit yn a sachel forte distylle owt the water.
    • Note: Additional quote, sense 14.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Added impers. to beginning of sense 12.(a), and changed it fareth to hit fareth--JL

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