Middle English Dictionary Entry
fecchen v.
Entry Info
Forms | fecchen v. Also facchen, focchen, vecchen, vacchen. Forms: p. fæhte (early), fecched, facchet, focchet, feightit; ppl. fecched, focched. |
Etymology | OE ge-)feccean (var. of fetian); p. ge-)fette, -fetede; ppl. ge-)fett, -fætt, -fetod; cp. OE fatian. In ME the newly formed fecched is still uncommon, fette being the usual past tense form both of fecchen and of fetten, q.v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
To go after, get, and return with (someone, something) to a person or place; to get and bring back; to fetch; [quot.: c1330] to find and report back (news); -- (a) simply; (b) gon (faren, wenden) and fecchen; gon to fecchen; gon fecchen.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1121 : Se eorl of Angeow..his dohter let feccean.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8634 : He badd tatt ȝho shollde himm þa An litell waterr fecchenn.
- c1300 SLeg.John (LdMisc 108)261 : Bowes and ȝeordene fechchiez me, and stones al-so!
- ?1316 SMChron.(Roy 12.C.12)207 : From Bathe to Londone he wolde fleo, Ant thilke dai self ayeyn teo, Ant vacche that therto byfel.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)100 : What-kyn folk so þer fare, fechez hem hider.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)6/18 : He sent his disciplis to fecche hym þe asse.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.55 : Whiles fortune is þi frende, Freres wil þe louye, And fecche [vr. fette] þe to her fraternite.
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)13 : Tak þine hors & fache hidur þe preste.
- (1429) J.Boys in Nrf.Archaeol.15148 : On ye munday, to Sethyng feochynge home v combe of qwete.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4088 : Twey wemen he founde tere, & priede hem fayche þat mayde ouȝt.
- a1450 St.Etheldr.(Fst B.3)1127 : He purposyd hym..Þat mayde to fache with strengþe aȝeyne.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)917 : Þe Prince was feched to þe borde To speke with þe Kyng a worde.
b
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)30/30 : Caiphas..þet heo ðerto faren scolden ant þet treow to him feccan.
- a1275 *St.Marg.(2) (Trin-C B.14.39)38 : Faret summe of myne men ant facchet hire to me.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)430 : He..nele nouȝt aȝen go to ffecche þing þat he haþ fforȝute.
- a1350 Flem.Insur.(Hrl 2253)59 : Goþ, faccheþ me þe traytours.
- a1350 Harrow.H.(Hrl 2253)5 : Ihesu wes to helle ygan fforte vacche þenne hys.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.77 : Some of hem schulde wende home..and fecche þe reynes.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.276 : Grisilde..To fecchen water at a welle is went.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)621 : Fare forthe..and fech as þou seggez.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)8716 : He bad ga focche his brande.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)1815 : To foche a fysche þe childe is gane.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)239/345 : A stoyll Go fetch vs!
2.
(a) To come for, get, and take away (someone, something); comen to fecchen; (b) to take away surreptitiously; to steal; (c) to carry off to death, kill; fecchen to the dethe.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)75 : Þanne þu lest wenst, deað cumeð to fecchende þe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)17305 : Brutes wolden..comen..to fæchen þa stanes.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)99b : Ure lauerd..wule..fecchen [Nero: uechchen] hire allunge to him to gloire & to blisse.
- a1275 On hire is al (Trin-C B.14.39)44 : Þu do me merci..ar det me henne wecche [Roy: veȝge].
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)448 : Deþ..Whi ne comestow to feche me anon?
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1064 : Ellis the feend me fecche out of this place!
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1544 : The feend..yow fecche, body and bones!
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)20597 : Now artou comen..To fecche [Frf: focche; Vsp: fote; Göt: fett] me sone in to þi riche.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)16/23 : Men commes..with cartes..to fecche [Tit: fetten] of þat grauell.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)32 : I moste go in to that contre ffro whiche these be come to fecche me.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)71/221 : Hydder am I sent to foche the chyldre of Israell.
b
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)301 : Fox..ðe coc & te capun..feccheð ofte in ðe tun.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.145 : We wolen..of þi Flesch fecche [Trin-C: fecche awey] whon þat vs lykeþ.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)4.51 : Bothe my gees & my grys his gadelynges feccheth [A: fetten].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.372 : Ȝif I ȝede to þe plow I pynched so narwe, Þat a fote londe or a forwe fecchen I wolde, Of my nexte neighbore nymen of his erthe.
c
- a1350 Horn (Hrl 2253)78/1378 : We shule þe houndes kecche & to þe deȝe [read: deþe] vecche.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)9.350 : Pruyde and pestilences shal muche puple fecche.
3.
(a) fecchen forth, to bring (someone, something) before another's view or into a person's presence; (b) fecchen in, to take in (a person) for succour.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)304 : Forþ me feccheþ Iosep.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1429 : Þe mayster..comaundes hym cofly coferes to lance, And fech forþe vessel þat his fader broȝt.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1091 : Þat worþi wif..forþ a side feccheþ Of þe barn þat ȝo bar.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)281 : Then es there bott 'fille in' & 'feche forthe', Florence to schewe.
b
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bede (Dgb 86)316 : Ȝe nolden me in fecche [Jes-O: vacchen].
4.
(a) To seek to get (something), search after, look for; (b) to seek and get (something), procure, obtain, attain to; ~ evidence, collect evidence, obtain proof; ~ leve, ask for or take leave; ~ deth, catch (one's) death, die;?~ fer, catch fear, become frightened.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)187 : Manie mannisshe folgeden ure drihte to herende his wise word..and sume to fechen at him here hele.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)265 : If he fer fetchen fode [L pascua..petunt]..wile non at nede oðer flen.
- a1350 In a fryht (Hrl 2253)31 : Sone þou woldest vachen an newe, ant take anoþer wiþinne nyȝe naht.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)293/5,8 : If a man..haþ indignacioun for to fecche [L petere] ony oþer..& he nyle oþer drinke fecche [L querit].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.379 : A kyng to cleyme þe comune at his wille To folwe hym, to fynde hym, and fecche at hem hus consail.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)366 : Þe tablis of moyses mowe be vsid..but not as forto feche in hem al þe hool charge of þi comaundementis.
b
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)222 : Neure in helle hi com, ne þer ne come reche, þach ich elches worldes wele þer me mahte feche.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6460 : Wende þe king..to-ward þon deore; þer he dæð fæhte [Otho: featte].
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1504 : An ȝef þe lauerd is a wercche [read: wrecche] Hwuch este miȝtistu þar necche [read: uecche].
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2517 : Þei..þat letteþ ous oȝt vytailles þar to vacche.
- (a1400) Doc.in Flasdieck Origurk.103 : Thomas Gylys wyf veched a bussel of bare of Robart Wanstallys wyf yþe prys of vij d.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.156 : Þer vecche [vr. fecche] ich euydence, That adam & eue haue shullen bote.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)396 : Þou schal seche me þiself..& foch þe such wages As þou deles me to-day.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1961 : Þenne loȝly His leue at þe lorde fyrst Fochchez þis fre mon.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)770 : May ȝe fecche ȝou no fode.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9058 : Þen sey Merlyn þat sire Vter Sore sykede & feightit fer.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)12690 : Ȝit were þe bettere ha ben at þe ost Þan fort ha foched þy deþ wyþ bost.
- c1450(c1375) Chaucer Anel.(Benson-Robinson)338 : To your routhe, and to your trouthe, I crie; But welawey! to fer be they to feche. Thus holdeth me my destinee a wreche.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.173 : The welle of wisdom for to seke and fynde..To fecchen þe vigour of his sight.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.290 : Bot most in fredom is þe soule of man When he is set in contemplacioun, And fully fecchen of his þoghtes can In hye devyne speculacioun.
- (a1474) Stonor1.139 : The manne þat shuld ffeche all my evydens..hathe ben herre thys xiiij days.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)34a : Þe place wher the hawke fechys hyr hoyle to varnych hir with all.
5.
(a) fecchen a strok, ~ bur, to get set for a blow; strike (somebody); (b) fecchen fir, to pay a short visit (lit., to fetch fire, get a brand).
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Horn (Hrl 2253)70/1228 : To day ychulle huem cacche, nou ichulle huem vacche.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1158 : I þoȝt þat noþyng myȝt me dere To fech me bur & take me halte.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)102b : Right as þe ram renneth bakward to fecche þe strenger strook, wiþ his heed aȝenst hym þat wiþstondeþ hym, So feccheþ þis beem his strook aȝenst þe wal þat stant byfore hym.
b
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.485 : Be we comen hider To fecchen fir, and rennen hom ayein?
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1347 : She..bad hire norice and hir sister gon To fechen fyr and other thyng anon.