Middle English Dictionary Entry
fether n.
Entry Info
| Forms | fether n. Also fed(d)er, fiðer, veþer. Pl. feth(e)ren, feth(e)res, fedres. |
| Etymology | OE feþer feather; fiþera, fiþru (pl.) wings. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A feather or plume; stalk of a ~, quill; pl. plumage, down; (b) plumage; (c) pl. the wing feathers, wings; (d) various fig. uses.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)41/27 : Nim þanne an feðere [L penam] and dyppe on ele.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)38b : As brid þet haueð lutel flesch & feole fiðeren [Nero: ueðeren].
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)56 : Hise feðres fallen for ðe hete.
- a1300 Owl & N.(Jes-O 29)1688 : Ne schal, ar hit beo fullich eue, A wrecche veþere [Clg: feþer] on eu bileue.
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)270 : Hou moche uayr is ine þe ueþeren of þe pokoce.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6204 : With fetheres blake as eny cole.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)140b/a : Eire I-closid in þe holouȝnesse of pennes and feþeris makeþ a bridde liȝt and..able..to meve vppeward.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1026 : Folde þeron a lyȝt fyþer and hit to founs synkkez.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.1414 : Many good archer..with her arowis kene And with feþeris of pecok, fresche & schene.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.410 : Come neure in my tyme Man to me..þat acounted conscience at a cokkes fether.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)31/2 : He hath a crest of fedres vpon his hed.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)55a/a : Wiþ nedilez or wiþ þe stalke of a feþer.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)83 : Take a gose feþer and do awey þe foom aboue clene.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)110/22 : A fayre cape made of feddurs.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)121 : An ostrich..hath the fetheren aboute him and algates flee may he nouht.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)125/33 : Take ȝonge swalowys owte of þe neste and putte hem, fediris and all, in-to þe potte.
- (1474) Let.Bk.Lond.L (Gldh LetBk L)121 : Bolsters stuffed with Fedders.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)149 : Þe hende egle..Hasteth him..to houyn his bryddis And besieth him besely to breden hem feedrin, Tyll her fre fedris be fulliche y-pynned.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)45a : A ffedir: penna, pluma, plumella.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)57 : The pecok shall answere you off as moche for his fedris as þe shepe for his woll.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)17443 : For nu ȝe maȝen heom [þas stanes] habben [Otho: hebbe] swulche veðerene balles.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)12 : A douhter..As white as feþer of swan.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Job 39.13 : The fether of a strucioun is lic to the fetheris of a ierfakoun.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5604 : Þar fand þai bridis..Of feþir fresch as any fame.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)343 : All fowles in ffether fell þere vppon.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.54.7 : Who shal ȝiue to me federes as of a culuer?
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)530 : Uche fowle to þe flyȝt þat fyþerez myȝt serve, Uche fysch to the flod þat fynne couþe nayte.
- (1415) Hoccl.Oldcastle (Hnt HM 111)257 : Some of thy fetheres weren plukkid late.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)35 : For fowle with fethir ne fysch with fynne Is noon vnstedfaster þanne I.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)12/73 : Foulis fayre and bright..With fedrys fayre to frast þer flight.
d
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)101/34 : Vnder ðare scadewe of ðine fiðeres, of ðine armes ðe waren ifasted on ðare hali rode.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2598 : List Fortune þe fresche feþeris pulle Of riche folke þat schyne in gold so schene.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.353 : For love bigan his fetheres so to lyme.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.40.31 : Thei schulen take fetheris [WB(1): take to federes; L adsument pennas] as eglis.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.m.1.1 : I [Philosophy] have, forthi, swifte fetheris that surmounten the heighte of the hevene.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)17.12 : He flow abouen the fethirs of wyndis [L pennas ventorum].
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)138.8 : If .i. take my fedirs [L pennas] in daghynge..Take twa wengis of charite in the dagheynge of grace.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)92/18 : O..ihesu crist..who shal ȝeue me feders of very liberte, þat I mowe fle & reste in þe!
2.
(a) The quill of a feather used in writing; quill, pen; (b) the vane of a feather; (c) a feather used as the vane of an arrow; (d) a feather or plume used as an ornament or as a design or emblem.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)49 : Feþeren [Otho: feþere] he nom mid fingren & fiede on boc-felle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)219a/b : In olde tyme men vsed to write wiþ reed, or vse of feþeres were yfounde.
b
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)208 : Ȝyf þou may strepe þe feþer from þe stalk.
c
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.107 : His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe.
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57219 : Payd..to a flescher ffor schafys ffor quarellys, and ffor federys ffor the same.
- (1469) Stonor1.102 : A doseyn Brode arovys..let them be wele fedyrd with Styffew and short fedyr.
d
- a1400 MS Sln.56 in EETS 139 (Sln 56)p.xxvii, fn. : Sic assumpsit sibi [Black Prince] illam pennam quæ dicitur Ostrich fether.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.726 : Many crestis clere And many tuft of gold & siluer..Meynt with feþris rede, white, & grene.
- (a1420) Rec.Norwich 2397 : A helm gilt with crest and 3 ostreche fetheres.
- (1423) Death Hen.V in Archaeol.65140 fn. : Et j Trapper de nigro velewet cum pennis albis vocatis Ostrych feders.
- (1456) Invent.Armory in Archaeol.16124 : Item iij Pennons of the feders of Entertaille..v Pennons beten of the feders.
- 1466 Challenge Warw.in PMLA 22 (Lnsd 285)602 : With an vncouthly freshe Chaplet wrought of dyuers colours of ffethirs & perles vpon his basynet.
- (?1474) Stonor1.147 : A grene coverlett wyth pottes and Estrych ffeþurs.
3.
(a) fether bed, a mattress, cushion, or bed cover filled with down; (b) ~ bigger, ~ man, ~ monger, a dealer in feathers or down; (c) ~ bord, ?a board with one feathered (i.e. thin) edge.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)17443 : Nou ȝe mawe heom hebbe ase feþerbeddes.
- (1390) Will York in Sur.Soc.4130 : A fedir bedd & j matras.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3020 : Upon a fethrebed alofte He lith with many a pilwe of doun.
- (1399) RParl.3.453a : Ils fesoient le dit Duc de Gloucestre coucher sur un Lyt et..misterent sur luy un fetherbed, &..coucherent desuiz le bouche de dit Duc de Gloucestre tan qu il fuist morte.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)158 : Ouer-borde..to kest..her feþer beddes.
- (1404) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100398 : 1 fethyrbed, 5 pulvinaria.
- (1415) Will in Bdf.HRS 224 : A fetherbed of þe largest assise and a bolster þerto.
- (?c1422) Hoccl.ASM (Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)778 : Now wole y voide fethirbeddes softe, The pilwes nesshe and esy materas.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)106a/b : Late hym stably lye vpon a feþer bedde [*Ch.(1): in a pilow; L in puluinari].
- (1438) Will York in Sur.Soc.4595 : De j feddirbed xij d.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)251 : Of down of pure dowves white I wil yive hym a fether-bed Rayed with gold.
- (1449) Will Uvedale in SAC 3155 : Lego Johanni servienti meo..lectum album cum .. omnibus aliis eidem lecto pertinentibus, excepto le fedderbed ejusdem.
- c1470(?1458) Wey Prevision (Bod 565)5 : When ye com to Venyse..ye schal have a fedyr bedde, a matres, too pylwys.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57362 : The ijde federbed conteynethe of lengthe iij Flemyshe stykes, iij quarters and more, and in brede iij Flemyshe stykes scant.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)333/19 : There was ordayned grete cowchis and thereon fethir beddis.
- (1474) Let.Bk.Lond.L (Gldh LetBk L)121 : Federbeddes, pylowes, matrasses, Quysshens, Quyltes.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)921 : Þe Fethurbed ye bete without hurt, so no feddurs ye wast.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)1422 : The grass..On which men myght his lemman leye As on a fetherbed.
b
- (1280) Let.Bk.Lond.A (Gldh LetBk A)36 : John de Cestrehunte, fethermongere.
- (?c1300) Sub.R.Lynn in Nrf.Archaeol.1350 : Will's le fetherman.
- (1304) in Fransson Surn.118 : Rob. Le Feþerbycger.
- (1305) in Fransson Surn.118 : Margareta le Fetherman.
c
- (1418) *Winchester Chamberlains Roll [OD col.] : viii fetherbordys de nouo facte pro rota molendini.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)90.4 : Þou shalt hope vnder hys feþers.
Note: Need date in 1.(d)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 168/25 : Wype yt of with a fayre feder on a clene ston.
Note: Additional quote, sense 1.(a).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. feather.