Middle English Dictionary Entry
fīve card. num.
Entry Info
| Forms | fīve card. num. Also fif(e, vive, vif, viwe. |
| Etymology | OE fif, fīfe (infl.). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Five;-- (a) with a common noun; (b) before hundred, thousand, etc.; (c) without a noun.
Associated quotations
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1128 : He liuode siððon fif dagas.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)629 : Fyf besauntz, lord, her þou me by-toke And ich ahue oþer ffyue byȝute.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.6 : Housbondes at chirche dore I haue had fyue.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)182 : O fiue thossand men þat he Fedd wyt fiue [Göt: fijf] laues and fisses thre.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)9.191 : Freres [of] alle fyue ordres.
- c1400 Wit & W.(Cmb Res.b.162)B.8 : Fiue fathum long.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.62 : A child þat þere hadde fyve barly loves.
- (1450) RParl.5.204a : Withynne feive yeres.
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)94b : Þe Greekes maden Ioustes..oones in fyve [vr. vyf] yere.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15510 : He fedde fif þusennde menn.
- c1225 St.Juliana (Roy 17.A.27)58/506 : Fif hundret bi tale of weopmen.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)213 : Fif hundred siþes and fiue.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1290 : Fulle fiue hundered.
- c1390 SLeg.Aug.Cant.(Vrn)13 : Fyue hundred ȝer hit was.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.502 : Fyue thousand folk.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1372 : Fyue score aunkirs.
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)112.2 : Nu beoð þe fiue forð igan.
- a1275 Ful feir flour (Trin-C B.14.39)27 : Þat fiste lef of þisse viwe teket men in þisse liue.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2276 : Fiue of my felawes.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.391 : With fyue or sixe of hir meynee.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)79 : Take..fyfe oþer sex of pigges mawe.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)15/28 : Fyve alwayes watched.
2.
Coupled (a) with a following or (b) a preceding higher numeral.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.675 : An hundred & fif & twenti biscopes.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)43 : I þe fif ant þrittuðe ȝer of his rixlinge.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6838 : Vor þe lond was viue & sixti ȝer in worre & in sore.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2172 : Of fyue and twenty yeer his age I caste.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)39/1231 : Vyf and twenty bachelers.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)10749 : Icc fede tene & fife.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)731 : Tho [read: two] hundred ger and fifue mo.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1458 : Nine hundret yeir and fiue.
3.
The abstract number five.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)327a/a : Some nombres odde..þre, fyue, and seuene.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)326b/a : Oon ydo to fyue makeþ þe nombre of sixe.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.290 : As fyve is noumbre in a sercle.
4.
A set of five things.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)651 : His fyue wyttez..his fyue fyngres..Þe fyft fyue þat I finde [etc.].
5.
Used for the ordinal.
Associated quotations
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)662 : Theo thridde him taughte to play at bal..The fyve him taught to skyrme and ride.
6.
Phrases: (a) the five joies, the five joys of the Virgin, i.e. at the Annunciation, the Nativity, the Resurrection, the Ascension, and the Assumption; (b) the five portes, the Cinque Ports, a group of incorporated sea-port towns (originally five) on the southeast coast of England [They received special privileges and important franchises in return for furnishing a large part of the English navy.]; (c) the five wittes, the five senses; (d) the five woundes, the five wounds which Christ suffered on the cross; (e) bersten or breken on (a) five, to break or go to pieces; (f) ~ peni nail [see nail n., sense 2.(b)].
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Nou skrynkeþ (Hrl 2253)46 : Heried be hyr ioies fyue!
- a1350 Ase y me rod (Hrl 2253)24 : Nou y may, ȝef y wole, þe fif ioyes mynge.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)52/785 : Our leuedi wiþ ioies fiue.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)646 : Alle his forsnes he fong at þe fyue joyez.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7888 : Þe vif pors of engelond.
- (1436) RParl.4.501a : Withinne ye Jurisdiction and Fraunchise of youre Fyve Portes.
- (1436) RParl.5.197a : Oure Toune of Rie, oon of the v Portes.
c
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)17/2 : Of ða fif wittes..þat is ȝesihthe, ȝeherhþe, smac, and smell, and tactþe.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)18/1 : Hire fif wittes, Sihðe & herunge, smechunge & smellunge, & euch limes felunge.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.207 : The appetites of the fyue wittes, as sighte, herynge, smellynge, sauorynge, and touchynge.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)22.216 : Ich wolle..diuyde grace To alle kynne creatures þat can hus fif wittes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.54 : In alle þi fyue wittis.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)97/18 : Þe v wyttes, þat dwellys yn þe eighen, yn þe eryn, yn þe nese, yn þe tonge, and yn þe hondes.
d
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1443 : Pine inoh Þurrh fife grimme wundess.
- a1300 Man and wyman (NC 88)10 : For þe vif wndes þe ich tholede for þe!
- a1325 Heil beo þou Marie Mylde (StJ-C S.30)19 : For his woundes fiue þat runnen alle a-blode.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)642 : Þe fyue woundez Þat Cryst kaȝt on þe croys.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)351/328 : Mercy, ihesu, lorde swete, for thi fyfe woundys so sore, Thou suffred thrugh handys and feete, thi semely side a spere it share.
e
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25891 : Þæs bures dure he warp adun, þat heo to-barst a uiuen [Otho: a fifue].
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.598 : Þat his spere brast afiue.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.514 : Mine hert wil breke o fiue.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)720 : Þat nyȝh his heorte to-brak on fyue.