Middle English Dictionary Entry
forest n.
Entry Info
| Forms | forest n. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A large tract of uninhabited, or sparsely inhabited, woodland; a wilderness; (b) fair ~, wild ~, etc.; (c) fig. a forest (of spears, of masts).
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2454 : A forest fled þai tille, Tristrem and ysonde þe schene.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)62 : Into þe þikke of þe forest, Into a launde hii ben icome.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)131 : A forest uol of þyeues, an of calketreppen, and of grines.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)505 : Þe fre was in þe forest founde in his denne.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1975 : First on the wal was peynted a forest, In which ther dwelleth neither man ne best.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.324 : And seche in the Forest aboute Som wilde place.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.420 : Ther nys tygre ne noon so cruel beest That dwelleth outher in wode or in forest, That nolde han wept.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)741 : He rydes Into a forest ful dep þat ferly watz wylde.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7692 : Þat Ile stant moste be wyldernes..And moste is forest þat men þere may se.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1236,1238 : Þe world alswa may lykend be Til a forest in a wilde cuntre, Þat es ful of thefs and outlawes, Þat commonly til forestes drawes.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)111/30 : Þat Forest..dureth wel an xviij iourneyes in lengthe.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)842 : Now what lyoun that be in this forest, My body mote he renten.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)899 : Now hilles, and now mountaynes, Now valeyes, now forestes, And now unnethes grete bestes.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)32 : That contre is full of grete forestis, and full wylde to them of the selue contre.
b
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)992 : In to a wilde forest he cam.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)32/713 : He..wente into a Forest wild, In to desert fram alle men.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)502 : He as fundeling where founde in þe forest wilde.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)5 : A couherde..in þat forest fayre had kepud Mennes ken.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1944 : He priketh thurgh a fair forest, Ther inne is many a wilde best, Ye bothe bukke and hare.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)238 : A faire forest sone I fand.
c
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5616 : The oste ferde as a foreste.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)110/30 : Itt was a fair syght to see thi sales to gedre, for itt semed a forest.
2.
(a) A wooded tract belonging to a ruler, set apart for hunting; a royal forest; also, a wood enclosed by walls, a park; (b) keper, leftenaunt, minister, wardein of the ~, officials in charge of a forest; kinges ~, a royal forest; lawes (statutes) of the kinges ~, regulations governing the royal forests; ~ gate, gate to a park; (c) charter, lawes of ~, a charter granted by King Henry III in 1217, which restored portions of the royal forests to cultivation and limited the king's power to create new forests.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7699 : Game of houndes he louede inou & of wilde best, & is forest [vr. forestes] & is wodes.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2050 : Þine hunters þou bid ride Fourtenniȝt at þis nede To se þine forestes wide.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)6342 : Fair halles & toures also In þe cite were mani & mo; In þat on half orn þe riuer, In þat oþer half forest wiþ wilde dere.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)246 : He þat hadde castels and tours, Riuer, forest, friþ wiþ flours.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)35 : Amorwe þei..come to a Forest with floures ful feire, þat was called Argos, þat þe kyng ouȝte in þe lond of damas.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.85 : A theef of venysoun that hath forlaft His likerousnesse and al his olde craft, Kan kepe a forest best of any man.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1190 : He shewed hym..Forestes, parkes ful of wilde deer.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.92 : Of alle his wikked werkes þese me þouht þe meste, þat seuenten kirkes he mad tille his foreste.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)107 : Of þe maner of hundyng whan þe kyng wil hunt in foreste or in parke.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)171 : Foreste: Foresta, indago.
- a1450 Forest Laws (Dc 335)241 : Yf ther be ony man that hath ony close or grounde with in annexed to the forest and largeth his oune grounde and streyteth the kynges grounde by settynge of hegge or dyche.
- (1473) RParl.6.91a : Oure Parke and Forest of Claryngdon.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)275 : He come to a foreste..The wode was wallyd abowte And wele corvyn wyth ryche ston.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)148 : Cesar..had a forest, in þe whiche he made to be plontid & sette many vynis and trees.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.405 : To oure trusty and welbeloued, the Maister of our game of oure fforest and parke of ffekenham.
b
- c1440-a1500 Eglam.(Schleich)296 : Þe geant tase the waye to þe forest-ȝatt.
- a1450 Forest Laws (Dc 335)241 : These be the statutes and the lawes of the kynges forestes..If ther be ony man that commeth in to the kyinges forest that felleth and caryeth a way ony smal wode..he is endiȝtable.
- a1450 Forest Laws (Dc 335)242 : Also if the wardeyn or the liefteneaunt or ony other minister of the forest rewseth ony maisterfull bowes of the kinges okes or ony other tree in a vauntage for the sale.
- (1473) RParl.6.94a : Th' office of Keper of oure Forest or Chace of Boryngwode.
c
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10640 : Þe king made is chartre & grantede it wel vawe Þe gode lawes of forest.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)17/7 : Þe articles þat are conteyned..in þe chartre of þe forest, which sentence was ȝouyn vpon hem þat trespasyn in þo artycles.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)17/12 : In þe chartre of þe forest ben xl artycles, aȝens whiche artycles þe trespasourys ben acursyd.
3.
(a) forest(es side, the edge of a forest; under a forest side, at the edge of a forest; (b) forest plain, ?a clearing in the woods; ~ strand, a wooded shore; ~ and frith, wood and grove; feld and ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2600 : Y fle for dout of deþ..In wo mi liif to lede Bi þis forestes side.
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)151 : Hye com bi a forest side.
- c1390 As I wandrede (Vrn)2 : As I wandrede her bi weste, Faste vnder a Forest syde.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.990 : Vnder a forest syde..he say vpon a daunce go Of ladyes foure and twenty.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3567 : Quyk hij gynneþ þennes ride And hiden hem in a forest syde.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)9 : Beȝete he was of sir Gawain Be a forest side.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)612 : On a laund are þay lent, By a forest syd.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)10587 : He seide, from the Forest syde, That thens hyt kam.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)372 : We came to the forest syde.
- c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)336/45 : The king made sett vp his tentz..there the ladie lay, fast by a forest side.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1705 : Tho sye they be a forest syde Men of armes ffaste ride.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)3861 : Generides come fro the forest side, All clene armyd, as fast as he cowde ride.
b
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1425 : Sir Amis..Waited his coming..Vp in the forest plain.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2216 : Þei trauiled al a niȝt out of forest & friþes & alle faire wodes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3608 : Þou ert schotter wit þe beist, Bath in feild and in forest.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.224 : Lordes to honte In frythes and in forestes for fox and other bestes.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)53 : He roode tho vppon a fforeste stronde With grete rowte and roialte.
4.
In names of specific forests: ~ of Dene, the Forest of Dean; New ~, the New Forest, a forest created in Hampshire by William the Conqueror.
Associated quotations
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7699 : He louede inou..þe niwe forest Þat is in souþhamtessire.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)11482 : To þe forest of dene sir Ion wende þo.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.324 : In þe forest he lendes of Dounfermelyn.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)111/29 : In þat lond groweth the peper in a Forest þat men clepen Combar.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4978 : That nyȝt was R. before Arsour, Vndyr þe fforest of Lysour.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)40/12 : They shall fynde by the Welle of Aventures in the forest of Breselyne a paveloune blake with armes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)25/16 : The three kyngis com to the forest of Bedgrayne.