Middle English Dictionary Entry
forke n.
Entry Info
| Forms | forke n. Also furke, forche, fourche. Pl. forken (early), forkes. |
| Etymology | OE force, -an (from L furca) & OF forche, fourche. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A farming tool with two or more prongs used for digging or for handling hay, dung, etc.; bot ~, muk ~, pik ~, q.v.; (b) a pronged utensil of metal usually used for stoking fires; fir ~, q.v.; (c) a forked weapon.
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Mon in þe mone (Hrl 2253)19 : He leneþ on is forke ase a grey frere.
- (?c1350) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.9944 : In 1 vanga, 1 fork.
- (1360) Invent.Monk-Wear.in Sur.Soc.29153 : iiij forkes pro fimo, iiij pro grano.
- (1408) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2982 : iiij. forkys pro feno.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)1 Kings 13.21 : Forkis of thre teeth [vr. thre tothid forkis; L tridentum].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)294/677-8 : Þei..puttyn A kroune of þornys on hese hed with forkys.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)50a : A fforke: furca, furcella, furcula, bidens cum duobus dentibus, tridens cum tribus dentibus.
b
- (1419) *Will Bury155 : A peyr tongys & a gret forke & a lytyl forke of eryn, also a fryyng panne of laton.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)110/257 : And bifor Decius war broght Sere turmentries, al newly wroght..iren plates redy to hete..Forkes of iren and kobilstanes.
- (1449) Will York in Sur.Soc.45108 : ij awndiryns de ferro..j pari tangys, cum j forke ferri.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)3.8.53b : Suche men it nedith thus to bynde in fagottes & caste hem with furkes in to the fier.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)318/14 : Hur enmys kyndled þe fire ner hur..þai tuke forkis & stowris & thruste hur down with.
- 1451-1500 Tundale (Wagner)371 : He se þere mony fendis felle..Þai had forkes [vr. fire irnes] and tonges in hand And gret crokes of irne gloand.
c
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1192 : Fiftene þousandes..þat swerdes & boklers boþe hadden, And axes, speres, forkes, & slynges.
2.
A fork used at table.
Associated quotations
- (a1430) Invent.Randolf in Archaeol.61173 : j fork of silver with a Dragouns hede holdyng up the stalk for grenynges.
- (1443) Will York in Sur.Soc.30132 : Also ij forkes for grene gynger, of silver.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4940 : J yeve and beqwethe..my silvir forke for grene gyngour.
3.
A forked post or stake used to support a vine, a roof, etc.
Associated quotations
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.522 : Of forkis & of boord, & bouwes colde, A stondyng most be maad..And couered wel with shingil.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)12.37 : The vynys that trauayle On perchis or forkis.
- a1500(?a1450) Treat.Garden.(Trin-C O.9.38)64 : Grow they wul sone and long; be Than put vnder ham forkys of tre.
4.
Usually pl.: gallows.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21102 : Leteð up fusen heȝe forken..and heo scullen hongien.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)5720 : Þe forkes [Clg: furken] weren vp iset; þe childerne weren an-honge.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2881 : Þan scholtou don þe forchys there..And to-morwe let þes be þar an honge.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2970 : Þar þat þe fourchys was.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)29b/b : Furca: a galewe or a forke.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.108 : He schulde haue hadde hongynge on hie on þe forckis.
5.
Anat. (a) A slender projection or point of a bone, a process; (b) a point or cusp of a tooth; (c) ~ of brest (throt); the collar bone.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)45b/a : Þe chin haþ tweye bones..Iioyned togedres in þe middel þere þe smale teþ ben I put, & þe endes of þese bones ben departid & hauen tweye forkes & twistes.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)46a/b : Þe foreteþ hauen but on litil forke & twist & on rote [L furculam seu radicem]. Canini, þe grinders, hauen þre forkes oþir four..Manes foreteþ falleþ in ȝouþe..þat happiþ somtyme for febilnesse of heer rootis & forkes [L furcularum].
c
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)148/5 : In þe fore partie of þe necke þere is gula, þe which þat strecchiþ from þe chyn doun to þe forke of þe brest [Add: furcle of þe brest; L pectoris furculam].
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)316/21,22 : For brekyng of þe forke of þe þrote and of þe brest. The forke of þe þrote is clepid of summen patena, & of summen cathena.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. fork.