Middle English Dictionary Entry
furlong n.
Entry Info
| Forms | furlong n. Also (rare) furȝ- and furow-, forlong, -lang, -lung. Pl. furlong, -es. |
| Etymology | OE furlang (cp. furh furrow). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A linear measure approximately equal to one-eighth of a statute mile, a furlong (= L stadium);--often used loosely in estimating distance; (b) ~ wei, the time required to walk one furlong; ?two and one-half minutes [see Chaucer Astr. 1.16.17].
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)6693 : V forlong he dede hem recoile.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1284 : Non miȝt sen oþer þe furþe del of a furlong from him.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 24.13 : Tweyne of hem wenten in that day to a castel, that was fro Jerusalem in space of sixty furlongis [L stadiorum].
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)5.5 : Er I a Furlong [B: fourlonge, forlong, furȝlonge] hedde I-fare, a Feyntise me hente.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1991 : Wher he pourposeth him to fare..The furlong and the longe Mile, Al is bot on for thilke while.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1172 : They were come almoost to that citee, But if it were a two furlong or thre.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)192b/a : Þe Ilonde streccheþ..foure score and fyue þousande forlanges [L stadiorum] in brede.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1030 : Þenne helde vch sware of þis manayre, Twelue forlonge space er euer hit fon, Of heȝt, of brede, of lenþe.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)25/6 : The walles weren lxiiij furlonges [Eg: furlanges; OF stadies] of heighte.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.61/21 : He herde the nehyng of his hors too furowlonges from hym.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)946 : Two fyrez he fyndez flawmande full hye, The fourtedele a furlange betwene.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4624 : All the hepe somyn..Sailyn forthe soberly..Noght fyftene forlong fairly to the end.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3065 : His folke fellis all þe flode a forelange [Dub: furelonge] o brede.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)482/10 : Than he toke a grete speare..and departed hys way a furlonge.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)3662 : Fiftene forlange men might see Men wade aboue the hemme of their shoon In the blode.
- a1500 *Vsp.Weights (Vsp E.9)88a : Yer go viij forelonges to a myle in yngland.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.4199 : This Iohn lith stille a furlong wey [vr. while] or two.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.516 : Soone after this, a furlong wey or two, He pryuely hath told al his entente.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1237 : I nolde a forlong wey on lyve have be After youre deth.
- c1430(c1395) Chaucer LGW Prol.(2) (Benson-Robinson)233 : Ne nat a word was spoken..The mountaunce of a furlong-wey of space.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)873 : I had leuere thane all Fraunce..I hade bene before thate freke a furlange of waye.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)7 : Tak hem a-down an caste salt þer-on, an let hem reste a forlongwey or to, an caste a lytyl sugre þer-to.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)2064 : Whan oon had herd a thing, ywis, He com forth..And gan him tellen..Or hyt a forlong way was old.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)91 : Lete stonde a forlonge wey or ij And cast a litull vinegre þerto.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)199/9 : I had levir..that I had bene before that freyke a furlonge way for to have recowed that lady.
2.
A tract, or an amount, of land equivalent to one square furlong [i.e., approximately ten acres]; freq., an element in names of fields.
Associated quotations
- (c1175) Chart.in Capes Hereford Cath.26 : iij [acres] sunt apud pontem Ludebroc et iij apud Mugefurlong.
- (c1220-30) Reg.Lin.in Lin.RS 345 : Super eodem furlang unum sellionem.
- c1280(c1240) Cart.Oseney in OHS 97190 : Una acra iacet in Halfurlung; et due dimidie acre in Utfurlunge; et due dimidie acre in Longfurlung.
- c1325(a1300) Cust.Bleadon207 : In forlongo, ubi ovile domini tardius steterat.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)191b/b : Alle þis londe aboute conteyneþ þe space of þre þousande forlonges [L claudit spacio trium milium stadiorum].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)8.32 : Ich can fynde in a felde and in a forlang [vr. forlong; B: fourlonge] an hare.
- (1438) in Rec.B.Nottingham 2170 : Quinta acra jacet super eundem furlong, et buttat..super praedictum Overlande-furlong versus occidentem.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)276/17 : j rode lieth in the same forlonge beside the lond of Robert Bagod.
- a1500(1252) Cart.Boarstall in OHS 88200 : Item in cultura de Fulewelfurlonge..in cultura de Chaldewelfurlonge et Schortfurlonge..in cultura de Brocforlonge..in cultura de Middelfurlonge.
3.
A racecourse for foot races, a race track; also, a foot race; also fig.
Associated quotations
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.9.24 : Witen ȝe not, that thei that rennen in a furlong [L in stadio], alle forsoth rennen, but oon takith the priys?
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)127b/b : In þe pistil we beþ Iprayed to renne in þe furlong.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.258 : Þei þat rennen in þe ferlong for þe pris.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.3.11 : Yif a man renneth in the stadye (or in the forlong) for the corone, thanne lith the mede in the coroune for which he renneth.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)37.95 (v.1:p.261) : The labourer in the vyneyerde shal be youen a peny, to the renner in the furlonge a bravie or a sett-vp game, and to the manly fyghter a triumphal coroune.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)142.419 (v.2:p.416) : I haue runne in the furlong of this present.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)69/4 : Þe brede of this ryuer was foure furlange lenth.
Note: New comb.
Note: 1.(b) ~ lengthe
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1375 Bod.177 Artist.Recipes (Bod 177) 261/7 : Tak alym water and put þerynne þyn parchemen..and let hit drinke a forlon wey, and þenne wryng out þat water.
Note: New spelling. Antedates sense 1.(b).