Middle English Dictionary Entry
grāve n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | grāve n.(1) Also grawe, graf(fe, (?error) graven & greave, greve. |
| Etymology | OE græf, Merc. *gref. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. greve n.(2).
1.
(a) The burial place of a corpse; esp. a hole or pit dug for the body; hertes ~, secret place of the heart, depths of the heart; ~ brekere; ~ makere; (b) a monument, tomb, mausoleum; (c) in (on) ~, in (one's) grave, buried, dead; leien (bilouken, bringen, putten) in ~, to bury (sb.); greithed in ~, taken in to ~, buried, dead; crepen in ~, be buried, die; beren to ~, bear (a mark) till (one's) death.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.47 : Þou was warned her bifore..þou sauȝ fele bi dun in grave.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3184 : Ðe ail haued so wide spiled, ðat his graue is ðor under hiled.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2778 : What is this world? What axeth men to haue? Now with his loue, now in his colde graue.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1525 : For thogh his Moder were come Fro deth to lyve out of the grave, He mihte nomor wonder have.
- (1393) Will York in Sur.Soc.4185 : I commend..my body to my graven..by side my childer.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)289a/a : Hiena is a cruel beste..and diggen burielles and graues [L sepulturas] & eten þe fleissh of dede bodies.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17418 : We sal iesu yeld wit dett þat in his grafe we suld ha gett.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21063 : First he did his graf to deluen, And siþen he laid þer in himseluen.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.62 : Þe wal wagged and clef..Ded men for that dyne come out of depe graues.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)7/264 : Of his graue..Sprang vp oyle ful fayre plente.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)10b/b : Bustitia: a graue maker in þe felde. Bustifragus: a graue breker.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)903 : We preyen yow..That in o grave yfere we moten lye.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)17 : Crist sparid not to visyte pore men in a foul stynkynge stable and cold, and in þe colde greue and in helle.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)915 : For who þat wil of his preve peine Fulli be cured, his life to help & saue, He most mekeli oute of his hurtis [read: hertis] graue Discure his wound.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)216/8 : Sho saw þaim rise oute of þer gravis & go oute of þe kurk.
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)109a : And men þat beoþe in grawes and he þat beoþe in erthe shal make ioye and blisse.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)57a : A Grave maker: bustarius.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)198/1 : And to schame and schenschipe of Seynt John they brake his graue and dide sparpule his bones in the felde.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)3130 : And þen commaundez he hys knyghtes þe corsez vp to gedder..& dight þaim in grafys.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)722 : Hic bostarius: a grafmakere.
b
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)14332 : Þe graue [Vsp: tumbe] lid awey þei kist, And ihesus loked into þe chest.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7523 : Þan Telefus, out of marbil gray Coriously a tombe made kerue..and a-boue þe graue An Epitaphie anoon he dide graue.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)42b/a : Monimentum: a graue.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)58b/a : Scenotaphis: a voyde graffe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)122a/a : Generacioun of herez..is as of þo þingez goþ out of þe erthe as it is shewed of crassez in monmentez i. grauez [L monumentis].
- (1430) Insc.Hawles in Antiq.6 (Inscr)223 : Here is y-buried under this grave Harry Hawles; his soule God save.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)207 : Grave, solempnely made, or gravyn: Mausoleum.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4451 : And oþir werkis of wast is wroȝt in ȝoure landis, As graffis garnyscht of gold, & gilten tombis.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4915 : And no stoon to be steryd of my graue, but a pet to be maad..and the body put in as neer vndyr my grave as may be wythoute hurt of the seid grave.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4928 : I wil yeerly be payd viij d. for viij tapers stondyng at the grawe of resurreccion gylde.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)57a : A Grave: Est mausoleum, bustum, tumulus, piramus.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)5.11 : Grafe [L sepulcrum] oppenand is the throt of thaim.
c
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)408 : Hwan birkabeyn was leid in graue, Þe erl..in þe castel dede he hem do.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1838 : Nevere hierafter schal be lassed Mi beaute..Til I be take into my grave.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3393 : Silvestre..began..To techen..how in grave he was beloke, And how that he hath helle broke.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.502 : God gyue his soule reste; He is now in his graue and in his cheste.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)1007 : Erst he wol be deed on graue, But he wyst his heel to haue.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)623 : And Cristabelle the clere maye es crept in hir graue.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1386 : And sertes bott yf he sound hym see, fful sune sall he be grathyd in graue.
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)104b : I am Ihesus, whas body þow buryed and leydest in þe grave.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)13/415 : Pylat..þe body doth hem graunt; þan þei with reverens do put it in grave.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)370/422 : We may ley it in the graue.
- a1500(?c1370) ?Chaucer Comp.A.(Benson-Robinson)74 : And, to that day that I be leyd in grave, A trewer servaunt shull ye never have.
- a1500(?c1414) ?Brampton PPs.(2) (Pep 1584)p.378 : In to my grave or þt I crepe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)270/385 : Noght may make me glad to I be in my grafe.
- a1500 Dayly in Englond (BodPoet e.1)273 : Whan thei be angry or sumwhatt dysplesyd, Thei wyl gyffe a man a mark that he xal ber it to his grafe.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)2101 : He Commandez To geder þaim vp ilke grome, & þaim in graue bring.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Chaucer LGW (Cmb Ff.1.6)788 : There kyng nynus whas grauene vndur a tre..And fast be þis geyne whas a well.
Note: New spelling