Middle English Dictionary Entry
greive n.
Entry Info
| Forms | greive n. Also greȝfe, grave, grafe. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI greifi, prob. from OLG. Also cp. MDu. grāve, graef a count & OE gerēfa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A steward; headman of a town or village; also, a royal official; (b) as surname; also in cpds.: bern ~, fen ~ [see also plough ~, wode ~].
Associated quotations
a
- 1130-35(OE) Leges Edw.Conf.in Liebermann Gesetze 1654 : Greue quidem nomen est potestatis.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)18365 : Icc amm sennd biforenn himm Hiss bidell & his greȝȝfe, To ȝarrkenn follc onnȝæness himm.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)266 : Schireues he sette, bedels and greyues, Grithsergeans wit longe gleyues.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1749 : He..sende him unto þe greyues, Þe beste man of al þe toun.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1771 : Undo, bernard þe greyue, Vndo swiþe, and latus in.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)51b/b : Preponitus: a reue or a gouernor or a grayue.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)359 : A priores..als a graue bihoues hir be, Þat cure hase tayn to kepe hir fe.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)597 : Of þe resayuer speke wylle I, Þat fermys resayuys wytturly Of grayuys, and hom aquetons makes.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)683 : Hic villicus, Hic prepositus: a grafe.
b
- (1275) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms100 : Thom. le Greyve.
- (1327) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms100 : Gilb. Le Greyue. Rob. le Grayue.
- (1327) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms103 : Joh. le Bernegreyue.
- (1327) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms104 : Rob. le fengreyue.
- (1348) Deed Yks.in YASRS 392 : [William] le Grayve.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 ?Nassyngton SV (Sln 1785)p.38 : A covert thefte dos he in case Wich kepynge of his lordis goodis hase As bailyfes, sergeaunt of grayve That falles his lordis rent receyve.
Note: New spelling