Middle English Dictionary Entry
grẹ̄ne n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | grẹ̄ne n.(1) |
| Etymology | From adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A grassy place, a field, the ground, the green earth; village or town green; gon o ~, go on the earth, live; (b) in surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.209]; (c) green cloth, green garments; ~ and grei, fou and ~, scarlet and ~, etc.; (d) fresh living grass or foliage; also fig. youthful vigor; grenes, green plants; (e) the color green; green pigment.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)65/704 : Igripe ha me eanes, ne ga i neauer mare þrefter o grene.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)264/106 : Hire cloþes roteden and feollen hire fram, clout mele in þe grene.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2828 : And demden him..Shamelike ben led..Bisouþe þe borw, un-to a grene Þat þare is yet.
- a1350(1307) Execution Fraser (Hrl 2253)208 : Betere him were in scotlond wiþ is ax in ys hond, to pleyen oþe grene.
- a1350 Flem.Insur.(Hrl 2253)15 : Take we þe bailifs..clappe we of þe heuedes an onen o þe grene, ant caste we y þe fen.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)71 : Hii leien hem doun vpon a grene Vnder a chastein tre.
- c1330 Horn Child (Auch)237 : He..left her fair folk al slain Lieand on þe grene.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3361 : Lordes, beholdeþ þan Amerel ȝounder out on þe grene, At is soper ys he, me semeþ wel.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2348 : The body..For pure pite..Under the grene thei begrave.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3325 : To gon theroute The large fieldes al aboute And gete hire mete upon the griene.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1047 : That olde wyf Which that the knyght say sittyng on the grene.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)1255 : Þe gresse ys falow on þe grene..þer we come gangande.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.2 : Ine..went to þe bataile in a fulle faire grene þat is vnder Kampedene, a medew I wene.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)2397 : Þai went þe cete þan wythowte Tyll a grene fayr & dry.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)18/4 : A bore..Es broght opon ȝowre grene.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)69b/a : Viretum: a grene or an herbere.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)139/3 : Also it [Camamilla]..growyȝt on grenys and in gardynggis.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)282 : Upon the grene, I saugh comyng of ladyes nyntene.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)141 : And the siluer dropes rounde, Lych perles fret vpon the grene.
- (?a1461) Stonor1.54 : Payd..xviij d. for an preposture, lyying in the grene of the seyd towne.
- c1475 Brm.Abraham (Brm)67 : Vnto Goddes hest, Abraham, a-cord, And folow me vp-on thys grene.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1299 : Þe precious stonis and þe gold schene Broston al in pecys, & flowyn in þe grene.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)3009 : Whom that euer he mette vppon the grene ffrom his sadill he wente.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)295 : He walkid after his soper in a faire greene.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)39/534 : Behald on this greyn nowder cart ne plogh Is left.
b
- (1190-1200) Reg.Lin.in Lin.RS 34141/8 : Tres seliones super Grene ante portam.
- (1193) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.330 : Willelmus de la Grene.
- (1206) Assize R.Lin.in Lin.RS 22269 : Galfridus Attegrene.
- (1240) Bk.of Fees624 : Simon de la Grene.
- (1248) Select Pleas Manor.in Seld.Soc.217 : Willelmus et Goda dant..Juliane unum horreum et unum curtillagium propinquius la Grene.
- (1286) Deed Yks.in YASRS 6973 : Le Milnegrene.
- (1300) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.3115 : Ardlestones grene.
- (c1311) Rec.Norwich 1372 : Petr. Atte Grene de Griston.
- (1327) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 7197 : Adam othe Grene.
- (1327) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 7201 : Adam sur le Grene.
- (1327) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 7237 : Johannes Onthegrene.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10152 : Johe atte Greine.
- (1328) Sub.R.Der.in Der.ANHSJ 3079 : Johes Super le Grene.
- (1341) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)327 : Le Southgrene.
- (c1350) EPNSoc.12 (Ess.)580 : Cartehorsgrene.
- (1351) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)731 : Wasche Grene.
- (1357) in Wallenberg PNKent106 : Scherrifsgrene.
- (1415) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)566 : Heighgrene.
- (1415) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)731 : Crossgrene, Dogegrene.
- a1500 Lamb.448 Chron.in Camd.n.s.28 (Lamb 448)154 : In loco vocato Wakfeld grene.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.140/24 : Also ij Acris In myddilfurlonge next of the Grene.
- (1482) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)731 : Somergrene.
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)24652 : Heo wolden of ane heowen heore claðes habben. Sum hafde whit..sum hafde god grene æc.
- a1250 HMaid.(Tit D.18)39/648 : Ase wel vnder grei as under Grene & gra, ha luteð i þe heorte.
- a1300 Hwi ne serue (Jes-O 29)69 : Þer wereþ vre wlite in wurmene won. He geyneþ vs no grene..Þe robes of russet, ne of rencyan.
- ?a1300 Thrush & N.(Dgb 86)116 : Foul wel hire semede fow and grene -- Hou sore hit gon hire rewe.
- c1330(?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch)p.632 : Scarlet and grene wel y-wrouȝt: More richesse wiþ hem hii brouȝt Þan y can tellen.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1380 : A schip wiþ grene and gray, Wiþ vair and eke wiþ griis.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.103 : And he was clad in coote and hood of grene.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)303/312 : Þow wost þat ich haue..made þe traile and gren In siclatoun and in scarlet.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25459 : O mansslaghter had i na mak..To riue þe grene and gra.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6366 : Hij cloþen hem in skarlet and in grene, And drynken þe wynes rede and shene.
- (1421) Will York in Sur.Soc.4563 : Lego..robam meam..de grene de lyre.
- (1434) Will York in Sur.Soc.3039 : Lego Persevallo..dimidium de..banquers de grene in le parlor.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)2272 : And made þe lady in to ga In graye and in grene.
- (1447) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 11116 : Itm, ij Reredose of Sylk for an Autern palyd wt yelow and grene.
- a1450(?1400) In blossemed buske (Dgb 102)11 : That on, a trauaylyng man had ben, He was but in mene array; That other clothed in gawdy gren.
- ?a1450(?c1370) ?Chaucer W.Unc.(Robinson)7 : Ye can not love half yeer in a place..In stede of blew, thus may ye were al grene.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)122 : He was gerede alle in grene, alle with golde by-weuede.
- (1455) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15149 : In primis the best suyt of grene with fleurys of gold.
- c1460 My fayr lady (Hrl 2255)p.199 : There is noon so fayr in al our town, Whan she hath on hire hood of green.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)4006 : As a hunter all in grene He rays hym selff agayne.
d
- a1250 Mon may longe (Mdst A.13)6 : Þar-vore, man, þu þe biþench, al sel valui þe grene.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1510 : May with alle thy floures and thy grene, Welcome be thow.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7824 : Whan Somer hath lost al his grene, And is with Wynter wast and bare.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.54 : The foweles..What for the sesoun and the yonge grene, Ful loude songen hir affeccions.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)36.2 : Als wortes of grenes [L olera herbarum] tite fal sal þai.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1028 : Schal never grene þeron growe, gresse ne wod nawþer.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.770 : Rooteles moot grene soone deye.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)3814 : Wheroff sholde ye ha socour..with newe grene a-gayn Clothen the busshes in ther maner?
- a1500 St.Dor.(2) (Chet 8009)55 : All that lande was ov[e]r cov[e]red with froste and snowe, and no man[ne]r of grenes apperyng in no place.
e
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)41a : Grene ouer alle heowes froureð meast ehnen.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.90 : She witnesse hadde of honestee, And grene of conscience and of good fame The swote sauour.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.159 : A peyre of bedes bauded al with grene.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1168 : That is Novembre..Whan that the lef hath lost his greene.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)59b/a : Also among þese coloures some tokeneþ deþ, as blak, grene, bloo.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)136b/b : He [the rainbow] takeþ..of erþe grene in þe neþirmeste.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)157 : Heme-wel haled hose of þat same grene.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.46 : Hir [i.e. Fortune's] gold..Meynt with liht greene for chaung & doubilnesse.
- c1460 Cursor (LdMisc 416)9987 : Grene [Vsp, Göt: grennes; Trin-C: Grenesse] is lastyng euyr and ay.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.4 (Hrl 2169)231 : Fesse gules between three popyngayes of grene.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)32/32 : Be than com into the felde kynge Ban..with bondis of grene and thereuppon golde.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1542 : Also they saye..howe that grene, and colour wanne as leade..be colours meane.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1824 : And the clerer substance that the erth combuste be, the clerer grenis therof ye shall see.