Middle English Dictionary Entry
grēve n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | grēve n.(1) Also greave, greive, grefe, greif, grewe & (early gen.sg.) græfan. |
| Etymology | OE grǣfa, grǣfe. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A thicket, copse, bush; shrubbery, undergrowth; ?also, a hedge; (b) a grove, wood; bi ~, through the wood; Paradise ~, the garden of Eden; (c) a branch, spray; ?also, a leaf; (d) brushwood; (e) in surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.207].
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Ichot a burde in a (Hrl 2253)37 : Ase gromyl in greue, grene is þe grone.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)14 : Þis greues wexen al gray Þat in her time were grene.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3634 : A fersche ost..hastili þer come þat was a-buschid þer biside in a brent greue.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1641 : Right as the hunters..Whan hunted is the leoun..hereth hym come russhyng in the greues, And breketh bothe bowes and the leues.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5965 : The wodes and the greves Ben heled al with grene leves.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)99 : Ferre out in þe felde and fechez mo gestez, Waytez gorstez and grevez [cp. Luke 14.23: sepes] if ani gomez lyggez.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)207 : A holyn bobbe þat is grattest in grene when greuez ar bare.
- c1405 Chaucer CT.NP.(Elsm)B.4013 : A poure wydwe..Was whilom dwellyng in a narwe cotage Beside a greue stondynge in a dale.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1144 : He loketh forth by hegge, by tre, by greve.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.149 : Ther as wrecchid greues [L virgulta], Sour lond, to weet, or salt is, neuer delue.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2881 : The raskaille was rade and rane to þe grefes, And karede to þat courte as cowardes for euer.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2857 : Comaunds he he[s] kniȝtis to cutt doune belyue Bowis of buskis & of braunches of bolis & of lindes..& wetirly it semed As all þe grond & þe greues [Dub: gravez] had glid þaim agayns.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)283/6 : And therewithall com oute sir Phelot oute of the grevys suddeynly.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)355/83,85 : God was a Greave within, that burned aye as hym thought. The Greave payred nothing therby.
- -?-(?a1500) Hunt.Hare (Adv 19.3.1)107 : 'Syrres,' he seyd, 'be your leyve, Yonder syttes [the hare] in a greyve.'
b
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)321 : Þy corse in clot mot calder keue For hit watz forgarte at paradys greue, Oure ȝorefader hit con mysseȝeme.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1974 : He no drechch had For to f[e]rk þurȝ þe fryth, & fare at þe gaynest bi greue.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.4564 : Thunstable leuys, Which hange on trees in forestis and in greuys.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)69 : Sir gawane..By-leuys with dame gaynour in þose greues grene. Vndir a lorrere scho laye.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2726 : 'In ȝone oken wode an oste are arrayede'..'Go men,' quod Gawayne, 'and grape in ȝour hertez Who sall graythe to ȝone greue, to ȝone gret lordes.'
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)333 : Serue Jhesu..& þou schalt be greuys grene fare wel in alle thynge.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4725 : A faire wod florischst [read: florischt] out ouire Of Appils & almands & alle manere of frutis..þai ware fedd all of frute..Of sike as growis in þe grewis I tald of before.
- a1500 Awntyrs Arth.(Dc 324)60,61 : Þe grete grendes in þe greues so gladly þei go, So gladly þei gone in greues so grene.
c
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1507 : To maken hym a gerland of the greues, Were it of wodebynde or hawethorn leues.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)227 : Yclothed was this myghty god of Love In silk, enbrouded ful of grene greves, In-with a fret of rede rose-leves.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4584 : For-quy as bestis on þe bent ȝe growe on þe greuys [L pascare herbas], Refete ȝow with refuse of rotis & of herbys.
d
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.852 : He scolde gife ilca ȝear..sixtiga foðra wuda & twælf foður græfan.
e
- (1159-66) EPNSoc.27 (Der.)182 : Yolegreue.
- (1203) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.1639 : Galfridus de la Greve.
- (c1230) in Ekwall PNLan.147 : Side Greves.
- (1237) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)351 : La Blackgreue.
- (1246) in Ekwall PNLan.147 : Del Greues.
- (a1272) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)730 : Birchenegreue. Crosgrewe.
- (1285) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)730 : Woluegreue.
- (1296) in Ekwall PNLan.73 : Romesgreve.
- (a1300) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)730 : Haregreue. Dedmangreue.
- (1304) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)730 : Qwythenegreues.
- (1351) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)730 : Briddesgreue.
- (1393) in Ekwall PNLan.131 : Tynedgreve.
- (1420) EPNSoc.27 (Der.)183 : Ȝolgreue.
- (1433) in Ekwall PNLan.131 : Tyngreyff.
- (a1500) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)730 : Breregreve.