Middle English Dictionary Entry
grōnen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | grōnen v. Also groni, granen, granien, grain, greonen. |
| Etymology | OE grānian. Often difficult to distinguish from groinen. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To groan, moan; bewail, lament; (b) to groan in childbirth; give birth; be in confinement; (c) to make animal-like sounds; grunt, growl, roar, coo, etc.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)128/22 : Earniæþ eow þæt heofenlice rice..þær eald ne graneð, ne child ne scræmeð.
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)1/25 : Þeo moder greoneþ, ond þet bearn woaneþ.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 115)23 : Wanode: gronode.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.DD (Lamb 487)43 : Summe þer graninde sikeð.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25557 : Swiðe he wes idræcched and granein [read: granien] agon.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)147/31 : He ne mei wel þenchen bute euer on of his secnesse, ne speken ase he schulde, bute gronen uor his eche.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)872 : Þat mon..groni for his unwrenche.
- ?a1300(a1250) Harrow.H.(Dgb 86)70 : Þenne þou letest þe alone, Þenne þou miȝt grunten and grone.
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(LdMisc 108)262 : Þo gan þe Aumperur to drawe is her and sore siche and grone [rime: allone].
- a1350 Wiþ longyng (Hrl 2253)4 : Y grede, y grone, vnglad.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)92 : Homme cyngulte et sussie: M. belkyth and gronyth.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3646 : For trauaille of his goost he groneth soore.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3170 : I go forth..Unto mi bedd, so that al one I mai ther ligge and sighe and grone.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17836 : Wit þair hertes can þai gran.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2157 : I wyl nauþer grete grone.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4116 : I grone and grete.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)214 : Gronyn, as seke menn: Gemo.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2562 : Thane granes þe gome fore greefe of his wondys.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)91/457 : For þis gamyn & þis gle, þou schalt grocchyn & grone [rime: gone].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)338 : How sore that ye men konne groone.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)1252 : Þay lay, Full Grisely gronande one the grete.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)172/107 : Qwenys gyn grone [rime: mone] in werdl aboute.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)57a : To Grane: Suspirare.
- a1500(?c1414) ?Brampton PPs.(1) (Sln 1853)p.33 : Whan my soule in peyne schal grone, What schal avayle me all my pryde?
- a1500(a1450) St.Robt.Knares.(Eg 3143)605 : He..Bygane to haltt, to grayn, to grett.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)271/433 : Freyndys I had full foyn that gars me grete and grone ffull sore.
b
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)278/4 : Glad was þe Moder of þe sone, þat for him gan ofte grone.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6926 : Ich emme þat þe ber and uor þe gronede ylome.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.2113 : Hou sche schal stonden in acord With king Philippe, hire oghne lord, Whan he comth hom and seth hire grone [rime: alone].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1077 : Watz..non so glad under God as ho þat grone schulde.
c
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)4329 : Þe lyoun him goþ forþ groning, His guttes after him draweing.
- c1330 St.Greg.(Auch)115/620 : He bar þe douk over his hors teyl þat he groned as a bere.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1829 : He groneth lyk oure boor lith in oure sty.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)151a/a : The turtur.. haþ mynde of þe feleschipe þat is I-lost and groneþ alle away.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)1298 : Twa grete speris hafe þat tane, And gyrdis þe stedis to þay grane.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)149/95 : Þe gredy devyl xal grone grysly as a gryse.
- a1500 Bevis (Chet 8009)30/512 : They lay gronyng as an hound.
2.
To murmur, mutter; complain; gruchen and ~; ppl. as adj. groning, cooing or murmuring.
Associated quotations
- c1230 *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)29b : Ȝeoueð godd ower heorte i softnesse, i swetnesse, in alles cunnes meoknesse & softest eadmodnesse, nawt nu granin & peonsin.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.443 : What eyleth yow to grucche thus and grone? Is it for ye wolde haue my queynte allone?
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)151a/a : The turtur..warneþ of nouelte of tyme with gronynge [L querula] voys.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)214 : Gronyn, or grutchyn priuely, quod dicitur þe dyvelys pater noster: Mucio, musso, in mugio.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)195 : He gronnand [vr. gronyng] glad, grete God þanked.
- c1450 Swarte smekyd (Arun 292)9 : Þei gnauen and gnacchen, þei gronys togydere.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)35/409 : Se how she can grone, and I lig vnder.
3.
(a) To be or become sick; (b) to die.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7813 : King willam..bigan sone to grony & to febly..Vor trauail of þe voul asaut.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)6.260 : Ȝe han maunged ouer-moche, and þat maketh ȝow grone [C: be syke].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)9.270 : Some of my seruauns and my-selue boþe, Of alle a woke worchen nat, so oure wombe groneþ [B: aketh].
- c1450 Palladius (BodAdd A.369)12.255 : The plaunte in yeres two wol gynne grone [L aegra est] For seke, and peraventure he wol die.
b
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)766 : Or I be tane, Many of ȝour gestis sall grane [vr. gron].