Middle English Dictionary Entry
h n.
Entry Info
| Forms | h n. |
| Etymology |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The eighth letter in the alphabet; (b) used to designate the eighth article in a series, to mark silver, or to designate one of the squares on a chessboard; (c) as an abbreviation for a word beginning h-; specif. physiol., med., etc.: an abbreviation for 'hot,' i.e., dominated by the quality of heat.
Associated quotations
a
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.215rb : 'Ocus' with h- is trauale; 'ocus' without h- is wrong.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)295b/b : Þis name pigargus haþ non aspiracioun in þe firste sillable, and so it schal nouȝt be writen wiþ h, but some men writen Phigargus.
- a1425 *Tit.Alphabet (Tit D.18)9a : Alphabetum Anglicum: g, ge; h, uhe; i.
- c1425 in MLR 6442 : Summe writen. g.h. in summe wordis, whiche wordis ben writen of oþere with a yogh.
- c1425 *Wycl.Concord.(Roy 17.B.1)4b : As wher summe writen þese wordis Thyng & theef wiþ t.h. oþere vsen to writen þoo same wordis wiþ þis figure þ.
- c1425 *Wycl.Concord.(Roy 17.B.1)5a : Also summan writeþ sum word wiþ an h. which saame word anoþer man writiþ wiþouten an h. As is of þe englisch word which þis latyn word heres signyfieþ which terme summe writen wiþ h. þus here & summe þus eir wiþouten h.
- (1433) ?Phillip Serm.GF (BodLTh d.1)253 : 8a littera est J. quia h. non est littera.
- c1450 ABCArist.(Lamb 853)p.261 : H, to hasti ne to hardi, ne to heuy in þine herte.
b
- (1421) in Hist.Essays Tait211 : Inventarium librorum..H. [The Landmaylboke.]
- (1442) Invent.Gild in PSAL ser.2.5123 : A dossen spones of sylver markyd with an 'h'.
- a1475 Chess(1) (Porter)604 : Chec fro H into G.
- c1475 Chess(2) (Ashm 344)606 : Draw first thi kyng in A..then in E. in F. in G. in H.
c
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)189b/a : Terbentina is a gumme of arabie h. & d.