Middle English Dictionary Entry
hakken v.
Entry Info
| Forms | hakken v. Also hack(e, hakki, hak(e, hac, acken, (?error) hacche(n. Forms: p. hakked, etc. & hakt; ppl. i)hakked. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. tōhaccian. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To cut (sth.) with chopping blows, hack; ~ awei (doun, of), chop (sth.) away (down, off); ~ to grounde, chop (sth.) to the ground; ~ and heuen; (b) to make chopping blows; (c) to strike (strokes) with chopping blows.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)139 : A maiden bad te kinge his heued, and he hit bad of acken.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)154/26 : Schrift schent þen deouel, hackeð of his heaued.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)154/5,7 : Iudith..sloh oloferne..Ha hackede of his heaued..þenne is þe feond ischend hwen me schaweð alle hise cweadscipes; his heaued is ihacket of.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)21/456 : Hak awai þe grete bouȝ, Þat hit ne do min ympe no wouȝ.
- c1375(?c1280) SLeg.Advent,etc.(Eg 1993)103/968 : Þe schipes þat e founde, To douste he let hem brenne anon, oþer hakke to grounde.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2865 : Leet anoon comaunde to hakke and hewe The okes olde.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)653 : Þe burias bad..hak oway þe grete bogh.
- (1433) RParl.4.458a : The Commons of the Forest of Galtres..pulled, brak, and hakked doun a pale of the said Abbey in Bouthom.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1121 : [They] Hacchen [vrr. hewe(n)] vpon hard steel with an herty wylle.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)69a/b : If þu haue in ony of þese woundis a senewe þat is schortid or hackid so þat it be not kutt al atwo, þanne, as Galien seiþ, it is þe more greuous.
b
- a1325(c1300) Songs Langtoft (Cmb Gg.1.1)p.323 : It falles in his eghe, That hackes ovre heghe.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)512 : Þo þat hulden hem on fote hakken þorw scholdres.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1381 : Whan that the stordy ook, On which men hakketh ofte..Receyved hath the happy fallyng strook.
c
- c1500 The shype ax (Ashm 61)239 : Smale strokes late us hake.
2.
To cut up (sth.) with repeated blows, chop into small pieces, mince; ~ smal, ~ to (in) gobettes, ~ to peces, etc.
Associated quotations
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2982 : To smale peces ichim wolde hakky alone.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4422 : Þer as is vncle ded lay, is foule caroyne he broȝte, & riȝt þer bi pecemele hakked [B: hacked, hackede] it al to noȝte.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)p.105 : Tak flesch of capons or of hennys and hac yt smale.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.41 : Hire moder..fil..vppon þe man sleer while he sleep, and hakked hym al to gobettes.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.9 : After his deth his herte was i-hakked [vr. y-hakket] to smal gobettes.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)12/34 : Hakke þam small wiþ a sharp knyf on a clene borde.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)204/27 : I thanke þe..þat þu woldist ben hakkyd as smal as flesche to þe potte for her lofe.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.652 : Hacked leek or tendir chesis Let fede hem with.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)13 : Take Vele..and hakke it to gobettys.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)18 : Take Conyngys..& hakke hem in gobettys.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)23 : Take Oynonys, hakke hem, an frye hem in Oyle.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)32 : Putte þer-to Percely, Sawge leuys, Sauerey, noȝt to smal hakkyd.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)55 : Take..Porke y-soþe, & smale y-hackyd.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)76 : Take faire yonge beef And suet..and hak all this on a borde small.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)84/220 : Take clene flex..and hake it small.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)198 : Recipe. clene hay..hakke hyt smale as oten mele.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)243 : He smote of her hede, and hacked her body all to peces as she laye naked.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking in Studia Neoph.16 (Hrl 2340)11 : Hacke his mete, and vse hym euer to hackynge.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.27 : Take onyons and hew hom wele..And hacke mo onyons, as I þe kenne.
3.
(a) To break (a musical note) into a number of smaller notes; -- used jocularly [2nd quot.]; (b) ~ togeder, of the teeth: to chomp together, chatter.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450 As I went on Yole (Sln 2593)p.309 : Jankyn crakit notes, an hunderid on a knot, And yyt he hakkyt hem smallere than wortes to the pot.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)131/476 : Will ye here how thay hak? oure syre, lyst, croyne..hard I neuer none crak so clere out of toyne.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)137/657 : Say, what was his song? hard ye not how he crakyd it? Thre brefes to a long..yee, mary, he hakt it.
b
- a1450 Castle Love(1) (BodAdd B.107:Horst.)1640 : Ther shull the synfull quake And here tethe togedur hacke and shake.
4.
In phrases: ~ after, to keep working away at (sth.); ~ upon, keep dwelling upon (a thought); ben hakkande, be troublesome.
Associated quotations
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)34.15 : I sothlike, whils þai to me ware Hackande [L molesti essent], haire cled I þare.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)54.3 : In wrath to me hakand [vr. hackand] war þai [L molesti erant].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.399 : I wil nouȝt be reuled..with spiritus iusticie..for þat is my kynde; And nouȝte hakke [C: to hacke] after holynesse; holde þi tonge, conscience!
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)929 : Vp-on þis woful thoght I hakke & hewe, And muse so, that vn-to lite I madde.
5.
(a) In cpds.: ~ chip, a hatchet; ~ hamer, ?a hammer with a sharp edge for cutting; ~ stok, a chopping block; (b) in surnames.
Associated quotations
a
- (1377-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103586 : 2 Soudyngirns, 1 file, 1 hakhamer, 1 eche, 1 ladell de ferro pro offic. Plumbar.
- (1411) in Rec.B.Nottingham 286 : j hacstok, j d.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)220 : Hachet, or hakchyp: Securicula.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)50/69 : Here is a good hackstock; on this yow maye hew and knock.
b
- (1176) in Pipe R.Soc.2527 : Gervasius Hakesalt.
- (1202) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.1594 : Hugo Hakepetit.
- (1212) CRR(2) 6336 : Ernald Hacchesmal.
- (1230) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.412 : Johannes Hackewude.
- (1263) Pat.R.Hen.III248 : Walter Hakelitil.
- (1277) Close R.Edw.I405 : Ralph Hackebon.
- (1296-7) Acc.Cornw.in RHS ser.3.6615 : Rogero Hackesalt.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 219 : Thoma Hacsmal.
- (1304) Close R.Edw.I121 : John Hackeflesh.
- (1313) Sub.R.Bristol(1) in BGAS 19229 : Simon Hakkespone.
- (1313) Sub.R.Bristol(1) in BGAS 19237 : Simon Hakspone.
- (1327) Sub.R.Lei.in AASRP 19.2279 : Ricardus Hacksmal.
- (1327) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 7247 : Adam Hackefot.
- (1333) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 10105 : Wm. Hacwode.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.206 : It were betere to seyn Godis offys…withoutyn note þan to seyn it be note & hackyn þe wordis and þe silablis.
Note: New gloss