Middle English Dictionary Entry
hā̆lī̆-dai, hālī dai n. & phr.
Entry Info
| Forms | hā̆lī̆-dai, hālī dai n. & phr. Also -dei, -di, -daiȝ, haldai, hallidai, alidai, haledai, haliȝ daȝ, halȝæ dæȝ & holidai, holi dai, hole dai, wolidai & heledai, heli-. Gen. pl. (early) hālīdahne, hēlīdawene. |
| Etymology | OE hālig dæg, hālig-dæg phr. & n. Some forms show influence of ME hēle n.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A Christian festival, a day consecrated to religious observances, a day of rest; any holy day, including Sunday; (b) any Hebrew holy day, including Saturday; (c) fig. a day sacred to Cupid, a vacation, a period of spiritual rest, etc.; (d) breken ~, to fail to keep a holy day; holden (halwen, kepen, witen) ~, make proper observance of a festival or holy day.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)78/3 : Aræreð eowre heorte to ðam heofenlice Gode mid soðe ileafe for ðisse halȝæ dæȝe.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)14/7 : Ȝef hit is werc dei, falleð to þer eorðe; ȝef hit is halidei, buhinde sumdeal duneward.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)10/27 : Vor vhtsong ine werkedawes heihte & twenti pater nosteres; ine helidawes forti.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)297 : Twelf ȝwite Miches men brynguth us eche day to ore mete, Ate feste of eche hali-daye, and ȝwan it sonen-day is.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3309 : To the parissh chirche..This goode wyf wente on an haliday.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7058 : This lusti folk..waite upon the haliday.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.12 : Spariþ not ȝoure fyngris But ȝif it be holy day [vrr. halyday, halday] oþer holy euen.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.415 : Vch day is haliday with hym [the slothful] or an heigh ferye.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)166 : Bot war be wel..þy wedez ben clene And honest for þe halyday.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)9 : I herde on a halyday at a hyȝe masse, [etc.].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1049 : Er þe halidayez holly were halet out of toun.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)145/216 : Yf it be right þat we for pray..on þis high haly-day.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)p.265 : The secunde poynt..That the mason worche apon the werkday..To deserue hys huyre for the halyday.
- ?c1430 Wycl.PPPriests (Corp-C 296)280 : Þat chepynge, & namely feiris, be not vsed on þe halidaies, & algatis on þe sunday & in holy chirche.
- a1450(?1404) As þe see (Dgb 102)122 : Now holiday is turned to glotonye.
- a1450 Pride Life (ChrC-Dub)341 : Lou is nou al lecuri..Halliday is glotuni.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)35 : Ther is game noon That fro my bokes maketh me to goon But yt be seldom on the holyday [vrr. haly day, haliday].
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)203 : Aske the banns thre halydawes.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.47/12 : To worschip & serue gode in the qwer of Somerby kirke on heledays.
- (1462) Doc.in HBS 2558 : Yff that yt be wolyday or dowbull Feste the sayd dekyn schalbe rectur in ye quer.
- (1462) Doc.in HBS 2559 : He schall hyng Forthe the vykars banar on the churche woly day.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)634/3 : Euiri soneday, & euiri holiday..continuel seruice.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)130/14 : Crist translatid..þe oold sabot daie of Jewis..þat is to seie, satirdaie, into þe newe sabot or newe halidaie of cristen men, þat is to seie, þe sundaie.
- a1500 Gifte hys (StJ-C B.15)12 : Wyth is trechery, & loue is lecherye; & pley turnyt to vylanye, & holyday to glotonye [L et gula festa dies].
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)35/32 : Amorrow, aftyr the holy day, thay went..to..Watyrford.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4350 : Saterrdaȝȝ wass haliȝ daȝȝ O þatt Judisskenn wise.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.16.23 : Þe rest of the halyday [vr. holy day; WB(2): sabot] is halowid to þe lord.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.35.2 : Sex days þou schal do werk; þe seuenþ day schall be to ȝou holy, a holyday & þe rest of þi lord.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.23.24 : Þe seuenþe monþe þe ferst day of þe monþe shal be to ȝow an haly day memorial with sounynge trompys, & hit shal be cleped holy.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11929 : Bitid apon a halidai [Ld: holiday] þat þai cald sabat in þair lai [etc.].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12276 : Iesus went him for to plai Wit childir on an halidai.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)37/13,14 : Þe holy day is made for man & nouȝt man for þe holy day.
c
- c1430(c1395) Chaucer LGW Prol.(2) (Benson-Robinson)410 : He made..many an ympne for your [Cupid's] halydayes, That highten balades, roundeles, vyrelayes.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.176 : Necessite nath neuere halyday.
- c1440 C.d'Orl.For the reward (Paris fr.25458)p.221 : Whenne he hath be sumewat strangere, To hym ys holyday and fest.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)308 : We kepen in alle oure werkis a perpetual spiritual sabot..and so it muste nedis folewe þat, bi keping of þis circumstaunce, we maken a goostly sabot or a goostly holiday.
d
- a1300 Þu schald o (Add 25031)p.142 : Þu schald þyne hali dey wyten.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.20.8 : Haue mynde þat þou halow þe halyday; sex days þou schalt wirche.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.23.32 : Ȝe shal halwe ȝoure halydayȝes [vr. holi dayes].
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)802 : The þryd commaundement yn oure lay ys 'holde weyl þyn halyday'.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6473 : Hald þou wel þin halidai.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11992 : Iosep, ne seis þou..Hu iesus brickes vr halidai [Göt: halidi]?
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)8.22 : Þei helde nouȝt here haly [vr. holy] dayes as holy chirche techiþ.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)14/26 : Who þat brekeþ þe halyday þat was y-cleped þe sabat schulde be ded; & who þat brekeþ spoushod, oþer man, oþer womman, schulde be ded.
- a1425 Form Conf.(1) (Add 37787)98 : I haue not holden my haly dayes as I shulde do.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)6/146 : In clannes kepe ȝoure haleday.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)107/92 : Bot ȝif ȝe kepyn þis holeday Fro Setterday at non..Into þe furst our of Monday..I schal curse ȝoue.
- a1450(?1348) Rolle FLiving (Cmb Dd.5.64)98/56 : Þe synnes of dede er þir: glotony, letchery..brekyn[g] of the haly dayes.
- a1450(?1404) As þe see (Dgb 102)121 : Sumtyme men halwed the holyday.
- a1452 Þy lord (Sal 126)p.214 : Hoolt wel þyn alyday.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)54/100 : The iijde comaundment..doth bydde the halwe well þin haly day.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)55/111 : Thyn halyday þou kepyst not clene.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)59b : To hald haliday: Celebrare, festare, festinare, sabatizare, solempnizare.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)45/22 : Þou shalt profite much, if þou kepe holiday & rest from euery temporal cure.
2.
In cpds. & combs.: ~ tol, a toll for dispensation from the rule against working (?or traveling) on a holy day; ~ weden, festive garments; ~ werker, one who works on a holy day; ~ werking (chaffaring), working (trading of goods) on a holy day; hali-daies even, the eve or vigil of a holy day.
Associated quotations
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)155/16 : Dauið schrudde hire mid halidahne [Nero: heli-dawene; a1400 Recl.: haliday] weden.
- (1250) Rec.Norwich 2319 : Decani istius ciuitatis capiunt halydeytol in pistrinis et pluribus aliis modis.
- (c1275) Hundred R.Tower 1461 : Episcopus Norwic' facit purpresturas super dominum Regem eo quod sine waranto capit toloneum, quod vocatur Halday tol, et pro eo usualiter distringit in via regia.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)52b/a : Profestus: halydayeseuen.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)136/10 : Comoun strumpettys, hasardourys, & such oþere, & halyday-werkerys.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)196/9 : Þou þat hast getyn good be haly-day werkyng, haly-day chaffaryng.
3.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1178) in Pipe R.Soc.2759 : Ricardo Halidai.
- (1188) in Pipe R.Soc.38198 : Suein Halidai.
- (1207) Fine R.King John404 : Walterus Halidai.
- (1251) Cart.Ramsey in RS 79.1317 : Benedictus Præpositus, dictus Haliday.
- 1269 Close R.Hen.III110 : Thomas Haliday.