Middle English Dictionary Entry
hamme n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | hamme n.(1) Also ham(e, homme, hambe, hem. Pl. hammes, haumis, hommes & hommen & hamme. |
| Etymology | OE ham back of the knee. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) That part of the human leg which is behind the knee; also, the hock of a quadruped [quot.: ?c1475]; with hammen ifalden, kneeling; (b) the back of the thigh generally; (c) specif.the hamstring.
Associated quotations
- a1200 Gloss.Sidonius (Dgb 172)28/21 : Poplites dicuntur hamme.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)65/15 : Seinte stefne..bed..wið hommen ifalden.
- c1300 SLeg.Cuth.(LdMisc 108)42 : Þe senewes in is hamme schronken; he ne miȝte þanne leg i-wielde.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)139 : Mes jaumbes sanz genois e karrez [glossed:] hammes [vr. hommen].
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)44 : Garet, Iambe, et la sure: Hamme, legge, and the calf.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.155 : Þe Pictes..fel ouer þe hammes into a wonder putfalle.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.369 : Hire hosen tilled to the hamme [vr. homme; Higd.(2): hommes; L poplites].
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)302/9 : Þer is oon veyne in a mannes hamme vndir his knee þat is good to be lete blood for passiouns of þe maris.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1541 : Þe stronge strok of þe stonde..cluchches his hommes.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)51a/a : Poples: an homme in mannes leg.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)19a/b : Þe more party [of nerves] passeþ bi þe hole of þe bone of þe þie & descendeþ to þe musclez of þe ham [*Ch.(2): hamme; L poplitis].
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)7263 : The sky gan falle..Men myght..wade A-mong the hors vp to the hamme.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.58/12 : She hadde kepte her bedde longe or by-cause her synewys of hammys were contract.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)3432 : In werre somtyme a wound had he, A mayme in the ham behind the kne.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)154/1 : Þis seke man..putt down his hand vnto his hambe, & he felid no hurte.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.64 : Þey were so feble..and wayke wexe in þe hammes.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)60a : A hame [Monson: an Hamme]: poplex hominum, suffragines animalium.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)40/24 : He..wer next his flesche an hard heyre and a breche syde to hys hommes of þe same.
- a1500 Vnto you (RwlPoet 36)25 : Whoso beholde youre knees so crokyd..youre hammys [vr. haumys] ben hokyd.
- ?a1500 Veynes þer be (SeldSup 73)77 : In the hammes A woman shall blede ffor stoppynge of her flawres at nede.
b
- a1450(a1415) Mirk Fest.(Cld A.2:Powell)40/83 : Þen anon he...cast away selke and sandel and wered nexte hys flessche an hard here and a broch syde to hys hommes of þe same.
c
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.161r : When they come to bataylle of God, the accusours hem iforkyt [L (William of Malmesbury [Stubbs, 230]): succiso poplite enervatur], the child hadde the mastrye.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: With reference to the example from Mirk in sense (b), see editor's note: "The MED definition of hamme n.(1) 'that part of the human leg which is behind the knee' is too narrow, cf. OED ham n. A I.1.b, 'the back of the thigh, the thigh and buttock collectively' (but first recorded 1552)."
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. ham.