Middle English Dictionary Entry

hā̆ven v.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms hā̆ven v. Also have, ave(n, haf(e(n, haffe, haif, haw(e(n, (early) hafven, hafa, (late) ihave, (error) hove & habbe(n, abbe(n, habe(n, h)ab, (early) habban, habbæn, habbeon, ȝehabban, hebbe, hæbbe(n & han, an, hanne, ha, a, hai & halven, half(e; neg. nave, nabbe(n, næbbe. Forms: sg. 1 hā̆ve, etc. & hā̆s; neg. nā̆ve, nā̆f(e, nabbe; sg. 2 h)ā̆vest, h)ā̆fest, hā̆ves, hā̆vez, hafs, (early) hafast, hafust, hævest, hafvest, hæfvest, hafst & habbes, habbez & h)ā̆st, haist, hē̆st, hā̆s(e, ā̆s, hasse, hā̆tz & (early) hæhvest; neg. nā̆vest, nafst, nefst, nā̆st; sg. 3 h)ā̆veth, hā̆ved, h)ā̆vet, h)ā̆feth, hā̆veht, h)ā̆ves, hā̆vez, hafs, (early) hā̆fað, hafæð, hæveð, hæfeð, hæfed, hæfet, hæfveð, hæfæð, hafð, hafd, hefð, hæfð, hæfd, hafh & habbes, habbez & h)ā̆th, hā̆d, haith, haeth, hā̆t, hē̆th, hē̆t, haght, haȝt, haȝth, hā̆s(e, ā̆s, hasse, haes, hā̆tz & (?errors) hatȝ, haȝ, heȝ; neg. nā̆veth, nā̆feth, nā̆ved, nā̆vet & (early) nafæð, nafð, næfð, nā̆bit; pl. (including impv.) hā̆v(e(n, hā̆f(e(n, haffe, hā̆veth, hā̆ves, hā̆fez & habben, haben, h)abbeth, habeth, h)abbet, habbez, (early) habbaþ, habbæð, habbeoð & h)ā̆n, hā̆, a, hā̆th, haght, haht, hā̆s(e, ā̆s, hais, hā̆tz, (errors) hathes, hases & half(e, helveþ; neg. nā̆ve, nabbe, nabbeth, nabbed, nabbet, (early) nabbæð, nabbeoð, næbbæð; ppl. hā̆ving(e, etc. & (pl.) awends; p. h)ā̆ved(e, hevede, (early) hafede, hafvede, hefede, hefvede, hævede, hæfede, hæfvede, heovede & havde, hafd(e, afde, (early) h)efde, hæfde, h)eafde, heofde, hafte, hefte & h)adde, hā̆d(e, ad, haid(e, hedde, hē̆d(e, (early) hædde & (early) hehde, hæhde, hæhvede; neg. nadde, nā̆d(e, nhadde, nedde, (early) nevede, nefede, nævede, nafde, nefde, næfde, neafde; sg. 2 haddest, etc. & hā̆des, hā̆dez, (early) hafdis; neg. naddest, etc.; ppl. i)hā̆ved, ā̆ved, ihā̆vet, h)ihafd, ihē̆ved & i)hā̆d, i)hadde, jhā̆d, hā̆de, i)hē̆d, ihē̆t, (early) ihæd. Contractions: inf. tave (= to have), tan, ta, taben (= to have ben), taclipsed, tadaued, tadwelled, tafalle, talived, hant (= han it); sg. 1 ichave, ichabbe, ic(h)chabbe, havi, habbich; neg. inabbe, navi, nabbi, nab(b)ich; sg. 2 havestu, hastou; neg. navestu, nevestu, nastou; pl. yave (= ye have), houwe (?= have we), havt (= have it); p. hefdich, haddich, had(d)estou, haddestu; neg. neddi, nefdich, nadestou, nede (= ne hadde he), nadda (= ne hadde heo).
Etymology OE ge)habban; sg. 2 hafast (Nhb. hæfes, WS hæfst); sg. 3 hafaþ (Nhb. hæfes, WS hæfþ); pl. habbaþ (Nhb. habbas); p. hæfde (Merc. hefde); ppl. hæfd (Merc. hefd); neg. næfst, næfeþ, nabbaþ, næfde, etc. Forms with -lf-, -lv-are reverse spellings which reflect the weakened pronunciation of l before the labiodental; cp. haf, var. of half, etc. Forms like hehde, hæhvede in Layamon show an orthographic substitution of h for f; later forms haght, haht, haȝt, etc., are also orthographic. Past forms in present conditional or subjunctive senses appear in the 12th century, become frequent in the 14th.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1a.
(a) To possess (sth.), own; nadda non, she had none; we havt, we have it; ppl. havand, wealthy; (b) to possess (land, an estate or inheritance, a city, town, manor, etc.); -- also used fig.; (c) to rule (a kingdom or part of a kingdom); (d) to inhabit (a country, house, temple, etc.); (e) ~ in (on, an) hond, ~ in governaunce (governinge, possessioun, weldinge), ~ on anwald (anwealdnesse, weld, aughte, baillie), to have (sth.) in (one's) possession or under (one's) control; -- with or without gen. denoting possessor; ~ in heritage, possess (land) by hereditary right; ~ in havendes (awends), have (sth.) in (one's) possession or keeping; (f) in legal phrases: to ~ and to holden, to possess and retain possession; to ~ and to holden to, to be had and retained by (sb.); for to ~ to, to be possessed by (sb.); to ~ and enjoien (rejoicen), to ~ usen and holden, etc.; (g) in proverbs: ppl. havande, wealth.
Show 94 Quotations
1b.
(a) To have (sb. or sth. somewhere); have (sth. in a position or direction); ~ mid, have (sb.) with (one); ~ to (til) hond, have (sth.) at hand; (b) to have (sth. in a book or document).
Show 24 Quotations
1c.
With object and infinitive: to possess (sth. together with the capacity to do sth. with it); ~ to yeven, have (sth.) to give, etc.; -- also with obj. unexpressed.
Show 8 Quotations
1d.
(a) To have (sb. or sth. in a state or condition); ~ in blis, have (sb.) in bliss; ~ in custume (usage, wone), be in the habit of (doing sth.), be accustomed (to do sth.), do (sth.) habitually; ~ in doute, fear or dread (sth.); ~ in meditacioun, meditate upon (sth.); ~ in mouth, have (sth.) in one's speech, talk about (sb. or sth.); ~ in propre, have personal possessions; ~ in worshipe, worship (God); ~ on use, be accustomed to say (a word); (b) ~ in (on) hond, ~ in ward, ~ under cure, to have charge of (sb. or sth.); (c) ~ in (on) hond, to be concerned with (sb. or sth.), be busy about, pay attention to.
Show 25 Quotations
2.
(a) Of living things: to be provided with (a part, an organ); have (a part or an organ of a certain kind); have (a soul, body); have (a growth on some part of the body); (b) in fig. phrases: ~ herte, to have the heart (to do sth.), bear (to do sth.); have a desire (to do sth.); ~ on herte, be in agreement, be of one mind; ~ gret (hol, mannes, reuful) herte; ~ tonge, be able to speak; have a tongue (able to say sth.); ~ eie, ~ fot, ~ hond; -- also in prov.; (c) to wear (clothing, armor); ~ on (upon), have on (a garment, etc.); ~ on hond, wear (a ring) on one's hand; (d) of a house, wagon, city, coin, etc: to be furnished with (sth.); of a country: have (rivers); of a pot: contain (sth.); of a roast goose: be accompanied by (wine); of a Gospel passage: be provided with (an exposition).
Show 83 Quotations
3.
(a) To have (sb.) under one, exercise authority over (sb.); have (a servant, slave, attendant, soldier, subordinate); command (an army or part of an army); ~ and holden, ~ under; (b) to have (sb.) in custody; hold (a prisoner); of devils: have power over (sb.); of disease: grip (sb.); ~ on hond; (c) to have (sb. in a certain relationship); have (a debtor, friend, physician, king, comrade, teacher, an enemy, etc.); have (God, the Holy Ghost, a god); ~ to ifere, have (sb.) as a companion; ~ to maister, have (sb.) as a teacher; (d) to have (a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife, etc.); ~ to doughter, have (sb.) for a daughter; ~ to quene, ~ to sone; ~ to (unto) wif, be married to (a woman); (e) ~ evening (felaue, per), to have an equal; (f) ~ on fore-ward, refl. to be bound by an agreement.
Show 100 Quotations
4a.
To have (an abstraction): (a) to enjoy (a right or privilege), have (the right to possess sth.); have (power, jurisdiction, authority); hold (an office); have (leave or license to do sth.); ~ titel, have a just claim to something; (b) ~ name (note), to have a name; also, have a (certain kind of) reputation; (c) ~ charge (cure, hed, ward), to have charge (of sth.); ~ correccioun, have power to punish or discipline; (d) to have (witness, testimony, evidence, proof, an example); (e) to have (a law, commandment); be bound by (an oath); have (an agreement with sb.); havinge a vou on hem, being under a vow; (f) to have (time, a certain amount of time, enough time, a short time); ~ time, ~ space, ~ while; ~ tom (leiser), have leisure; ~ houre, have a fixed time; ~ time and stede, have an appropriate time and place; (g) ~ cure, of a disease: to have a cure or treatment; ~ hevi cariage, of a cart: be hard to pull; ~ place, of a medicine: have a proper time to be used; ~ times, of a disease: have stages; (h) ~ part in (on), ~ ani thing in, to have power over (sb. or sth.); ~ part (parti) of, have anything to do with (sb. or sth.).
Show 90 Quotations
4b.
To be in a state or condition: (a) to have (happiness, freedom, honor, salvation, grief, hardship, need, strife, etc.); ~ scarsete, be scarce; ~ respect to, be connected with, have a relationship to; (b) to have (a disease, vermin), suffer (pain, harm, a blow, a wound); be possessed by (devils); of a gem: have (a blemish); ~ cold, be cold; (c) to have (cause or reason), have (reason to do sth.); have (a complaint or grievance against sb.); (d) ~ nede of (to), to need (sth.); ~ nede that, need or require that (sth. be or happen); (e) ~ nede, to be needy, be in want; (f) ~ nede, to need (to do sth.); be under compulsion, be in trouble, need help; (g) ~ inough, to have enough, call it quits; with inf.: be barely able (to do sth.); ~ inough to don (beren, turnen); (h) what hast thou, what is the matter with you?
Show 98 Quotations
4c.
To possess a quality or attribute: (a) to have (a nature, quality, characteristic, etc.); ~ kinde, have the nature (of sth.); ~ token, have a characteristic; ~ tokeninge (bitokninge), have a significance; ~ wit, have intelligence; ~ minde, ~ wille, etc.; (b) to be endowed with (a physical quality); have (beauty, size, brightness, heat, a color, taste, voice, etc.); (c) to have (a function, power, etc.); ~ lif, have life, be alive; ~ sight, be able to see; ~ strengthe, have strength; also, have a medicinal property; (d) to have (a moral or spiritual quality); have (a virtue, vice); have (a certain kind of manners or bearing); ~ sinne (gilt), have sin (guilt), be sinful (guilty); (e) to show (a quality); ~ merci of (on, upon, to), ~ milce of, ~ ore of, ~ pite of (on, upon), ~ reuth of (on), show mercy to (sb. or sth.), take pity on; ta merci, to have mercy; (f) to be of (a certain age), be (a certain number of years old); ~ fifti yer, be fifty years old; ~ age, be of age; ~ non age, be too young; (g) ~ right, to be right, be in the right; ~ wrong (unright, wough), be wrong, be in the wrong, be mistaken; (h) ~ English, to have the ability to express (sth.) in English.
Show 126 Quotations
4d.
To have (an emotion, idea, etc.), have (sth.) in the mind or heart: (a) to experience (a feeling, fear, pleasure, wonder, joy, etc.); have (will, desire, envy, etc.); ~ pite, feel pity; (b) to have (an idea, a thought), have (knowledge, etc.); know (a name, terms, that sth. will happen); nede (=ne hadde he), he had nothing, he knew of nothing [quot.: a1325]; (c) ~ minde, to remember (sth.), consider; ~ remembraunce, remember (to do sth.); ~ iminde of, have interest in (sth.); ~ minde of (on, upon), ~ minning o, remember (sb. or sth.); be mindful of, consider; ~ remembraunce of, remember (sth.); (d) ~ reward to (unto, at), ~ biholding to, ~ resport to, ~ ward o, to take thought of (sth.), have regard for; (e) ~ in herte (wit), to feel (sth.) in the heart (mind); ~ in minde, ~ on herte, intend or desire (sth.) in the mind (heart); ~ in knouleche, know (sth.); ~ in wille, intend (to do sth.).
Show 85 Quotations
5a.
(a) To hold (sth.), keep, grasp; retain (one's food); ~ in (on), hold (sth.) in (one's mouth, one's hand or hands); ~ on, keep (sth.) on (one's person); ~ abouten, ~ bi the throte, ~ mid; (b) to keep (an idea, emotion, a memory) in (one's mind, heart), have (sb.) in (one's mind or heart), remember (sb. or sth.); ~ in minde (herte, thank, thought); ~ in memorie, remember (sb. or sth.); (c) to have (a habit or custom), follow (a practice); (d) to preserve (sb. or sth.), save; keep (life, limbs); protect (sb. from sth.); God have you, God keep you, etc.; ~ and holden; (e) refl. to maintain oneself, conduct oneself, behave; of the stomach: behave, react; (f) ~ pes, to hold (one's) peace, be silent.
Show 75 Quotations
5b.
(a) To keep (sb. or sth. in a place); fig. ~ with him, have (sth.) in his favor; (b) to keep (sb. or sth. in a state or condition); ~ redi (yare), keep (sb. or sth.) in readiness; ~ clene, keep (one's body) clean; (c) to direct (sth.), incline; ~ on, keep (one's thoughts) on (sb.), have (one's heart) in (an activity); ~ to (til), keep (one's eye) on (sth.), incline (one's heart) to (sb.), fix (one's hope) on (sth.); ~ toward, direct (the eye) toward (sth.); ~ upwardes, direct (one's eyes) upwards.
Show 25 Quotations
6a.
(a) To regard (sb. or sth. in a certain way), consider; ~ dere, hold (sb. or sth.) dear, regard highly; ~ suspect, suspect (sb.); (b) ~ excused, to excuse (sb.), forgive, pardon; (c) ~ in, to hold (sb. or sth.) in (a certain estimation); ~ in hate, hate (sb.); ~ in suspect, be suspicious of (sth.); -- with noun; ~ as for nought, regard (sb.) as nothing, hold in contempt; ~ on imis, take (sth.) amiss, misunderstand; ~ to hate, hate (sb.); ~ to hosp, blaspheme (the Holy Ghost); ~ as, regard (sb. or sth.) as; -- with noun or adj.; ~ for, regard (sb.) as; -- with adj.
Show 45 Quotations
6b.
In expressions of comparison or preference: (a) ~ as lef..as, would as willingly have (sth.) as (sth. else); would as soon (be or suffer sth.) as (do, be, or suffer sth. else); ~ as lef, would be as well pleased (if sb. did sth.); -- with noun, inf., or clause; (b) ~ lever..than, would rather have (sb. or sth.) than (sth.else); would rather have (sth.) than (be, have, or suffer sth.); -- also refl.; (c) ~ lever..than, would rather (do or suffer sth.) than (sth. else); ~ lever, would rather (do, have, or suffer sth.), would prefer; -- also refl.; (d) ~ lever..than, would rather (that sth. happened or were true) than (sth.); (e) ~ levest, would most prefer; -- with inf.; (f) ~ rather, would prefer (to do or have sth., that sth. should happen), would rather have (done sth.); -- with inf., ppl., or clause.
Show 40 Quotations
7a.
(a) To obtain (sth.), take, get, receive; ~ up, have all of (sth.); hant, have it; [see also onyen ~]; (b) to capture (a city, castle), conquer (territory, a country); (c) to get (sth. to eat or drink); also, eat or drink (sth.); ~ to drinken, ~ at eten; (d) to obtain (a wind, a smell, hell, heaven, rain, a maidenhead, etc.); ~ eft banke, regain the bank; ~ the feld, be victorious; ~ the tour of London, be sent to the Tower.
Show 62 Quotations
7b.
(a) To receive (a freed prisoner); rescue (a prisoner); bring (sb.) in for questioning; (b) to have (a woman) as wife or mistress; ~ to (in, a) bed, marry (a woman), have intercourse with (a woman); ~ and holden; also, to have (a man) as husband; (c) ~ to (unto, as, for), to accept or receive (sb.) as (one's king, lord, superior); take (sb.) as (a witness, companion, wife); ~ and holden; -- also refl.; (d) to have (a child); give birth to (a child); beget (a child, an heir); ~ upon, beget (a child) on (a woman).
Show 62 Quotations
7c.
To get (an abstraction); be the recipient of (an action): (a) to obtain (help, peace, mercy, favor, victory, etc.); receive (an answer); get (one's will), get (leave, permission); ~ sight, see (sb.), catch sight of (sth.); houwe, ?have we, ?may we have; -- also refl.; (b) to receive (harm, sorrow, punishment, a curse, etc.); ~ deth, die; ~ vengaunce, be punished by an avenger; ~ while, have a time of punishment; (c) to learn (sth.), find out, discover; comprehend (sth.), understand; (d) to receive (a blow, wound); have that, take that!; (e) to have (a beginning, an end, an origin); have (an ending of a certain kind); (f) in proverbs.
Show 88 Quotations
7d.
In phrases, etc.: (a) ~ the bettre (ende, ~ the heigher (over) hond, ~ the bataille, to get the upper hand, be victorious, gain supremacy; ~ the bettre of, ~ heigher hond of, get the better of (sb.), overcome; ~ the wors (ende, ~ the worst, be overcome, be defeated; (b) ~ god dai, good-bye [see god dai]; (c) ~ her mi feith (hond, trouth), ~ herof mi herte blod, etc., I give you my word, etc.; (d) the devel (fend) have, the Devil take (sb. or sth.); Crist (God, our Lord) have, may Christ (God, our Lord) receive (someone's soul); (e) what woldest thou ~, what do you want?
Show 46 Quotations
8.
(a) To pick up (sth.), take; (b) ~ awei, to take (sb. or sth.) away, drive away (an ache); ~ doun, knock or drag (sb.) to the ground; ~ in, bring in (hay), ?get in a stock of groceries; ~ of, take off (a helmet); ~ out, take (sb.) out of a place, remove (sth.), drive (sb.) out; ~ up, lift (sth.) up, hoist (a sail); ~ forth, ~ her, ~ hom, ~ thider, ~ togeder; (c) ~ at, to put (sth.) beside (sth.); ~ awei from, remove (sth.) from (sb.); ~ fro, take (sb.) from (sb.), remove (the head) from (the shoulders); ~ in, put (sb.) in (prison); ~ into, bring (sb.) into (a place); ~ into place, put (sth.) in place; ben had into, of a number: multiply (another number); ~ of, bring (sth.) from (a place); ~ out of, bring or carry (sb. or sth.) out of (a place); ben had out of place, be displaced; ~ over, put (sth.) over (sth.) as a cover; ~ to, bring or send (sb. or sth.) to (a person or place), invite (sb.) to (a meal, a feast); ~ to ground, topple (sth.) to the ground; ~ unto, ~ up to, bring (sb. or sth.) to (a place); (d) ~ mid (with), to take (sb. or sth.) with (one); ~ on, take (sth.) on (a journey).
Show 62 Quotations
9.
(a) To have or take (action); ~ craft, practice a trade; ~ daunce, dance; ~ langage (speche), speak, talk; ~ mong, mingle; ~ mot, meet; ~ plaie, play; ~ wordes, speak words; etc.; (b) ~ to don, ~ at do, ~ ado, to have something to do, have business, be busy, be concerned; ~ nought to don, have nothing to do, have no business or concern; ~ to don (ado) with, have to do with (sth.), be concerned with, have dealings with (sb.); ~ nought to don of (with), ~ not to don of, ~ nothing at do of, have nothing to do with; (c) ~ to don, to do battle, fight; ~ ado with, fight with (sb.); (d) ~ to don mid (with), ~ at do (ado) with, to have intercourse with (a woman); (e) ~ in commaundement, to be commanded; ~ in examinacioun, question (sb.); ~ in oth, swear by (sth.); ~ in sight, see (sth.); ~ in speche, talk about (sth.); (f) in commands and exclamations: ~ at, to shoot at (sth.), strike at, attack; also, strike, attack, go to it; ~ at the (you), let me at you, here goes, let us fight; (g) ~ don, to finish; ?also, do away with (sb.); ~ don with, be finished with (sth.); in commands: finish; also, hurry, get on with it!
Show 89 Quotations
10.
(a) To cause (sth.) to be (done), have (sth. done); have (sb. do sth.); -- usually with p.ppl.; -- also with inf. or clause; (b) to get (sb. or sth. into a state or condition); ~ ded, have (sb.) dead, kill; ~ iler, get (streets) cleared; (c) to cause (sb.) to be (somewhere, in a place or position, with sb.); -- also refl.; (d) to make (sth.), provide; have (sth.) made; (e) to allow (sth.), permit; (f) to suppose (sth.), assume.
Show 31 Quotations
11.
(a) To have (sth. in order to do sth. with it); have (sb. or sth. to look after or attend to), have (sth. to say or write), have (a field to plow), etc.; (b) to be under obligation (to do sth.), have (to do sth.); ~ to don, ~ to gon, etc.; ~ to don of (with), be under the necessity of dealing with (sb.); (c) to have occasion (to do sth.).
Show 39 Quotations
12a.
Finite verb as auxiliary: (a) immediately after p.ppl.; (b) after p.ppl. & separated from it by subject; (c) immediately before p.ppl.; yave graunted, you have granted; (d) before p.ppl. & separated from it by subject (or subject & other elements of the clause); havi, I have; hefdich, had I, if I had; haddich, I would have; nabbich, I have not; nefdich, had I not; hastou, havestu, hast thou, thou hast; haddestou, haddest thou; (e) before p.ppl. & separated from it by an object or objects (or object & other elements of the clause); (f) before p.ppl. & separated from it by adverb(s or adv. phrases.
Show 155 Quotations
12b.
Finite verb with ppl. ben or haved: (a) ~ ben, have existed, have been; -- often with neg.; (b) with adv., complement, or another ppl.; hath ben thus, has been thus; han ben taken, have been taken; hath ben had, has been had; etc.; (c) ~ haved, have had (sth.); -- in various senses.
Show 53 Quotations
12c.
Infinitive as auxiliary or quasi-aux.: (a) to- or forto-inf. with p.ppl.; to ~ ben hongen, to be hanged; had to have ben, had been; taben, to have been; taclipsed, to have eclipsed; tadaued [see adauen], to have awakened; tadwelled, to have dwelt; tafallen, to have fallen; talived, to have lived; tan touched, to have touched; tave holden, to have held; (b) inf. without to: had ~ ben, had been; ~ had ronnen, to have run; (c) with modal & p.ppl.: wolde ~ don, sholde ~ sen, couthe ~ boren, mighte ~ don, etc.; (d) mighte ~ ben, mighte ~ haved; -- also with second p.ppl.
Show 63 Quotations
13.
As a substitute for another verb, or with another verb (ben, dien, don, dwellen, wenden, etc.) implied.
Show 8 Quotations

©2024 Regents of the University of Michigan. For details about this collection's copyright see the MEC copyright statement and the U-M Library Copyright Policy. Data last refreshed Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 06:46:00.