Middle English Dictionary Entry
hẹ̄ pron.(3)
Entry Info
| Forms | hẹ̄ pron.(3) Also e, heȝ, hei, hai, ihe & hi(e, hig, hiȝ, hij, i & heo, ho(e, hue, hui, hio & ha, a. |
| Etymology | OE hīe, hī, hȳ, hēo, hīo; some forms show influence of hẹ̄ pron.(2). In ME, this pron. appears to be Midland & Southern only. In early M & S, it tends to be displaced in the obj. uses by hem pron. In later M & S, thei tends to replace it in the subject uses. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. thei, their, theim, here, hem.
1.
As subject: (a) of persons: they; (b) of animals or things: they; (c) used pleonastically, or repeated for emphasis; (d) with appositive following; (e) as noun; ~ of Normandi (Rome), the men of Normandy (Rome).
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.654 : And hi swa diden.
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1106 : Hig ma on þison timon un-cuðra steorra ge-sawon.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1137 : Alle he wæron for-sworen & here treothes for-loren.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)108/23,24 : Þa hyo heoræ eaȝen up ahofæn..þa ne iseȝen heo..nænne mon.
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)4/24 : Ne mihten heo..none reste finden.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)223 : Nare hio blinde ȝescapene.
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)239 : Ho [McC: Hi; Jes-O: Heo] secheð reste þer nis nan, for-þi ne muȝen hi [Trin-C: hie] es finden.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3320 : Lete we sum þis mochele folc fare wher ha wulleð [Otho: i wolleþ].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3502-3 : Leir ferde to þere sæ mid ane alpie swein..ouer sea i comen, hauene sone a nomen.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)79/6 : Þet tet ha walden offrin him, ha [Nero: heo] heolden eauer ihud, aðet ha [Cai: a] comen biuoren him.
- ?c1250 Somer is comen & (Eg 613)24 : Ne cuþen hey him nout cnowe.
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)220/207 : Hie answerden, and seyde, 'lord, for we ne fonden te dai þat us herde.'
- a1300 Floris (Vit D.3)p.103 : Wat he were hui scholden telle.
- ?a1300 11 Pains(1) (Dgb 86)203-5 : For-þi hoe [Jes-O: heo] beþ in þis wo..Ne duden hoe [Jes-O: hi] nout..Ac trichiours þey weren.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)77/1337 : Horn hi [Ld: he; Hrl: hue] vt of londe sente.
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)103/637 : Hi [Vit: hei] criez him 'merci,' boþe suiþe.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)4094 : Ðan e gunnen fro egipte gon.
- a1325(?a1300) Interl.CG (Add 23986)81 : Ihesu crist..Gef yat hay may heng.
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1060 : Agein þe Ieues ha mist me were.
- a1350(1307) Execution Fraser (Hrl 2253)35 : Oþes hue him sworen.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)3/55 : Of here louerd ensample i nome, & flecchi nolde hi noȝt.
- a1350 Of a mon (Hrl 2253)25 : Huere hure anyht hue nome.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2524 : His hunters..A paþ þo founden þai; Tristrem seiȝen hye þan.
- c1330(?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch)p.635 : Whan hii him finde ne miȝte..For drede þai gonne quake.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)17/444-5 : As hi habbeþ deuocioun, And hie god fey takeþ.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1014 : Sory wer þey for hi ne miȝt hure pruwesse fulfille þore.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)283 : Þenne þei seȝen Ihesu crist in þat ilke foorme, þat heo seȝen him..whon heo furst comen.
- a1400 Hey priuetȝ (Hrl 7322)1,2 : Hey Priuetz gritliche; Hey Robbetz holliche.
- a1400 Mary moder well (RwlLtrg g.2)26 : For myne frendes i bidde the, That hiȝ mote amended be.
- a1400 Waich & wreschede (Hrl 7322)9 : Man & wimman han on ende, for esye he comun al; esye ho ssuln wende.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6140-3 : For mosten hij [LinI: þey] comen to oþer londe..Alle þe naciouns..He [LinI: þey] wolden don to þe swerde.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)39a : Nowhar conneþ hy fynde non ende.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)51a : Ȝef a [vrr. þey, he] goþ to þe norþ contrey, a goþ wiþ gret help & strengthe.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)811 : Heo þat þer weoren wiste nouȝt alle..what wolde byfalle.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)42.76 : Of here vyandes thanne ȝoven hee, and..gonne they gon.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2826 : Hir hondis gan to wryng..And wisshid..that he had been in bere.
- ?c1475 *Trev.Nicod.(Sal 39)133a : Ðer were wychches Ianmes & Mambres, & huy [Add: þey] dode wondres.
- a1500 NPass.(Hrl 215)173/363-4 : Also he sholde do ech bi oþer Also ihe [vr. hij] were suster & broþer.
- a1500 Parton.(1) (Add 35288)9516 : Toward þe turnement they ride..Her squyers be-fore hem he [UC: they] sente.
- a1425(?c1400) Wycl.PN(2) (Hrl 2398)110 : Yf þes ypocrites seyeþ þat hy kepeþ here reule..bot byholde here dedis.
b
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)151 : Þe teares..hie walleð of þe heorte rotes.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)44/22 : Igurd he is ham on, þet a [Roy: ha] cumeliche fearen & semliche sitten.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)29/25 : Þeose riwlen..ich walde ha [Nero: heo] weren of alle as ha [Nero: heo] beoð of ow..ihalden.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)97 : Ho [Jes-O: Heo] sitteþ þar so hi bo bisne.
- a1300(OE) Deed Crediton (CotR 2.11)117 : Þay ȝeuenisse þat egger..bi-tende..and heȝ þat [of] alle oþere bischopes..were iȝeue.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)263 : De hertes hauen anoðer kinde..Alle he arn of one mode.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)394 : Oðre fisses to him dragen; wan he it felen, he aren fagen.
- ?a1300(a1250) Harrow.H.(Dgb 86)128 : Helle ȝates ich come nou to; Nou ich wille þat hy [Hrl: heo] ben houndo.
- ?a1300 Body & S.(4) (Dgb 86)st.7 : Wormes holdeþ here strif and here domes faste; Imad hoe habbeþ here lotes mi fles for to caste.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)16 : Cristene men ogen ben so fagen so fueles arn quan he it sen dagen.
- ?c1335 Lollai lollai (Hrl 913)9 : Bestis and þos foules..whan hi commiþ to þe world, hi doþ ham silf sum gode.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)16/7 : Hi byeþ y-cleped haued-zennes.
- c1390 St.Greg.(Vrn)28/226 : Þeos beoþ..no sunnes smale; With strong penaunce a moten be bouȝt.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)93b/b : Wormes þat beþ so I-bredde..beþ longe..a beþ longe bi cause of hete.
- a1400 Þe ȝates of parais (Hrl 7322)4 : Þe ȝates of Parais..Þoruth oure swete ladi, Aȝein hui beoþ nouþe open.
c
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)91 : Þa þet lond hefden, he hit sealden.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)25/30 : Þo ðe euele habbeð idon and naht ibett, he sculen in to ðan eche fiere.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2102 : Seððen þa þreo broðeren hi to gadere comen.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)73/81-3 : Þis Noremauns and þis Englische men ane dai of bataile huy nome..ate daye to-gadere huy [Corp-C: y] come, To grounde huy [Corp-C: hy] smiten.
- a1350 Of a mon (Hrl 2253)58 : Þis frely folk vnfete, ȝet he ȝyrnden more.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.219 : Þe creatures þat were i-ȝeue man to solas of brutelnesse..now for þe moste deel he fleeþ mannys siȝt.
- c1450 How mankinde dooþ (Lamb 853)39 : Sowowe [!], siȝing, loue, & drede, To the child her seruice profren he.
d
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)31 : Nat ic hwer heo beoð, þeo men þe ic þene herm to dude.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)23537 : Heo [Otho: hii] uerden þider alle þe heolden mid Frolle.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)61 : Hi wente fforþ, and dude anon as Ihesus ham het beye, Seint peter and seint phelip.
- ?c1350 Why werre (Peterh 104)p.20 : He maketh hym al nyȝt at ese..And loke that ha fare wel, Hors and eke man.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)3.24 : Þanne lauȝte hy [vr. hij] leue, þise lordis at mede.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)657 : For soþely..he wern of sadde elde, Boþe þe wyȝe and his wyf.
e
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1140 : Hi of Normandi wenden alle fra þe king.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5906 : Weoren heo [Otho: hii] of Rome alle ridinde.
2.
As object of a verb: them.
Associated quotations
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.675 : Ic gife hi min curs.
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1100 : Ealle he hi..wið feo gesealde.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)12/15 : We sceolen witen hwæt þa word mænen, þat we maȝon hy awenden to weorcum.
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)1/5 : Softliche he heo isom[nede].
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)223 : Þa com god..and adrefde hi ut of paradis.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)21 : He walde gan to scrifte..and forleten ha [his sins] a mare.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)51 : He..sende hie in to babilonie to þralshipe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)307 : Heo funden ane heorde of heorten..þe fader heo [Otho: ham] bieode.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1258-9 : Ich mid soþe heo a-wene..ich hi warni al þat ȝer.
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)221/248 : Þo ansuerden þe paens þet non ne hedden i-herd hij.
- a1300(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Jes-O 29)83/100 : O mon ahte huntseuenti Acres, and he hi hadde isowen.
- a1300 PMor.(McC 123)122 : To late he leteþ euele workes þat ne may hi do namore.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)13/359 : He wiþ-stent hi alle.