Middle English Dictionary Entry
heifer n.
Entry Info
| Forms | heifer n. Also heifre, heifor, heifur, haifre, haifare, hefere, heffre, heffer(e, yhefir, hoiffer & hekfer(e, hekfar, hekfore, hecfore, hefker. Pl. haffers, hecfares, (error) kyfers & hefren, (?mistransl.) heifren. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. WS hēahfore, hēafre, Nhb. (pl.) hēhfaro, hēffera. For hek- forms, ?cp. hek(e, var. of hacche, sense 3.(a). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A heifer; ~ hide, a piece of leather from a heifer's hide.
Associated quotations
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 113)22 : Healffreon: heifren.
- a1350 Of Rybaudȝ (Hrl 2253)27 : Hue boskeþ huem wyþ botouns, ase hit were a brude, wiþ lowe lacede shon of an hayfre hude.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)723 : Boef, bouet, et ienyce: Oxe, stere, and hefere.
- (1381) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.4 : iv kyn and ii hefren and ii calues, wharof þat on is a bolecalf and þat ouþer an hefre of oȝier.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)129b/b : Þe hiest bisschop..come in wiþ þe blood of a reed hayffare.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)144a : In þat Ester tyde an heyfre [vrr. hoyffer, heffre; L vitula]..enede a lomb.
- (1407) Doc.in Kennett Par.Antiq.(1818) [OD col.]2.212 : De debili vitulo cujusdam hekfore vendito.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)119/1 : Her heekfar consceyued & kest not hir fruyt or tyme.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Heb.9.13 : Þe blood of gayt and of bolys and askis of þe heffere sprungyn halewis þe foylede to þe clansyng of þe flesch.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)10b/b : Bucula: an heyfor.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)36a/a : Iuuenticula..an heyfur.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.42/8 : The hefker areis uppe hole and sownde and begane to ete of þe hey that was by.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)203 : Of eche carcays of beeff, as of oxe, kowe, bullok, and hefker.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)234 : Hekfere [vr. hecfore], beeste: Juvenca.
- (1446-7) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 485 : Vor a yhefyr iij s.
- (1450) Lin.DDoc.43/30 : Item, to Edward leek, C. wedres that be at Sewell and all my yonge hekfares.
- (1451) Will York in Sur.Soc.45120 : De xj vaccis et bovettis vocat kyfers.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)75.136 (v.2:p.62) : A yung hekfere, that is to seyn a yung cowe, the which was brought to ben offrid amonge the mynistres handis, brought forthe a lambe.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.38a/a : Weders..Haffers and Steres.