Middle English Dictionary Entry
hēlen v.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | hēlen v.(2) Also heli(e(n, hel, heile, hellen, heole(n. Forms: p. hēled(e, hēlde, heild, heolede, hēlete, hellud & hal; pl. hēlen, hālen; ppl. hēled, hēlied, hēlut, heoled & hōle, hōln. |
| Etymology | OE helan (hæl, hǣlon, geholen) & helian (helode). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To cover (sth.), deck; fig. blot out (sin); of darkness: cover (the earth); ~ clos, cover tight; ~ over; (b) to clothe (sb.); cover (sth.) with armor; helen abouten (withouten), wrap around (one's body), cover; (c) to make a roof on (a building), roof; (d) to embrace, fondle.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)233 : Hwat deð si moder hire bearn..his hafed heleð to don him slepe.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)69 : Edie ben alle þo þe here giltes ben atleten and helid here sinnes.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.Creed (Trin-C B.14.52)21 : His heued [was] heled mid þornene crune.
- c1300 SLeg.Marg.(Hrl 2277)139 : Wiþ his mantel..he helede boþe his eȝe.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1636 : Fond he..A welle wel helid under a ston.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3170 : Þe king..let him helie vaste, & stille was..& lay & slep is laste.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)180/12 : Þri þinges þet heleþ þet hauberk of penonce huermide god armeþ his newe knyȝt.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3655 : Fer after hym þe grete route þat helede þe contre al aboute, So huge was þat meygny.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.3.14 : Faat þat keuereþ þe wombe & þat heleþ [L tegit] alle þe entrails.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4033 : Sche tok up turves..Al heled with the grene gras.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)36b/a : Whanne any derk þinge heleþ [L operit] þe brayn, as malincolie flewme, it nediþ þat þe pacyent drede.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5931 : Al þe erth þai [the frogs] heild [Frf: hiled; Göt: couerd] sua Man moght noght þeron sett his ta.
- -?-(1415) Will in Som.RS 16401 : Nether wheche ne leede to be layde in, bote a grete clothe to hely my foule caryin.
- c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)407 : Þe Emperour wyþ hys host Comeþ..Þey helyþ ouer all þe lond.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)18a/a : Þe pannycle, þe whiche helleþ [*Ch.(1): couereþ; L tegit] al þe ribbes.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.42 : vij busshell on an aker lond bistowe..And hele [L cooperienda] hem lest the nyghtis hem harme.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)47 : Floryssche þin cofyns..& hele hem with þin ledys.
- a1450 3 KCol.(1) (Roy 18.A.10)23/7,10 : A strete þat þan was clepede þe couerid or þe helid strete..hit was helid aboue wiþ blak cloþis.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)52/34 : Loo, derkenes schulle heele þe erþe, and a clowde þe pepil.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)700/25 : Than were they ware..where cam a ryche vessell heled over with r[e]de sylke.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)655 : Þis euwer schalle hele his lordes borde With dowbulle napere.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)153 : Putte it in a pott, and hele it clos that no breth go out.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)26b/a : Þe which Cymbalare gristlis, whanne a man spekiþ, is arerid vp; & þanne heliþ he wel lously þe weye of ysophagum.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)904 : Þyn halle agrayde, and hele þe walles With clodes and with ryche palles.
- a1500 Galawnt pride (RwlPoet 34)19 : Theyre gownys be sett with plytys fele, To schortt yt ys theyre kneys to hele.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21135 : His sconken he helede mid hosen of stele.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)617 : His her tilde doun to is fet..and helede is bodi al a-boute.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)111,113 : He ȝaf him ane olde Mantel his bones þare-with to hele..his licame he heolede þare-with.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)714 : Naked ich was, & ȝe nolde hely me wiþ no wede.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)153/688 : And naked þat hy weren y seȝen..Wyþ leaues hy helete hem þerfore.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)353 : Loke þat þou be armed sad, & hele þy bare scolle.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.497 : Þe emperesse was heled [Higd.(2): clothed; L co-operta] in white..and scapede awey over Temse, þat was i-frore.
- (1392) Will in Bk.Lond.E.210/8 : Wher me may wetyn eny powre lame..þat þay han Cloþys to hele hem fro colde.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.157 : He couthe come to bred and to ale, And..to an hater to helye with hus bones.
- (c1400) Higd.(1) (Hrl 1900)536 : Godgiva, the countesse, rode naked thurȝ the myddel of the toun in a morowe tide, nouȝt heled but with hir owne heer.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)89b : Miȝte wiþ no schot harme þese men..for þey were so wel ywarded and heled in yeren and steel.
- ?a1450(?c1400) Wycl.LFCatech.(Lamb 408)1088 : Whan þou seist a nakyd man, hele hym.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)13/17 : In the ij awe to be clothes to helen the body with-oute.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)24 : Be it made to him a cloþe þat he is helid wiþ, and as a belt þat is he ai gird wiþ.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.17 : Þere is also white cley..forto make of..brent tyle to hele wiþ hous and cherches.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)6.77 : Alle þe housis ben helid [vrr. hylyd, hilde, hyllyd, heoled; B: helied]..Wiþ no led but loue.
- (1428-9) Rec.St.Mary at Hill71 : Also on þe morwe, whan they helyd þe porche, for a rib of bef, iij d.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)46 : A comoun place bytwixe tweyne houses that was heled aboue, men for to stonde ther fore the reyn.
- (1443) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 829 : Jon plomer of Habydon to..hele ye vyse iij s. iiij d.
- (1447-8) Shillingford88 : The moste..stately towre of alle the City, of the saide Maier and Comminalte well heled with led.
- c1450 Palladius (BodAdd A.369)1.524 : Eke on the south thou make an hous for bestes..heled [Fitzw: couered] weel with shyngul, tile or broom.
- (1459) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 4100 : It. for a Plomer to hely the batylmente for the stypyle.
d
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)1042 : At þeo feste was trumpyng..Wrastlyng and ek flymyng..Þer som helieþ and som wyne.
2.
(a) To conceal (sth.), hide; ~ counseil, keep a secret; ~ and hiden; (b) to shelter (sb. or sth.), protect; refl. take refuge; (c) to be silent, keep a secret.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)29 : Þe mon þe heleð his sunne..ne siht he nefre almihtin drihten.
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)160 : Al scal þer bon þanne unwron þet men wruȝen her and helen [Trin-C: halen].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)30849 : His pic he nom..& helede hine under capen.
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)57/48 : Ne þu naȝest for to stele, ne nan þefþe for to heole.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)4/20 : Þu schawest forð al þet god þuncheð, and helest al þet bittri bale þet is þerunder.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)9/78 : Nule ich ne ne mei ich lengre heolen hit te.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)76/26 : Hercnið..hu god þing hit is to heolen [Nero: huden] goddede.
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)533 : Hele ihc wulle and noþing wreie Ower beire cumpaignie.
- a1325(?a1300) Interl.CG (Add 23986)41 : Hic am comin to ye, mome, Yu hel me noth, yu say me sone.
- c1330(?a1300) KAlex.(Auch)367/20 : He hiȝt hem eiȝte and gret noblais Þai schuld it hele and ben in pais.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)175/4 : Yholliche of echen him ssriue..no þing to hele, no þing wyþzigge.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.31.18 : Y forsoþe shal hude & hele [L celabo] my face in þat day.
- c1390 Body & S.(5) (Vrn)p.88 : Þou hit dust, and ich hit hal; Ne misdude ich neuer nouȝt.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2279 : I kan hiden and hele thynges that men oghte secreely to hyde.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2056 : I have no miht To hele fro that swete wiht, If that it touche hire eny thing.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17828 : Þai coniurd þam na soth to hel.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)27437-41 : He will þe preist þam hele and hide..Or he has suorn..þat he Sal hid and hele all þair priuete.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28135 : Þe thynges sen þat ekes syn..Ic ha þam holn al wit my pride.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.168 : Þei had þanne ben infamis þe firste day, þei can so yuel hele conseille.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)4167 : My coppe þow hast y-stole, And vndur þy barm hole.
- (c1425) *Oath Bk.King's Lynn2b : I..shal..þe councel of þis town truli helen.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)5a : Suche þinges..diuers writeris..hauen Iwrite and ytauȝte..and also ycouered & hellud and hud vndir derke termes.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1699 : Hyt ys not gode to be helut How a wyȝt schal be an-elet.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1111 : Scho wentt home and helyd and hyd all this processe preuely.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2293 : Ther may no man hele murdir, þat it woll out atte last.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)143 : His name ganne he hele and hyde, And sayd he was a strange knight.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)989 : They made þem to swere þey schulde..syr Emers counsell heyle.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)129 : Hele the cors of this dede man in some prive place of thin house.
- a1525 Conq.Irel.(Dub 592)78/1 : Þe yonger kynge henry..the lyddernysse that he hadde I-thoght to hys fadyr nold no lenger hellen.
b
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)151 : If he wil vs fro harmes hele, Vs nedith to [w]epe water clere.
- c1475(a1400) Brut-1333 (Dc 323)7/11 : All þo..went & put hem in-to wodes and Into Mounteynes, and hem helde.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)551 : Y schall heyle the day and nyght Also trewe as boke or belle.
- a1500 Parton.(1) (Add 35288)1813 : Clothes of sylke ye shalle haue..Fayre townes and castelles to hell In your hede.
c
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Jun 121)24 : Heleð [OE: ȝif bisceopas..clumiað mid ceaplum þær hi sceoldan clypian, wa heom þære swiȝean].
- ?a1300 Sirith (Dgb 86)241 : Make me siker..Þat þou wolt helen, and I wile fonde If ich mai hire tellen.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)124 : I nelle nouȝt hele for eie of þe.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)595 : Ȝut bi cas of cunsail ful wel can ich hele, & be tristy and trew.
- c1390 In worschupe (Vrn)46 : And þerfore beo ȝe neuer so bolde To blame wymmen..For monnes schome I rede ȝe hele.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.126 : Crist bad him that he suld hele, And sai noht qua gaf him his hele.
- a1450 Myne awen dere sone (Vsp D.13)155 : Scho may..tell hym..All thy counsell..whare scho loues, sche can noght hele.