Middle English Dictionary Entry
hē̆lth(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hē̆lth(e n. Also heleth, healethe, hilthe, elth(e, (late) helte. |
| Etymology | OE hǣlð, hǣlðo. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A state of well-being, proper functioning, soundness; soule ~, ~ of soule, gostli ~, ~ of bodi; (b) bodily health, physical soundness; (c) cure, recovery; also, a healed wound [quot.: c1350]; ~ yevinge; (d) a means of preserving or recovering health; a remedy; healthful climate, salubriousness.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)219/158-9 : Yef ye bieþ leprus þurch diadliche senne greded gode Merci þet þo leprus yaf helþe ine bodie þet he us yeue gostliche helþe in ure saule.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)256a/b : Wyn y-dronke mesurableche is helþe [L sanitas] of body and of soule.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.223 : Lerne we þe lawe of loue..for mannes soule helthe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.330 : For profit and for helthe Carpe I wolde with contricioun.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1961-3 : Withouten helthe I mot ay dure..Comfort or helthe how shuld I have, Sith ye me hurt, but ye me save?
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)57b/a : Salus: helþe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)0a/a : Thankinges vn to god giffyng boþe perpetuale life of soules & helþe [L sanitatem] of bodies.
- (1429) Will Braybroke in Ess.AST 5297 : I..in ful mynde of all my wittes..and in helthe of my wrecched body.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)658 : Ȝe holden..Þat hue þe hilþe of þe heed haþ for to kepe.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)145/8 : On is for helthe of the sowyl, for hyt schall cause a man to be holy.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)54/82 : Only hym loue which bodyly ffood doth ȝeve all day and gostly helth.
- a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)98/7 : Þey mowen..helþe in sowle & bodi haue in þis worlde.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)18/24 : Guodes of kende, ase uayrhede, and helþe, an strengþe of bodye.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)195/2 : Þe elmesse þet me yefþ ine lyue and ine helþe more is worþ þanne þe ilke þet is y-do efter þe deaþe.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1336 : Þe messangeres..mynged here message..how hir fader in helþe hom wold come.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.14.48 : Ȝif þe prest..see þat þe lepre haþ not waxen..he shal purifyen hit heelþe ȝolden aȝen.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.37 : Alle manere sike men took þe state of helþe [L sospitatis].
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)70/8 : After he helde on þe senewe hoot oile of rosis, &..he was restorid aȝen to heelþe [Add: hele].
- ?a1450 Arderne LW (Em 69)120 : Boowynge of his heed & hangynge of the erys as other wyse thanne he hadde hem in his helthe.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)314 : Sounde we be seie and sike in no time, Bute helþe have we hir til we henne passe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)1020 : He gaff to hem so gret ffraunchyse Talyved euere..In elthe with-oute languysshyng.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)76/10 : Þe kynge was prived of his strenghth & heleth.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.219 : Adam felle..from prosperite to penaunce, from healethe [L sospitate] to infirmite, from grace to blame.
- c1500 Lydg.Diet.(Rwl C.86)75 : Moderat fode gevyth to man his helth.
c
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)37.5 : Min helynges oþer helþes [Dub: helyd woundes; L ciccatrices] a-bouen roteden.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.12.9 : To another, grace of heelthis [L sanitatum] in o spirit.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1965 : The helthe of love mot be founde Where as they token first her wounde.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.27 : Lo, Y caste out fendis, and make helþis [L sanitates] to daye and to morowe.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)104/7 : Al synne be sacramente of penaunce takez helth of the wounde [L vulneris sanitatem].
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)132/8 : The sun of þis same woman eke receyued helth of his eye..be drynkyng of þat same watyr.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)143.6 (v.2:p.417) : A deuyl .. seyde hymself that he curyd and mad hool seek folk, but that was nat .. in helthe-yiuynge, but by withdrauynge of harm.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)371/437 : Ye schal haue helthe throw vertu of this holy palme..yowur sekenesse schalaswage.
d
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.13 : Bretayne passeþ Irlond in faire weder and nobilte, but nouȝt in helþe [Higd.(2): whollesomnesse; L salubritate].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)8b/b : Here bygynneþ the 7 tretys, þat is saide an antitodarie, conteynynge two doctrynes; the firste is of vnyuersal helþes [L antidotis] or helpes [L auxilijs].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)9a/a : The 6 chapitle is of stedefast helþes [L antidotis localibus] of woundes & of bocches.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)22/32 : It is a grete helthe a man to be purgid at certeyne tymes in resonabil manere.
2.
(a) Salvation; (b) spiritual health or well-being.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)265/27 : Nymeþ þane helm of helþe, and þe holy gostes zuord, þet is godes word.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)97.5 : Alle þe contre-hys of þe erþe seȝen þe helþe [L salutare] of our Lord God.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)7.76 : Ionas..vnder name of nynyue telliþ helþe to gentylez.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.13.11 : Sothli now oure heelthe [L salus] is neer, than whanne we bileueden.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.1052 : So may he winne worldes welthe And afterward his soule helthe.
- c1425(c1400) Primer (Cmb Dd.11.82)p.13 : To ȝyue science of helþe to his puple, in-to remissioun of her synnes.
- a1450 I wole be mendid (Dgb 102)38 : Halwe bred and wyn..To an ost of helþe to cristen men.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)131 : Fare wel plautill doutyr of euerlastyng helth.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)148 : In the third world schal the Son of God be bore of a mayde Mari, and deye for the helth of man.
- (1470) Will York in Sur.Soc.45180 : For the helth of my saule and all Crysten saules.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)39/34 : To schewe to hure the heleful message of oure redempcioun and heleþe.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)93/1 : Forto wythstonde..the ruene of synne..and sette the good..So that hit were vyrchipp to god and helth [Dub: helte] to the Sowlys.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.219 : Man..fel..out of ioye and welþe in to peyne and tene, out of helþe [Higd.(2): healethe; L sospitate] and grace into gilt and synne.
3.
(a) Prosperity, happiness, welfare; (b) preservation, safety; also, preserver, savior; ~ yevere.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29992 : Þa weoren Æluriches wunden inne Norhhumbre alle iheled; ah þe helðe was neoðered for lurre of his monnen.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.32.15 : He lafte god his maker & ȝede abak; fro god his ȝeuer of helþe [L Deo salutari].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2496 : This king, which stod in al his welthe Of pes, of worschipe and of helthe, And felte him on no side grieved.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)756 : Adam ȝode walkand in þat welth Þat halden was in micul elth [Frf: solace; Göt: selth].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.620 : He was kauȝt in lovis snare, Þat of helth and of al welfare He was dispeired.
- c1450 Lover's Mass (Frf 16)151 : To alle swiche chose chyldre of stabylnesse..Joye, Elthe and long prosperyte.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)148/15 : The multytude of wys men, Is the helthe of al the worlde.
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.315 : To the fortheryng of the present profite helthe and welfare of goddis peple & the kingis.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2344 : Ie am iosep, dredeð gu nogt, for gure helðe or hider brogt.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)3.2 : Þer nys non helþe to hym in hys God.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.26.1 : The Lord my liȝting and myn helthe [L salus]; whom I shal dreden?
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.64.6 : Ful out here vs, God, oure helthe ȝiuere [WB(2): heelthe; L salutaris].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 2.30 : Myn yȝen han seyn thin helthe [L salutare].
- c1425(c1400) Primer (Cmb Dd.11.82)p.13 : Helþe fro oure enemyes, & fro þe hond of alle men þat hatiden us.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)41a : To ȝow longiþ by ȝoure hyȝe in-wit to purveye and ordeyne alle þinges þat profitable ben for helþe of alle þe comunalte.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. health.