Middle English Dictionary Entry
hē̆ring n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hē̆ring n. Also hẹ̄ring, hereng, heiring, herring, (early) hæring & haring, -eng, -ang. Pl. hē̆ring(es. |
| Etymology | OE (cp. WS hǣring, Merc. hēring) & MDu. hārinc & OF harenc (from Gmc.). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A herring Clupea harengus; (b) red ~, smoked herring; whit ~, herring salted but not smoked; (c) ~ barel, a cask for herring; ~ breder (carter), one who roasts (hauls) herring [see surnames]; ~ fare, lond ~ fare [cp. MDu. hārinc-vaert], a voyage to catch herring; also, the catch of herring made in such a voyage; ~ hed, a herring's head; ~ hous, a shed for storing herring; ~ mongere, a seller of herring [see surnames]; ~ saim, herring fat, herring oil; ~ silver, a money rent paid in lieu of an orig. payment in herrings; ~ time [OE hǣring-tīma], the season for catching herring.
Associated quotations
a
- (1130) Pipe R.Hen.I144 : Et In Harengs & Vngeons & oleo..conductu usque at Vdestoc, viij li. [etc.].
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543/16 : Taricus, uel illec: hæring.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)758 : Keling he tok, and tumberel, Hering and þe makerel.
- (1329) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.86 : [When on a voyage from Yarmouth to London with a cargo of] hareng soor.
- (1375-6) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.12033 : Et quoad balingeram, quia malus ejusdem cum les herynges sunt fracte ad disruptionem.
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.97 : Salt fyssh, stokfyssh, heryng, salt eel and sturjoun.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)276a/b : Þe camaleon lyueþ oonliche by ayre and þe wonte by eorþe and þe heryng by water.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester9 : Heryng that comth in scheps, be it fresh or powdred, par last iiij d..Item, a carte that comth to towne charged with heryng yn to market shal payen for the heryng ij d.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.62 : Euerych sellere of herynge [F de harang] in þe lente..shal to þe kynge fyfe pans.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6579 : Hij lybben so þe heryng By þe water and engendreþ þere-inne.
- (1426) EEWills70/24 : I woll þat among þe powremen..be deled by myn Executours breed and herynge to þe valu of xx marces.
- (1429) J.Boys in Nrf.Archaeol.15157 : Ye fryday, x cadys of haryng to ye ospital.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)119 : Also in right of fissh, heryng [F haranges], oynouns, garleek, and other divers merchandyse that comyn be water..riseth debate be twixe the beyeres and the selleres.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)52 : Broche for spyrlynge or herynge: Spiculum.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)237 : Heerynge, fysshe: Allec.
- (1440) Wars France in RS 22.2588 : Thei wolle lette and distourbe, uppon the same coost, alle the hering fisshing of Diepe.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)658 : Hydes and fish, samon, hake, and herynge..bene in here marchaundye.
- (1466-7) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.622 : Item pro di. lasta herynge, val. xl s.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)642/6 : To the mynchons..v cartlode of wode..xv dayes after myghelmasse, to drye there heryng [L ad suum allec siccandum].
- a1475 Herkyn to my tale (Brog 2.1)85 : The samun sanng the hy mas, the heyryng vas the clark.
- (1477) Doc.in Sur.Soc.8527 : Rychard Dyschforth..toke & selld j stranges man heirreng for iiij a penny.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)17 : xii barells pakkyd heryng make a last.
- a1500 When nettuls (BodPoet e.1)p.269 : Whan..herynges ther hornnys in forestes boldly blow.
b
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester8 : 1 last de red heryng meysed caded, iiij d.
- c1430 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/2)p.63 : Euerich sellere of rede heryng..schal to þe kynge v d.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)193 : Also of eche last of red heryng seld by the last to gydyr, iiij d. of the seller.
- (c1438) MKempe B (Add 61823)244/2,4 : Þus sche xulde a seyd, as þei reportyd, 'A, þu fals flesch, þu woldist now etyn reed heryng, but þu xalt not han þi wille;' & þer-wyth sche sett a-wey þe reed heryng & ete þe good pike.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)56/139 : Take sourdingh that is clepid bebyn & the white row of a rede herynge and honey, and stamp all yfere & make a playster.
- (1460-1) Doc.in Gilbert Cal.Dublin 1307 : That no fisher shall by no bote of herynges, whyt ne rede, ner no nothyr maner of fishe that ys bownd.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57327 : He payd fore a kade of rede herenge..he seythe ther is therin xxxvj saltefesche and iiij kedes and halfe a barel of wyte herenge.
- (1469) Ordin.Househ.Clarence in PSAL (1790)102 : xii cades of red herringes, for the Lent..White herringes a laste.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.54 : Cover þy white heryng for goddys sake; Þen cover red heryng and set abufe.
- a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)83 : Ther wer laft no moo on lyve but iij rede heyrynges.
c
- (1252) Cart.Ramsey in RS 79.1298 : Ricardus Forestarius..tenet unam virgatam terrae..et dat tres quadrantes ad haringsilver.
- (1298-1300) Cust.Rent in OSSLH 234 : De xv s. iiij d. ob. de redditibus assisis cum heringsilver.
- (1329) in Salzman Building in Engl.328 : [For half a gallon of] heryngsayme [for greasing the] selyskyn.
- (1365-7) Acc.Dover in Archaeol.Cant.2578 : [xxxi s. received from John Tanner for his malitots on his fishings for] Haryngfare.
- (1392) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)5.207 : [A barrel of] heryng seyme [remains in the hands of Richard Say].
- (1395) Cart.Whitby in Sur.Soc.72567 : Johanne Tupp' de heringfare ultimi comp., xxxii s.
- (1395) Cart.Whitby in Sur.Soc.72577 : De allec. vend., land-hering-fare, xlviii s. v d.
- (1420) *Invent.in Lincoln Chapt.Acc.Bk.A.2.30 [OD col.]lf.69 : Heryngbarelles.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)41b/a : Proprely suych þingez as dert of swalwez, of doggez, & of wolfez, & of childre þat bene noreshed with lupynez, And as beþ heryng heuedez & of salt fisshes.
- (c1425) Stonor1.43 : v barell pro cervisia, j heryngbarel.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)159 : Also no merchandise that comyth by water..be it not bought ne sellyd from the sunne goyng doun til the sunne risyng, out taken fressh heryng in heryng tyme, that is to wittyn, at the feste of Seynt Michel and the feste of Seynt Clement.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)572/31 : That same yere, in þe heryng tyme, þere come iij C botes out of Normaundy to Caleis on fisshyng fare.
- (1465-6) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103641 : Pro factura unius gavill in le Heryng-house.
2.
In proverbs & proverbial expressions, esp. as a type of something common or trivial; ~ cobbe (tail), a herring's head (tail), the least bit, at all; ~ in maise, herring packed in a barrel.
Associated quotations
- a1300 A Mayde Cristes (Jes-O 29)86 : Al were sone his prute a-gon; hit nere on ende wrþ on heryng.
- a1300 Trin-C.Prov.(Trin-C O.2.45)5 : Hering hom com, hine weope; hi wende for þe fische þat hi scholde faste.
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.155 : Mani grete kunger swimmeþ abute þi fete. Hou mani hering to peni at West Chep in London?
- a1425 Al es bot (Glb E.9)37 : When þou lyes bonden als hering dos in maies.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)6700 : Eche man on other schetis, As thikke as heryng fletis.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)17401 : I did neuere..Any-thyng a-ȝeyn Gregays, In tyme of werre ne of pays, That harmed hem an heryng-tayle.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1582 : We lese not in this hous a heryngcobbe.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)68 : Alle hise targes of gold and hise sheeldes weren neuere woorth to him a red hering, For lost thei weren.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)764/35-6 : Hoc allec, Hec gerra: a heryng.
3.
In surnames & place names.
Associated quotations
- (1212) CRR(2) 6390 : Theodbaldus le Heringmongere.
- (1247) Close R.Hen.III4 : Alicie Harang'.
- (1254) R.Knight's Fees in Archaeol.Cant.12225 : Reginaldus Harynge.
- (1275) Hundred R.Tower 1423 : Symon Haryngbredere.
- (1279) Hundred R.Tower 2543 : Johanne Haringmo[n]ger.
- (1294) in Fransson Surn.77 : Agnes le Haringmongere.
- (1303) Feudal Aids 1107 : Ricardus Hering.
- (1316) Doc.Manor in MP 3461 : Heryngmongere.
- (1327) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms88 : Walt. le Heringman.
- (1327) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 7221 : Thomas Hering.
- (1332) Sub.R.Lond.in Unwin Finance69 : Robt Heryngkartere.
- (1360) in Madox Form.Angl.(1702)164 : Johanne Hering.
- ?c1382 Survey Hatfield in Sur.Soc.32196-7 : j tenementum, vocatum Herynggharsplace..j tenementum in Hertpol, vocatum le Herynghows.
- 1402(1347) Assess.Edw.III in Archaeol.Cant.10147 : Johannes Harange.
- 1662(1328) Bk.Vale Royal in LCRS 68 (Hrl 2064)34 : Roger Herring.