Middle English Dictionary Entry
hīr(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hīr(e n. Also hirre, hijre, hier(e & hure, huire, hoire & here. |
| Etymology | OE hȳr |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Payment for service rendered, wages; also fig.; -- rarely in pl.; hervest ~ [see hervest n. 2.(a)]; (b) gon to ~, to hire oneself out, go to work for wages; geten (haven, nimen, receiven, taken) ~, earn or receive wages; fongen (taken) mete and ~, earn one's living; (c) reward, compensation; (d) punishment; hires of sinne, wages of sin; (e) ~ paiere, a paymaster.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)45 : Þar ne þarf he habben care of here ne of ȝielde.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)6/60 : Deð hire into drechunge to dihten hus & hinen..for se wac hure [Tit: huire] As þe worlt forȝelt.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)108/6 : Edhalden oðres hure ouer his rihte terme, Nis hit strong reaflac?
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)220/9,12 : Nan ancre seruant ne ahte bi riht to easkin iset hure [Nero: huire]..hare hure schal beon þe hehe blisse of heouene.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1718 : Wel he seið him þat he sal hauen for hire, quat-so he wile crauen.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1292 : His hire þai ȝolden him þan, Gold and siluer, y say.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.20.8 : Clepe the workmen, and ȝelde to hem her hijre [WB(2): hire].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.568 : Leoun rorynge and bere hongry ben like to the cruel lordshipes in withholdynge or abreggynge of the shepe or the hyre or of the wages of seruauntz.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1973 : The hye god, that al this world hath wroght, Seith that the werkman worthy is his hire.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)832 : We wiln stande with þe whil þat we may dure, And but we werke manly, pay vs non hure.
- (1420) EEWills53/15 : Also I will þat sir Robert Shottesbroke..haue þe sorde hors, and litill Hans þe hoby, and xl s. aboven his hir.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Lev.25.53 : He schal ȝeelde to the biere that that is residue of ȝeeris, while tho ȝerris, bi whiche he seruyde bifore, ben rikenyd for hiris [L mercedibus].
- (1425) Paston (EETS)3.3 (901/17-20) : In cas þe seid William Joye .. will afferme and seie þat þe hires of his heruestmen passen þe summe of xl s., þat þanne þe same William Paston shal paie to þe seid William Joye his custages of his seid heruest hires a-boue þe seid xl s. .. to þe summe of vj s. viij d.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)2/31 : Extorcyons aȝayns þe ryȝt And huyrus þat with wrong holdon be, Damnacion to ham hit is y-dyȝt.
- (1434-5) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7832 : Item, for the clattere [read: sclattere] ys hyrre, ii wykes euery day vi d., summa vi s.
- (1446) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 483 : For the brewerys here, vj d.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)354 : Teyþe of huyre and of honde, Goth by costome of þe londe.
- a1500 Religious pepille (BodPoet b.4)41 : All true laborerres paide daili þe hire; And stabilnesse foundun, specialli in atire.
b
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)908 : Wel is set þe mete þu etes And þe hire þat þu getes.
- a1350 Of a mon (Hrl 2253)25 : Huere hure anyht hue nome.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)6.37 : I serue hym to pay And haue myn here [vrr. ere, hire, hure, huyre] of hym.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)6.141 : Ac ȝe myȝte trauaille as treuthe wolde and take mete & huyre.
- a1425 Iesu þat wolde (LdMisc 463)p.196 : Or man þat al þe wike long Wirkeþ mete and hyre to fong, Bot he peyne him on sonenday..go to chirche..in sleuth he is hent.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)190/15 : Þei maken anoþer man to lye be hire wifes..& þerfore þei taken gret huyre & gret thank.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)143/335 : Þis is a gret pete, To God and mon a hye trespace, To take ȝour hoyre, ȝour salare.
- a1450 Form Excom.(1) (Cld A.2)65 : Men þat goth to hyre, & be þe weke, schal tyþe þe dole off þer hyre þat he takuth.
- (c1458) Let.Oxf.in OHS 36344 : Al oþer servantz takyng clothyng or hyre by þe yere, halfe here, or quarter of þe yere.
- c1525 Rule & T.St.Francis(2) (Fst D.4)564 : And those that haue no occupation..shall lerne not for covetis to resceyve the price or hier for ther laboure.
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)31110 : Ich þe ȝeuen to hure al Deuene-scire.
- a1350 Iesu suete is (Hrl 2253)75 : Iesu, my saule drah þe to..Þis hure of loue to drynke so.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)139/3006 : And þow miȝt ȝilden is while, Him to sle wiþ swerd in felde, Wel ich wolde þin here [vr. mede] ȝelde.
- c1390(?a1300) Stations Rome(1) (Vrn)100 : Pope Vrban þat holy syre, So rewardede men heore huyre, Man þat ben schriuen and verrey contrit.
- c1390 In a Pistel (Vrn)83 : Preye we to god vr soules enspire..Heuene to haue to vr huire.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2291 : For Service in thi Court withouten hyre To me, which evere yit have kept thin heste, Mai nevere be to loves lawe honeste.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)126.4 : Loke eritage ofe lauerd ofe blisse Sones hires, fruite ofe wambe isse.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)56 : Þenne þrat moste I þole, & vnþonk to mede, Þe had bowed to his bode, bongre my hyure.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Mat.6.4 : But whan þou dost þyn almes, loke þi lyft syde wyte noȝt what þi ryȝt syde doþ..& þi Fader þat seþ in hyd schal ȝeue þee hyre.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)9/100 : Sum ligges ȝit in þat mire All heuidles, with owten hire.
- a1450(?a1349) ?Rolle Ihesu god sone (Cmb Dd.5.64)12 : Of lufe þou kyndel þe fyre, Þat I in swet lovyng with aungels take my hyre.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1857 : And for to gette of Fames hire, The temple sette y al afire.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)89/22 : All þat he takiþ acceptably of þe honde of god, & accountiþ þat as a gret hyre.
d
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.6.22 : Treuli the hyris of synne, deeth.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)2 Pet.2.13 : Thes..shulen perische in her corupcioun, receyuynge the hijre [WB(2): hire] of vnriȝtwisnesse.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23192 : In a stincand stang o fire, Þar sal be yolden him his hire.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2587 : Als traytures sal sho have hyre; Sho be brent here in þis fire.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.31 : Þei ben servantis of þe fend..so þeir hir [vr. hyre] is peyne wiþouten eende.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)387/260 : Fro paradise he putte þame doune, In helle here to have þer hyre.
- ?a1500 Lament.Sinner (Thrn)59 : Thys haue þa gyuyn me to my hyere, Euer to last in þe panes of hell.
e
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)41a/a : Mercedonius: hure payere.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)64b : A hyere payer: Mercedarius.
2.
(a) Money paid for the use of something, rent; leten to ~, to rent (sth.) out; seten to ~, farm out (one's benefice) in return for fixed payments; cart ~, hors ~, hous ~, ship ~, q. v.; bot ~ [see bot n.(1), sense 3.(b)]; (b) a bribe; (c) ?an outlay, expenditure; scole ~ [see scole n.(2), sense 1.(c)]; (d) ?service.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.507 : He sette nat his benefice to hyre And leet his sheep encombred in the myre.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6778 : Þou sal it quit..And elles noght, namli in dede I-lete to hire for ani mede.
- (1445) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 482 : For the hyr of chetill of John Crose, iiij d.
- (1446) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 484 : It., payd for the here of the rope and the caryage in and owte, vj s. viij d.
- (1474) Paston (Gairdner)5.207 : Item, I send you herwith the pylyon for the male, and x s. for the hyer, whyche is usery, I tak God to rekord.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)64a : To lat to hyre: locare.
b
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.506 : Wel wot I, whil my lyf was in quyete, Er thow me slowe, I wolde have yeven hire.
- a1500 Religious pepille (BodPoet b.4)27 : Law so parfit þat woll chaunge for no hire.
c
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)64a : Hyere [Monson: an Hyre]: jmpendium.
d
- a1250 HMaid.(Tit D.18)13/156 : Ha is us swiðe god freond & help of treowe hure.
3.
?One hired to take care of a household; a steward.
Associated quotations
- (1450) RParl.5.206a : Youre said Besecher, his hirez and servantz in his absence, may therof be utterly acquit and discharged aȝeins oure said Soveraine Lorde the Kyng and his heirez.