Middle English Dictionary Entry

hir(e pron.(1)
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Entry Info

Forms hir(e pron.(1) Also ir(e, her(e, er(e, heir(e, heore, hare, hur(e, hurre, huere.
Etymology OE hire. Often confused in form with ME hē̆r(e pron.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

Note: Cp. he pron.(2).
1a.
With reference to persons: (a) denoting possession in a broad sense: her; (b) ~ ouen, her own.
Show 37 Quotations
1b.
With reference to female animals, or to creatures having feminine gender because of their gender in OE, OF, or L: her, its -- also used generically with reference to the tercil (which is male) [quot. ?a1450]; ~ ouen.
Show 14 Quotations
1c.
With reference to things, abstractions, the soul, etc.: (a) with an antecedent having feminine gender in OE or OF: its, her; ~ ouen; (b) with an antecedent having masculine or neuter gender in OE: its, her.
Show 18 Quotations
2.
Used absolutely, denoting possession: hers, its; ~ ouen.
Show 8 Quotations
3.
(a) As subjective genitive: of her, of it, her, its; ~ love, love felt by her; (b) as objective genitive: her, its; ~ love, love felt toward her; ~ messe, a mass performed for her; ~ per, an equal to her; for ~ worshipe, as an honor to her; (c) governed by noun: on ech half ~, on every side of her; on either half ~, on each side of her.
Show 17 Quotations
4.
?Equivalent to the genitive ending of a preceding noun [prob. sense 1a., but cp. OD her poss. pron. 3rd sing.fem. 3].
Show 1 Quotation

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • ?a1425(c1350) Apollonius (Dc 216)54 : By har dawe wymmen did þat offys of prest.
    Note: New spelling: Also..har.--per MLL
    Note: Probably belongs to sense 1a.(a) (Phrase 'bi har dawe' = 'in her lifetime'.)--per MLL

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • ?a1450 Poem Hawking (Yale 163)587 : Þe tarcell-gentill may nat defye, Sum-tyme her gorge nere eke ouer-putte.
    • Note: RE: the tercil
    Note: Modify gloss 1b.; fem. pron., but the 'tercil' is by definition the male; the 'falcon' is the female. This text uses fem. prons. generically for all refs. to all hawks--per MJW

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Added '-- also used generically with reference to the tercil (which is male) [quot. ?a1450]' to 1b. per green slip--JL

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