Middle English Dictionary Entry
hīren v.
Entry Info
| Forms | hīren v. Also hier, huren, huri, huiren, heren. Forms: p. hīrede, etc. & huirde, hẹ̄rd(e; ppl. hīred, hīriid, hijred, hūred, huired, hẹ̄red, hẹ̄ried. |
| Etymology | OE hȳrian |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To hire (sb.) to work for wages, etc.; also fig.; ppl. hired, hired, working for pay; (b) to rent (sth.); (c) to reward (sb.), pay (sb.); (d) to bribe (sb.); pay (sb. to commit a crime).
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)67/17 : Godd deð in his tresor þe unwreaste & te uuele forte hure [Nero: huren] wið ham as me deð wið gersum þeo þe wel fehteð.
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)220/203 : On goodman was þat ferst uut yede bi þe Moreghen for to here werkmen in to his winyarde.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)377/43 : And þat ich him, ȝif he freo man were, huyrde him deore i-nouȝh.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)236 : A man..sette a gret vyne..And hurede him eorþ-tylyers.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)4317 : Þe best conseil þat y can: Part we alle our man, & hire we alle þo Þat we wiþ catel may ago.
- (1370) Doc.York in Sur.Soc.35182 : Fra tyme yt he be receavyde till ye forsayde werke als lang als he sall dwell masonn hyryd atte wyrk.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.19.13 : Þer shal not abyde anuntys þe þe werk of þyn huryd seruaunt [L mercenarii] vnto þe morwe.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.20.7 : No man hath hirid [L conduxit] us.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.50 : Þe Aldirman shal..hyren a man..to bryng hym to þe erthe.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)920 : Fel hyt on a satyrday A man hyred [vr. herede] folke to ful pay.
- c1425 Liber de Hyda in RS 45158 : And to alle my stywardys thyrty handfull of goold, and to all mennys prestys I hyryd [L conductitiis], the wyche I wole they praye for me.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3062 : It neded hem no wepers for to here; Þei hadde Inowe of her owne stoor.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4150 : He hirede hem to make a tour.
- (1429) Will Braybroke in Ess.AST 5300 : I wol and ordeyne that thre preestes be hired to goo on pilgrimage for me.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)28/10 : Hys confessowr jnyoined hym in party of penawnce þat he schuld o ȝer hyer men to chyde hym.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)42b : For þere were oþer ordeyned to þese werkes þe whiche were hured þerto, and þerfore þey were clepid hired men.
- a1450(c1409) Man haue hit (Dgb 102)28 : Here noo oþer to don þy dede.
- (1450) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.325 : No persons of the said craft of barbours..huyre no ffraunchised man of the same craft oute of his shopp ne dwellyng place.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.51 : An hoste of men hyrede ȝaf to hym resistence.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)78/4 : How þe hyrid laborer ouȝte bere him anentis his hyrer.
- (1479) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 59/11)p.66 (75/5) : Your man wyth your akys com sowre seyk to Calles, and sow my ostys keped hyme a day and a nyght, and thyne we herd ij womon in the towne and the keped hyme at anoder howsse in the towne, and sow he ys deyd and theparded to God, God haue marsse on ys sowlle.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)30441 : Þa scipen heo gunnen hure mid ahten swiðe deore.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)30696 : And eorð-hus heo hureden [Otho: hurede] stið biwaled on eorðen.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)752 : A god schup he hurede [Ld: he him herde], Þat him scholde londe In westene londe.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1161 : Þo wende forþ a man..and huyrde him a mere.
- c1375(?c1280) SLeg.Advent,etc.(Eg 1993)98/811 : At thars heo hureden schipes & þer forþ þene wey toke.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 28.30 : Sotheli he dwellide alle two ȝeer in his hijrid place [L in suo conducto].
- (1423) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.148/228 : The names of Crafftes and Fraternites, þat deden hyren owr halle..with þe sommes of monye þat þey dede payen.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)143/2 : He had hiryd a chawmbyr for hys modyr & for hym, & so they dwellyd to-gedyr.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)14192 : To Souþhaumptone he tok þe sty, & huyred hym schipes al redy.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13110 : With two schippis full schene, þat þe schalk hiret, He come vnto Crete.
- (1473-5) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.p.ci : William Bowman..hired xxx hakney horses for the conveiaunce of the ambassitours of Fraunce to the see coste.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)375 : For cariage þe porter hors schalle hyre.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)256 : He hirid a shippe to passe the water towarde the holy londe.
c
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.490 : Þan schustow hire me al to dere To ȝiue me þi lond in swiche manere.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.296 : But ȝif he be heiȝliche hirid [vrr.hyryyd, hered, heryed; B: huyred], ellis wile he chide.
d
- a1275 A vidue (Trin-C B.14.39)3 : A riche hurede tre false widnesse, Of sale to tellen sikyrnesse.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.23.4 : Þey huryd [L conduxerunt] aȝeyns þee balaam þe sone of Beor fro Mesopotamie.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pri.(Manly-Rickert)B.1757 : An homycide ther to han they hired, That in an aleye hadde a pryuee place.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.391 : Whos tunge neither pyl ne crouche Mai hyre, so that he pronounce A plein good word withoute frounce.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)786,801 : He was fast about, boþe day and oþer, For to hyre þe quest to hangen his broþer..The fals knight his broþer, forȝat he nat þat, To huyre þe men on his quest to hangen his broþer.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3228 : Certeyn men..Had hered him þat tyme to þis entent, That he schuld sle þe bisschop.
2.
(a) To agree to work for wages; hire (sb., oneself) out; (b) to rent (sth.) out, rent (sth. to sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)54 : For a wyntur corn-threscher, ser, I haue hyryde.
- c1490(1471) LRed Bk.Bristol2.127 : Divers persons of Weuers Crafte of the seid Towne of Bristowe puttyn, occupien, and hiren ther wyfes, doughtours and maidens, some to weve in ther owne lombes and some to hire them to wirche with othour persons of the seid Crafte.
b
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)252 : He wole..hury to oþere men his vyne.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 12.1 : A man plauntide a vyneȝerd..and hirede it [vr. settide it to ferme; L locavit eam] to erthe tilieris.