Middle English Dictionary Entry
hī̆rn(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hī̆rn(e n. Also hiron, hierne, hurn(e, huirne, huirene, heorne, hern(e, erne, heren, herin, heiron, harn. Pl. hī̆rnes, etc. & (early) hū̆rnen. |
| Etymology | OE hyrne |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A corner of a room, building, field, etc.; also, a recess or niche; fig. an intricacy; halkes and hirnes, nooks and corners; (b) a hiding place, secret nook or cranny; halkes (holes) and hirnes; from hale to ~, from one refuge to another; (c) innermost part, depths; (d) a cell or dungeon, the pit of hell; helle ~, q.v.; (e) ~ ston, a cornerstone.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1677 : An waȝherifft..wass Þær henngedd i þatt hirne.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)20/20 : Com ut of an hurne hihendliche towart hire an unwiht of helle.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)14 : Þe niȝtingale bigon þe speche In one hurne of one breche.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)371/163 : To þe four huyrnes [Corp-C: heornes] he fleuȝ a-boute.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)691 : Þo i-saiȝ he þis holi man In one huyrne stonde.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)108 : He bi-heold a-boute in-to eche huyrne [Corp-C: angle].
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)1145 : Merlin him cleped to an herne & to him told tales derne.
- (1338) in Salzman Building in Engl.206 : 3 pieces for a herne, 2 s.
- ?c1350 Ballad Sc.Wars (Jul A.5)71 : In ilke ay hirn ii herd ay lay, And levedys, south, me loude sange.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3201 : Þe quen..vn-laced out of þe hidous hidus & in a hirne hem cast.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.9 : Þoo toke I hede þat þis matir, as laborintus, Dedalus hous, haþ many halkes and hurnes, wonderful weies, wyndynges and wrynkelynges.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.313 : Laborintus is an hous wonderliche i-buld wiþ halkes and hernes [vr. hirnes], wiþ tornynges and wendynges.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)378 : Þenne spekes an ymage in a-noþer huirne.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)289 : With þat he hitte to a hyrne & helde hym þerinne, Þer no de-foule of no fylþe watz fest hym abute.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)3220 : He herd þaire strakes þat war ful sterin, And ȝern he waytes in ilka heryn.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)54b/a : Quinquang[u]l[u]s: of fyf hurnes.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)241 : Hyrne: Angulus.
- a1450(a1400) SLeg.Corp.Chr.(Bod 779)124 : Þe stoon þat þe bylderus forsook..an heed-ston in an herne is maked.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3577 : Þen come þe sexsten to serche þe chirche..& sey hem in an hyron þere so lorche.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3986-7 : He seyȝe þat cursede Bryxin..Stondyng in an heyron þere..In an heyron þere byfore þe auter of seynt Ede.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8390 : Faire pillers were þere proude, all of pure coper, In ffoure hyernes of the house hogely fest.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.211 : He drough him to an herne at þe halle ende.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)6275 : Abowte hem he began to stare In euery hyrone here and there.
b
- 1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1131 : Her him trucode ealle his mycele cræftes; nu him be-hofed þæt he crape in his mycele codde in ælc hyrne gif þær wære hure an unwreste wrenc þæt he mihte get be swicen anes Crist & eall Cristene folc.
- ?a1300 Fiftene toknen (Dgb 86)125 : Þene sulen to hurne turne Þe fendes for drede and þider herne.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)2433 : Hi ne durste þannes go..Þer hi hulde ham in an hurne.
- a1350 Ich herdemen (Hrl 2253)35 : Þus we beþ honted from hale to hurne; þat er werede robes, nou wereþ ragges.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7343 : He ne ssoolde abbe in al engelond an herne [vr. erne] to wite him Inne.
- a1350 Horn (Hrl 2253)1383 : Hue comen out of hurne to horn swyþe ȝurne.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)688 : He wende þat sche here had hed in sum hurne.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)13 : Þei bosked hem out þat hudden hem in huirenes.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)2.209 : Alle fledden for fere and flowen in-to huirnes [vrr. hernes, hyrnes, hirnnes].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.402 : Astaroth and al þe route hidden hem in hernes [C: heornes; vrr. hirnes, hernys].
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)178 : Þis watz sette in asent, & sembled þay were, Herȝed out of vche hyrne to hent þat falles.
- (1415) Hoccl.Oldcastle (Hnt HM 111)382 : They fledden nat to halkes ne to hernes.
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)28 : For euer homlynes & towchinges & halkus and hernes & cussinges..bringeth men & women to syn.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1362 : Mony wyues..Hyd hom in houles and hyrnys aboute.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3214 : Þai heȝe þaim to holes & hyrnes & hydis þaim belyue.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)119/3 : And þan shal Iherusalem be serched in lanternes, & þan shul be open þe hernys [vr. hydels] of derkenes.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)25 : They went fyscheng with envye, Ande pull yt owt of hyrnys and hoollys, There as they fynd the fatte soollys.
- a1500 Theoph.(RwlPoet 225)p.12 : Al mennis cumpany now I fle ffor schame of my pouerte And hyde me in hernys allone.
c
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)162/11 : Ah hwa se haueð ȝeorne isoht alle þe hurnen of his heorte.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.264 : Now trowest þou þat þei ben of suche a myght For to enserche þe innermoste herne Of mannes soule and all his þoghtes lerne?
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.1622 : If philosophie were looked in his preuy herne, Ye shulde fynde þere þat planetis alle ben made.
d
- a1325 SLeg.Blase (Corp-C 145)175 : Warto wolde ye leng us witie in þis heorne [rime: turne]?
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)371/449 : Herke, belsabub and belyal, sere sathan in the herne, vs fettyn oure servauntis to this preson.
e
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6824 : He wass himm sellf þatt hirnestan Þatt band ta tweȝȝenn waȝhess.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)13358 : Crist iss ec þatt hirnestan Þatt bindeþþ tweȝȝenn waȝhess.
2.
(a) A remote or out-of-the-way place; hirnes of the world, the ends of the earth; (b) bit, part; al echere ~, in every part, altogether; in everi ~, everywhere; on eche ~, on every side.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1121 : Yonge clerkes that been lykerous To reden artes that been curious Seken in euery halke and euery herne, Particuler sciences for to lerne.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)24 : He prayed þat he myȝt withe me goo in to som herne or halke.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)18.4 : Aboute the erthe passed the fame of the apostels, and in hirnes of the warld [L fines orbis terre] the wordes ȝede that thai sayd.
b
- a1300(OE) Deed Crediton (CotR 2.11)116 : And þo hich halȝede þane cherichay, al hechere hurne al hondreit daȝe.
- c1300 SLeg.Pilate (Hrl 2277)137 : 'Maie þulke ymage oȝt For enie gold oþer siluer to þemperour beo ibroȝt?' 'Þat nis noȝt,' quaþ þis wyf, 'for al his gold iwis Bugge ne miȝte þe leste hurne þat þeron is.'
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3695 : Þat he som hurne of þe lond grantede hom þere, Warinne hii leuede &..seruage him bere.
- a1350 Dream Bk.(1) (Hrl 2253)138 : Ȝef þou etest of þystles ȝurne, þy fomon þe freteþ on vche hurne.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1294 : Þenne wyth legiounes of ledes over londes he rydes, Herȝez of Israel þe hyrne aboute.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)2541 : But ministres to seelde hem wel gouerne; Oppressioun regneth in euery herne.
3.
In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.276].
Associated quotations
- (c1180) EPNSoc.13 (War.)18 : Hurnlee.
- (1199) EPNSoc.13 (War.)18 : Hernlega.
- (?c1200) in Wallenberg PNKent344 : De Herindenn.
- (1212) CRR(2) 6289 : Robertus del Hirne.
- (1271) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.102 : Hernham.
- (1275) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)342 : De la Hurne.
- (1276) Let.Bk.Lond.B (Gldh LetBk B)264 : Richard Attehernehuse.
- (1295) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames113 : Joh. in la Huyrne.
- (1303) Let.Bk.Lond.C (Gldh LetBk C)193 : Walter atte Hyerne.
- (1306) Close R.Edw.I480 : Thomas Hurneman.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3138 : Johannes atte Hurne.
- (1327) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 7208 : Lucia in le Huyrne.
- (1346) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.102 : Harnam.
- (1398) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.112 : Hirnhous.
- (1415) EPNSoc.29 (Der.)527 : Pynnokhyrne.
- (1422) EPNSoc.15 (Hrt.)256 : Wodekockesherne.
- (1428) Feudal Aids 5238 : Hugo Herneman.
- (1475) EPNSoc.12 (Ess.)583 : Tunfordeherne.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.56vb (2.7) : It [the brain] is rounde for þis skil..þat it schulde haue no anglis, i. none hernes ne corners, in whiche schulde superfluytes gaderen.
Note: Additional quot.