Middle English Dictionary Entry
hīve n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hīve n. Also hife, hiffe, hiwe, & huive, hufe & heve. Pl. hīves, hẹ̄ves & huiven, hẹ̄ven. |
| Etymology | OE hȳf |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A beehive; be(n ~ [see be n.]; (b) in comparisons and proverbial expressions; as a drane in a ~, as a drone in a hive; as the ~ swarmeth, as the bees swarm from the hive.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)135.137/2 : Wið þat beon ne atfleon, hoh hi to þare hufe; þanne beoð hi þar wuniende & næfre ne atfleoþ.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1031 : E mettez vostre veille rouche [glossed:] huive [vr. hive].
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)71/1408 : So faste hii gonne aboute him scheue, Ase don ben aboute þe heue.
- c1330 SMChron.(Auch)2094-6 : Anon he tok him þe be hiue And in to acres slong hem bi-liue. Of þe hiues gret plente He slong in to þat fair cite.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)816 : Ee hanatoun en ruche, Bee drumbil in hyue.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.367 : Men..þat..hadde alle maner bestes in kepyng in hyves [L alvearia], in layes, in fisshe weres and pondes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4582 : Out of the hyue [vrr. hyues, heven] cam the swarm of bees.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)144a/b : Also been sittiþ vppon þe hyues and soukeþ þe superfluyte þat is in hony combes..þe kynges beþ nouȝt j-seye wiþoute þe huyues allone.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)272a/b : Also spiþeres ben enemyes to hem whanne þay come in þe huyuen & makeþ webbes.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)76 : La ruche seruira de aeps..þe hyve servyþ for been.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)77 : And þt ys a combe of hony y-called Þt in hywe makyn þyze bees.
- a1425 Gloss.Bibbesw.(AS 182)1039 : Hife [glossing AF (Cmb): rouche].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)54a/a : I fande a propre medecen taken of Auicen þat R[ecipe] fermenti mellis or filth of hyuez.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)242 : Hyve for bees: Alveare, alvearium, apiarium.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1038 : The keper..His hyuys hauynge redy forto take His swarmys yonge.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)5.187 : Thou shalt haue Hem lightyng in sum bush or tre; now shaue Hem into an hyue.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)465/20 : Þai knew þer Maker, & with þer wark in þe hyfe þai made a little chapell.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)142/11 : Þe bere delyteth myche in hony and þer-fore he goth to an heve, to a swarm of been, & lycketh awey here hony.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)310/1021 : Take A sponefull of hony oþer of the hyffe and streyn it.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)64b : Hyve: Alueare, Aluearium. A hive: Apiare, Apiarium, Apiaria.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)345/191 : Till vs all he cam..and etten hase hony takyn of a hyfe.
b
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1127 : Þær he wunede eall riht swa drane doð on hiue.
- ?c1335 Nou ihc for þi (Hrl 913)63 : Hit falliþ bi children þat beþ quede As fariþ bi been in hiue: Whan fader ȝuief [?read: ȝiueþ] ham londe and leede, Þe ȝung wol þe old ut-driue.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4373 : He was as ful of loue and paramour As is the hyue ful of hony swete.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1693 : Right so as bees out swarmen of an hyue, Out of the deueles ers they gonne dryue.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)223 : Fellen fro þe fyrmament fendez ful blake..Hurled into helle-hole as þe hyve swarmez.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1356 : Men moost..to and fro ek ride and gon as blyve Alday as thikke as been fleen from an hyve.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)1341 : He bereþ on everich browe As bristelles of a sowe, His heed greet as an hive.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Cock (Hrl 2255)121 : Foo vnto hevys and enemy is the drane.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)10b : Þogh a coward be vsed to armes..Forsoþe he is but as a drane in an hyue, and deuoureþ and etiþ out þe hony.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1522 : I herde a noyse aprochen blyve That ferde as been don in an hive.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2308 : He is hardy as leown..Profitable as the Bee in his heve.