Middle English Dictionary Entry
hōm-wā̆rd adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | hōm-wā̆rd adv. Also hā̆mward, ham(m)ard & homardward, homerward, hammartward. |
| Etymology | OE hāmweard |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. hom n.
1.
(a) Towards one's house or place of abode; on the way home; going home; in the environs of one's house; (b) towards one's native city or district; (c) towards one's own country; in the direction of one's native land; -- sometimes with in-to, to, unto phr.; (d) on the way back, in the direction of the place whence one came; outward and ~; (e) ben ~, to be returning to the place whence one came; (f) upon reaching home, at one's homecoming.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)26/20 : Far ðe nu hamweard, & ȝetimiȝe þe swa swa ðu llyfdest.
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)1627 : Þis child gredinde hamward gan ȝongue.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)257/51 : Ase he toward churche was, his wijf hamward he mette.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)4836 : When he hir finde no may, Homward he most take þe way.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1772 : He..fled as fast homward as fet miȝt drie.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2062 : When he was þus kyndely kend, Hastily hameward gan he [Seth] wende.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)277/39 : Þe Monk a Ros and hamward went.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pri.(Manly-Rickert)B.1734 : His felawe taughte hym homward pryuely Fro day to day til he koude it [the anthem] by rote.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.225 : Whan she homward [vr. hom] cam, she wolde brynge Wortes or othere herbes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3202 : He [Abraham]..hamward on his wai went.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1530 : They hym bad homward forto hye.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)6198 : He no ferthyr goon myth..But for to return homwerd ageyn.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4373 : He hammarde vpon his fete dude gon.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1064 : Hast þow hyet hyt [service] to þe ende, Þat þou myȝtes hamward wende?
- c1460 Cursor (LdMisc 416)10610 : Echon home-ward strawght.
- c1475 Brm.Abraham (Brm)420 : Cum on with me, my owyn swet sonn, And homward fast now let us goon.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)3769 : Whanne he is ther homeward he will hym dresse.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)28/182 : Lord, homward will I hast as fast as that I may.
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)22/20 : Ða..þe kyng..wende him hamweard.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2480 : Al þe puple..dede hem homward.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.988 : The day was come that homward moste he torne.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7108 : Quen þat he had his errand dune, Again homward he went als sune.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.1567 : Troyens..For lak of lyȝt entre þe cyte And..þei homward be repeired.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.91 : And Troilus to Troie homward he wente.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)63 : Joseph toke the wey fro..Jerusalem homward into Nazareth.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)156/9 : Hamward I rede we hye.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)6290 : Out of þe diocyse whils he farde, [he]..hyed him faste hamwarde.
- (1466) Paston4.228 : To xii pore men beryng torches from London to Norfolk..takyng eche..on the day iiii d. and for iii dayes in goyng homerward, takynge every day vi d.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)828 : Homeward can they fare..Tyll to that cyte they came.
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)23170 : Oðer..wend þe riht hamward oðer..þu scalt habben græt fiht.
- a1275 Wolle ye i-heren (Trin-C B.14.39)41/72 : Þes kinges..þene riste wei hem taiste hammard in-to here owene londe.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)312 : Heo nomen heore leue of him and hamward a-ȝein heo turnden.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2376 : Iosep..bad hem rapen hem homward swiðe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5454 : Þe king edward & is men hamward ywend were.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4029 : Let ous our iorne take, Hamward aȝen to ryde.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.966 : Homward to Rome they shapen hem to wende.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.981 : As thei forth homward wente, A rage of gret tempeste hem hente.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2434 : If he wald þar namar leind..he most hamward freli weind.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.4390 : Homward þei [the Greeks] hem spede, With tresour stuffid.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.692 : Guydo writ & seith, Suynge in ordre þe woful auenture Þat euery Greke homward did endure.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)62/10 : Þai will haste þam hameward, desirand to see þare wifes and þare childer.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)156/2 : I made my way in my commyng hamward vnto Rome.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2162 : He..taketh his leve, and homward sayleth he.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3050 : Þuse clerkus..boskede hem hamarde to go.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3443 : When he was in þe gret see hammartwarde, So gret a storme of wedur on hym fell.
- c1450 Whanne marye was greet (Lamb 853)135 : Homeward an aungil tauȝte hem [the three kings] nerre Anoþer wey þan þei had þouȝte.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)160/262 : From þe fende god yow defende homwarde ȝe wende.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)641 : Alle that cuntrey was fulle fayne, That he homeward was comyn ageyne.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306:Everett)31 : The same yere, the kynge comyng homard warde from Jerusalem, was take wythe the Duke of Ostrych.
d
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)16941 : Þe king heom ȝef leoue þenne to liðe ælc uærde heomward [Otho: hamward] swa heom bezst þuhte.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.794 : Homward he shal tellen othere two Of auentures that whilom haue bifalle.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)141 : We wil homward the same custome vse.
- (1436-7) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)244 : Item, payd for þe Kyngys dirige at Westmyster For bothyr and on þe Morwe to þe Masse owteward and homward.
- (1442) Let.Bekynton in RS 56.2245 : The said regent and my M' Hull with all their puissaunce went homward and comme to Burd' to mete.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)40/11 : Þei ordeyned of euery thyng grete plente, þat schulde suffise hem well by alle þe weye, boþe outeward and homward.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)490 : Þay..Gaue Kay þe venesun to lede, And hiet hamward gode spede.
e
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)147/25 : Godd..sade to is prophete ðe was ham-ward, 'Wand aȝean.'
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Horst.)70 : We were hamward in þe see; we nuste whar he bi-com.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1021 : The fame..Makth knowe how that the Gregois were Homward..Fro Troie.
- (?c1436) Duke Burgundy (Rome 1306)66 : The flemmynges..encountred Morteigne as he was homward.
f
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2867 : Y shuld sle þe fyrste þyng Þat y mette homwarde fro þe batayle.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1179 : He..telleth þe tirant how hit tourne wol Hamward by his hows and harme most hymself.
2.
To return to one's house; go towards one's own country.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.938 : To the Prestes yiftes grete Sche yaf, and homward be the Strete.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.2451 : This king homward to Macedoine.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1451) Paston2.65 : I lay on wayte vp-on hym on the heth as he shuld haue comen humward.
Note: New spelling
Note: Sense 1.(a)