Middle English Dictionary Entry
hunten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | hunten v. Also hunt(e, huntien, hunti, hont(e(n, honti, hounten, hounti & (errors) hunden, honden, hunthen. P.ppl. i)hunted, i)hǒnted. |
| Etymology | OE huntian |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To hunt, go hunting; refl. [quot.: Orfeo]; hunt (wild animals); of birds: pursue (prey); (b) ~ after (at, for, to), to hunt (game); (c) to hunt in (an area); (d) ppl. huntand, as noun: a hunter or fowler.
Associated quotations
a
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1127 : Þa son þær æfter þa sægon & herdon fela men feole huntes hunten.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1432 : Ȝe huntieð [Otho: honteþ] i þes kinges friðe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6630 : Heo him þene king tahten, þer he hundede on comelan.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)2 : Ðe leun stant on hille; & he man hunten here..he..driueð dun to his den.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)1423 : Corineus was to wode ivare for hunti deor wilde.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)12295 : He huntede in on wode.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)256/5 : Ase he hountede [Corp-C: hontede] In a dai In Iolifte j-nouȝ, A swyþe fair heort he i-saiȝ.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)359 : Corineus þe stronge man..wende alond to honti.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)343 : An Herl of þe countre..Hadde ihonted a der oþer two.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)26/284 : Þe king o fairy wiþ his rout Com to hunt him al about.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)200 : Þe riche emperour of rome rod out for to hunte.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2070 : Yet peynted was..How Atthalante hunted the wilde boor.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.29 : He hontede in a woode þat heet Caltum.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.348 : Ther rod he forto hunte and pleie.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)52a/a : Foules wiþ croked toon and clawes..eten alle beestis þat þey may hunte & take.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)142a/b : He [þe egle] is I-febled in so moche þat he may not wel hunty briddes of oþir foules.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)280b/a : He seiþ þanne þat þe herte is y-hunted in þis manere.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3519 : Esau went for till hunt.
- a1400(?a1350) Siege Troy(1) (Eg 2862)492 : Furþ we went oure weyes seere And hunted þe wyld dere.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)97 : And if eny of þe hunters happen..to se an hert þat hym þenkeþ for þe hunted deer, hym owyth to blow a moot and rechace.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1780 : On haukyng wolde he ride, Or elles honte boor, beer, or lyoun.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)190 : I will for þi lordis tene Hunt [vr. Honte] in his woddis grene.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)15744 : Brian..took þo men þat were wont Go to chace, & ȝede to hont.
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)23/19 : Ther men huntyn with a maner of beste that is callid papoynes.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4492 : Bot anoþer mon..was take in þe parke of Clarindone hondyng.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)891 : To hounty yn ech mannys boundes, Hyt was hys wone.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)2032 : The kyng of Nazareth huntid there.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2586 : He to wode wende..to huntien [Otho: honti] after deoren.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2150 : Aboute his chaar ther wente white alauntz..To hunten at the leoun or the deer.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.32 : Go þou hunte hardily to [vrr. at, for] Hares and to Foxes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1926 : He koude hunte at wilde deer.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.223 : Holy churche hoteþ..lordes to honte..for fox and oþer bestes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1320 : Þe lorde of þe londe is lent on his gamnez, To hunt in holtez & heþe at hyndez barayne.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)492 : Þo wente we..To honte for þeo wilde deor.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.8.8 : If yow liketh to hunte to roos.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)63/18 : Þare aboutes er..grete plentee of wylde bestes for to hunt at.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)981 : Saw ye..Any of my sustren..With any wilde bor or other best, That they han hunted to?
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.4683 : He went Into forestis..To hunte at beestis.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)5 : He to Carelele was commene..For to hunnte at the herdys.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13455 : Thedur kynges wold come..ffor to hunt at the hert by the holt sydes.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)26 : To þe forest þa[y] fare To hunte atte buk and atte bare.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)573 : In to the foreste wyll we fare To hunte at the herte full yare.
- a1500(?c1400) Triam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)423 : There come a knyght..Huntyng aftur an hynde.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)183 : Yo do nought elles euery day but hunte after the hare through the feldes.
c
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2178 : Þan hastely hiȝed eche wiȝt..huntyng wiȝt houndes alle heie wodes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2444 : Menalippus and Polistenes And Adastus..Hunte a forest, a litel þere beside.
d
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)90.3 : He lesed me fra snare of hunthand [L venantium].
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)123/6 : Our saule als sparw es of band Outane, fra snare of huntand [vr. hontand].
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)90.3 : He delyuerd me of the snare of huntand.
2.
(a) To pursue (sb.), chase, drive; attack (sb.), oppress, torment; of a storm: toss or drive (a seaman); hunten to deth, kill (sb.); (b) ~ after, to pursue (sb.); ~ out, chase (sb.) out (of a place); (c) to seek (sth.) eagerly; (d) to catch (sth.), seize; catch (fish); (e) ~ a)bouten, to be busy about (sth.), attend to (sth.); ~ abouten nought, labor in vain, waste one's time; (f) ~ after, to seek to win (sb.) over, hunt (souls); seek (fame, praise, pleasure, sin), seek (one's own shame); of the Devil: tempt (a Christian).
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Ich herdemen (Hrl 2253)35 : We beþ honted from hale to hurne.
- a1350 Ich herdemen (Hrl 2253)56 : Þus þe grene wax vs greueþ vnder gore, þat me vs honteþ ase hound doþ þe hare.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5055 : Þou dest foliliche, Þo þou folwedest hunting Ani man in þis gret þring.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mic.7.3 : A man hunteth his brother to deth.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)353 : Þis ilke Tholomer þat þou weore wont to hunte..hiderward he buskes.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.210 : Þei gan him chace & hunted him als hayre.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.197 : He hunted hem so faste, Ther nas but Grekes blood.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2414 : Hym were levere than al the world a-londe, So hunteth hym the tempest to and fro.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4258 : Fers feghtande folke..Howntes and hewes down the heythen tykes.
- a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307)750 : Loues praye I trowe þou be, So harde he hunteþ þe to sle.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)46.116 : What with swerdes and with spere, They hunten kyng Mordrayns ful sore there.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)875 : We scholde with [hunger] hem honte, to hoke out of toun.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)154/81 : On þo wrecchis I wyll be wreke and hont hem vndyr ha[y].
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)205/1633 : Achilles hunted the host alle Too troye, to þe cyte wall.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.228 : He was halowid and y-huntid and y-hotte trusse.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)443 : Heom þouȝte, it was al for nouȝt after him to honten more.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2537 : While men hunted after hem, þai han a-wai schaped.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)13658 : With þis þei huntid him as a dogge Riȝt out of her synagogge.
c
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.748 : Ek som tyme it is a craft to seme fle Fro thyng whych in effect men hunte faste.
d
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)21 : Man, of þi schuldres and of þi side Þou miȝte hunti luse and flee.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)160b/a : Þerfore, as Aristotle seiþ, þey [fish] ben huntid er þe sonne aryse.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)87a/a : It is named Cancer for..his tenacite i. holdyng wiþ þe membre, as holding of þe Cancer i. crabbe, with þat þing þat it honteth or takeþ.
e
- c1300 SLeg.And.(Hrl 2277)57 : 'Þu liþere bern,' quaþ seint Andreu, 'þu huntest aboute noȝt; Þe more turment þu me dost, þe gladdere is mi þoȝt.'
- c1300 SLeg.Lucy (Hrl 2277)113-19 : Sire Iustise..þu huntest aboute noȝt..Þerfore hit is al for noȝt þat þu huntest aboute [Ld: hontest here-a-boute].
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)314 : Ðor-buten hunte if ic mai, Ic wene ðat ic and eue hise wif sulen adam bilirten of hise lif.
- c1375(?c1280) SLeg.Advent,etc.(Eg 1993)1027 : Þow wrecche king, þow hontest aboute nouȝt.
f
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)13460,13467 : Þurrh þat teȝȝ sholldenn posstless ben To..hunntenn affterr sawless..Teȝȝ sholldenn hunntenn, Acc nohht wtþþ hundess affterr der, Acc affterr menn wiþþ spelless.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)35/6 : Ha hunteð efter pris & kecheð lastunge.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)106/24 : Ful wil to þet fulðe wið skiles ȝettunge..hunti [Nero: hunten] þrefter wið wohunge.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)176/9 : As þah ich huntede efter licunge.
- a1250 Orison Lord (Nero A.14)203 : Iesu, hwuder schal ich fleon hwon þe deouel hunteð efter me, bute to þine rode?
- a1400 Ancr.Recl.(Pep 2498)102/32 : Þe flesche prikeþ and hunteþ þere after wiþ woweynge.
- a1450(?c1405) Lerne bodyly (Dgb 102)60 : So shal þyn horn oft blowe, And hunte after his owen shame.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)178 : Austin knoulechid him silf hunte out the dew litteral vndirstonding of Holi Scripture.
Note: Add gloss for sense 2.(c): ~ out, to seek (meaning), try to discover--per SMK