Middle English Dictionary Entry
impe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | impe n. Also imp, imppe, himpe & (in place names) im-. Pl. impes, impen. |
| Etymology | OE impa |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A branch of a tree; a shoot, sprig; a sucker shoot; (b) a scion, a graft; (c) a young tree; a sapling, a seedling; also fig.; (d) a tree; (e) ~ garth (yerd), a garden or nursery where seedlings or graftings are grown or cultivated; ~ tre, a grafted tree, an orchard tree.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)22/463 : Hak awai þe grete bouȝ..Þan mai, wiþouten letting, Min himpe iolifliche spring.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3146 : Of feble trees ther comen wrecched ympes.
- a1425(c1340) Rolle Psalter (LdMisc 286)127.4 : Thi sunnys as new ympis of olifis in vmgang of thi worde [read: borde].
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)641 : Þar bisid sone gan he se A litel ymp..And out of þe tre rote it sprang.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)418 : Thei were in a gardin by the fountayne hem to disporte, and were sette vpon an ympe.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.137 : I am wrath..I was sum tyme..þe couentes Gardyner for to graffe ympes.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)259 : Impe, or graffe: Surculus, novella.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)195 : An Impe; vbi A grafte.
- a1500 Hal.Gloss.(Eg 829)8 : Novellæ, ymps, quæ crescunt de radicibus arborum vel arboribus inseruntur.
c
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)193/16,18 : Ȝunge impen [L Nouelle plantationes] me bigurd wið þornes leste beastes freoten ham hwil ha beoð mearewe..ȝe beoð ȝunge impen iset i godes orchard.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)94/34,35 : Þerne gardyn [the soul of good man] zette..god..huanne he nhesseþ þe herte and makeþ zuete and tretable..ase land guod and agrayþed and worþi þet hy by yzet mid guode ymȝen. Þe ilke ympen byeþ þe uirtues þet þe holy gost be-deaweþ myd his grace.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)19.6 : We comen in-to a contree corhominis hit hyhte..Euene in þe myddes an ympe, as hit were, Þat hihte ymago-dei graciousliche hit growede.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6293 : Thou planten most elleswhere Thyn ympes, if thou wolt fruyt have.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)39/32 : Thus þanne..þou maist se þat þe tre of charyte is norischid in mekenes, bryngynge out of hym bisyde þe tre an ympe of parfiȝt discrecyoun.
d
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)76/1626 : Þe louerd had [read: haþ] o gardin, A wel fair ympe is þar in; A fair herber hit ouer spredez.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1936 : Bid biliue ȝowre gardinere Hew doun þat ymp vnto þe fire.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)1724 : Hys fayre hympe..That sprade so brood and so heye, I lete hewyt by the more.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4819 : Past þai doun..in-to a playn launde, Quare all þe gronde was..growen full of Impis..Quare-of þe feloure & þe frute as fygis it sawourd.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)950 : I haue no tyme treuly to telle alle þe names Of ympes and herbes and oþer feele thinges That growed on þat gardyn.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.40.83b : He saughe sittyng vnder an ympe in an herber a..fair damysel.
e
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)70 : Þai sett hem doun al þre Vnder a fair ympe-tre [vr. hympe-tre].
- (1337-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.9934 : In semine seporino, et semine canab. emp. pro le ympyard.
- (1377-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99131 : In factura unius deambulatorii de Aula usque ad le ymppeyard..58 s. 6 d.
- (1446-7) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.9984 : Et eidem pro custodia orti Cellerarii vocati ympgarth, 2 s.
2.
(a) The offspring of a noble family; (b) ?a representative.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390(1377) Death Edw.III (Vrn)89 : Weor þat Impe ffully growe, Þat he had sarri sap and piþ, I hope he schulde be kud..ffor Conquerour of moni a kiþ.
- (c1412) Hoccl.RPEnvoy (Roy 17.D.6)5442 : O litell booke, who yafe the hardynesse Thy wordes to pronounce in the presence Of kynges Impe and princes worthynesse?
b
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Conf.(Dub 245)334 : A frere þat is a confessour to kyng or to a duke is ympe or pere to a bishop.
3.
In place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.280-1].
Associated quotations
- (a1135) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)286 : Impecroft.
- (c1250) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)87 : Ympegard.
- (1295) EPNSoc.12 (Ess.)446 : Ympen-hille.
- (1316) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)117 : Imhaghe by Putteworth.
- (1336) EPNSoc.11 (Sur.)226 : Le Impetoun.
- (1380) EPNSoc.36 (West Riding Yks.)213 : Ymppeȝherd.
- (1383) EPNSoc.12 (Ess.)583 : Le Ympehegge.
- (1432) EPNSoc.19 (Cmb.)40 : Le Impeye.