Middle English Dictionary Entry
irchǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | irchǒun n. Also hirchoun, h)irchon, -un, -in, irichon, hirichoun, irchouon & urchoun, h)urchon, hurchin, urchun, -en, -eon, -ion, urchim, nurchon & orchon, norchon & erchon. |
| Etymology | AF hirchoun, herichon; cp. CF heriçon. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
(a) A small, spine-bearing, Old World mammal belonging to the genus Erinaceus; a hedgehog; also fig. [quot.Pilgr.LM]; (b) a heraldic representation of a hedgehog.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)179/50 : With quareles and with Arewene heo maden him [St. Sebastian] woundes starke..heo stikeden al-so þicke on him so yrichon deth of piles.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)771 : Li hirchoun: hirchoun [vr. urchoun].
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)142/4 : Þe ilke roche is Iesu crist him-zelf..þer him resteþ þe irchouon, ase zayþ þe sauter, þet by þe milde herten y-carked mid þornes of ssarpnesse of penonce.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)705 : Hereson: irchoune.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.103.18 : The ston refut to irchounes [L herinaciis].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Zeph.2.14 : Onacratalus..and the yrchoun [WB(2): irchun; L ericius] shuln dwelle in the threshefoldis therof.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)289a/a : The yrchoun hatte hirenacius and is a beste y-hiled wiþ prikkes harde and scharpe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)289a/b : Wilde yrchouns gendreþ stondynge wiþ bak y-torned to bak.
- a1400 Alphita (SeldArch B.35)55 : Echini, i. ericii terestri, gall. hirison, angl. hirichoun.
- a1400 Recipe MS Hal.in Rel.Ant.1 (Hal 335)51 : Tak the grees of an urcheon and the fatte of a bare.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)107/9 : Þo tok þai Kyng Edmunde..and made Archires to him shote with Arwes, til þat his body stickede alse ful of Arwes as an hirchone is ful of prickes.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)59 : Ne þe yrchon loued no þyng more þanne take apples þat leth lowe.
- a1425(c1340) Rolle Psalter (LdMisc 286)103.19 : The stone, that is, crist, is fleyng til vrchuns, that is, til thaim that are couerd with smale synnes.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3135 : Like sharp urchouns his her was growe.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)24b/b : Ericius & erinacius: an hyrchyn.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)639/11 : Hic erinacius: hurchon.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)643/15 : Hic erinacius: nurchon.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)410/763 : The cursid Danys..Made him with arwis..Rassemble an yrchoun fulfillid with spynys thikke.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)227 : Stampe alle wyþ grece of abere & of abrok & of a yrchyn.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)133 : I [Noli me tangere] am the olde angry, the euele kembed, the evele tressed, the irchownes douhter.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)32a : Take & lat holde a fat hele & wach A gobet of þe hele in hurchyn blode.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)134b : An Vrchion: Ericius, Erinacius.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)240/17 : His body was as scharp þyckenes of arowes..þat a man can noȝt lykyne ouȝt like it but ȝif it be the body and bak of an scharp vrchon.
- a1500 Herkyn to my tale (Adv 19.3.1)p.81 : Moo marvels I founde, A norchon by tho fyre rostyng a greyhownde.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)700/10 : Hic urunacius: a urchen.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)70/9 : Take a ȝong vrchym and roste him to poudre.
b
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.4 (Hrl 2169)233 : [Gules a fesse silver between] iij orchonys [of silver].
1b.
(a) The common hyrax (Procavia syriaca) of Asia Minor; (b) some kind of porcupine.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.11.5 : An hyrchyn [vr. vrchon; L chœrogryllus], þat choweþ coode & dyuideþ not þe clee, is vnclene.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.14.7 : Þese ȝe sholyn not ete: chameyle, hare, hyrchun [vr. yrchun; L chœrogryllum].
b
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)193/22 : Þere ben also vrchounes als grete as wylde swyn here; Wee clepen hem Porcz de spyne.
2.
Some kind of sea urchin; perh. the common European edible species (Echinus esculenta); ~ fish, ~ of the se.
Associated quotations
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.188ra : The skin of þe water irchon is good for scabbe and the scrofles.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)289a/a : Aristotilis seiþ þat some yrchouns dwellen..in water & leggen many eyren þat ben nouȝt y-ete.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)123a/b : Ech day he anoynted with þis Rec[ipe] yriciorum, i. yrchonez, marinorum, i. of þe see.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.404 : Echinus, erchon fisshe is, as y gesse; This fish & lard & flicchis salt to kepe In iuste confeccioun, now takith kepe.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)62 : Conuiuium de piscibus pro viris Religiosis..Yrchouns, Elys y-rostyd, Leche lumbard.
3.
Cook. A dish made by roasting a stuffed pig's stomach stuck with slivered almonds or fried pastry.
Associated quotations
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)443 : Urchonys in Servise. Take the mawe of a grette swyne..and make prikkes of paste, and fry hom, and set hom in the mawes.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)38 : Yrchouns. Take Piggis mawys..take groundyn Porke, & knede it with Spicerye..& Salt & Sugre; do it on þe mawe..take a litel prycke, & prykke þe yrchons, An putte in þe holes þe Almaundys.