Middle English Dictionary Entry
arwe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | arwe n. Also arewe, earewe, aruwe, arow(e, arugh-, aru, arw, aro, harwe, a narow(e. Pl. (early) ar(e)wen & ar(e)wes, aruis, arow(e)s, aras. |
| Etymology | OE ar(e)wan (dat. sg. & pl.), earh (nom. sg.), of rare occurrence; cp. OI ör, örvar. OE has strǣl & pīl. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An arrow [a slender wooden shaft, with metal point of various design, usually feathered at the butt, and shot from a bow; cp. quarrel bolt, shot from a crossbow]; brod ~, hoked ~, an arrow with flat, barbed head; attred ~, envenimed ~, an arrow with poisoned head; (b) shef of arwes, shef arwes, a bundle of 24 to 28 arrows, a quiverful.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12576 : Arwen [Otho: harwe] fluȝen ouer wal.
- ?c1225 Ancr.(Cleo C.6:Morton)98 : Þach hit reine arewen, ich habe a nede erende.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.King (LdMisc 108)45 : Huy benden heore bouwene..and heore Arewene riȝten.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)19 : He nam one aruwe envenimed.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)478 : Lamech droge is arwe ner, And letet flegen of ðe streng.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1119 : Mid arwen & mid quarels so muche folc..me slou.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)66 : Zuyfter þanne arwe ulyinde.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1966 : A bowe he [Cupid] bar and arwes brighte and kene.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1266 : With arwes brode under the side And bowe in honde.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1673 : Thanne shal youre soule vp to heuene skippe Swifter than dooth an arwe out of a bowe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)111a/a : As an archier sendiþ his arowis.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)300a/b : Tygris is most swifte beste in fliȝt, as it were an arwe, for þe pers clepeþ an arwe tigris.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1372 : Yn Rome fyl..A pestelens..some..Sawe arwys fro heuene shete, And smote men to þe deþ doun-ryȝt.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10036 : For aro [Ld: arow; Göt: arw; Trin-C: arwe], scott, and for quarel.
- a1400(?a1350) Siege Troy(1) (Eg 2862)1153 : Alisaunder..a bowe toke And drowȝ an arow vp to þe hooke And shet þe king.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.2789 : Archeris..with her arwes, filed scharp & rounde, And with quarelles, square whet & grounde.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1484 : [Cupid's] harowes of gold, and not of stiel.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3493 : He bent a sturdy bowe, And ther-In sette a narowe fyled kene.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1822 : Though that I sigh yit arwis reyne And grounde quarels sharpe of steell.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1905 : The shaft I drow out of the arwe..But the heed..Lefte bihynde in myn herte.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)77/15 : Noees fader slough kaym with an arwe.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)6b/b : Þe witte of drawynge oute of arewes.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)57a/b : The þridde instrument beþ holowe tenacles for hoked arwes [*Ch.(1): Barbulate arwez].
- (1428) Doc.in Sur.Soc.854 : In shappe and fourme of harowes.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)56 : An evil kepte tong glydith as an ele; it perchith as an arwe.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2591 : Hokyd arewes and quarelles.
- (1450) RParl.5.204a : Crossebowes, Quarelles; Longebowes, Arowes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1066 : Alexander..him a narawe hent, Droȝe, & at þe first draȝte him dreped.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1390 : With arows of atter envemonde[!].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2455 : Archars with arows with attrid barbis.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)42/16 : Ane arowe fethered with golde.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.51/20 : A bow & xij Aras.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)167 : A grete karl..with a bowe in his honde and his arowes vnder his girdell.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)3.324 : Half a shef of arwes.
- (?1429) Will York in Sur.Soc.4420 : j schaffe of pakok fedird arows.
- (1444) Will York in Sur.Soc.30113 : A sheef of arwys.
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57194 : My mastyr delyveryd hym xx sheffe arowis and x bowis.
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57225 : My mastyr payd ffor xiiij di. sheffe aruis, conteyning to the di. sheffe xiiij aruys, viij.d.
- (1467) Acc.Howard in RC 57591 : My master paid fore a sheff aruis fore hym v s.
- a1475 Herkyn to my tale (Brog 2.1)p.86 : Ther com..xx salt ellys, and eych of them a scheyf arrous [Adv: with a sckeyfe of arrwus].
- a1525(?1450) Cov.Leet Bk.224 : Euery manne that hathe ben meyre Withein the Cite of Couentre shall haue redy & dayly withe-in his place..iiij sheff arowes & iiij bowes & also oder wepons.
2.
arwe-cas, arrow case, quiver (also used fig.); ~ draught, shot of an ~, (the distance of) a bowshot; ~ girdel, a girdle for holding arrows; ~ he(ve)d, arrowhead; the figure of an arrowhead [quot. 1386]; ~ shaft; ~ smith, ~ makere.
Associated quotations
- (1278) in Fransson Surn.156 : Rog. le Aruesmyth.
- (1305) in Fransson Surn.155 : Ric. Le Aruwemakiere.
- (1315) in G.Otto Handwerkernamen30 : Arrowsmyth.
- 1371-3 *Acc.Exch.K.R.397/10.m.3 [OD col.] : Quarelshaftes..arughshaftes.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 370)1 Par.18.7 : Dauid toke the golden arewe cases.
- (c1385) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103594 : In 40 Shafe de Arowheuedes, 14 s.
- (1386) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.489 : [Several barrels of ale with a mark called] arewehede [saying that those barrels were for the household of the king].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)280a/a : They [harts] eteþ þer of [diptanum] and casteþ out arwes and arwehedes, whanne þey beþ y wounded of hunters.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)145/6 : Manye men han born an arowe-heed in þe parties of her face bi longe tyme.
- (1405-6) Statutes Realm2.153 : Pur ceo que les Arrousmythes font plusours testes de setes & quarelx deffectifs.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2026 : Þe mountance of ane arow-draght.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.27.11 : Pigmeis, that weren in thi touris, hangiden her arewgirdlis [WB(2): arowe casis] in thi wallis.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.27.3 : Take thin armeres, arewe caas [vr. arwes caas; WB(1): quyuer; L pharetram], and a bowe.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.26.15 : The forseid douȝtir..Schal opene the arowe caas aȝens ech arowe [marg.: that is, schal schewe hir schamefast membris to ech that axith; mannus ȝerde is clepid an arowe at Ebreys].
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)118/9 : Þe ferthe [host] commez behind him, as it ware ane arow draght [Tit: bowe draught].
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)12.358 : As brod it was As the schot Of An Arwe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1588 : Armurers, Arowsmythis with Axes of werre.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)241/7 : An harwe-heued or a quarel.
- (1467) Acc.Howard in RC 57591 : Fore ane arew gyrdille and a shaffte vj d.
- (1468-72) Stonor1.99 : To bye wyth arowe hedes.
3.
Combs.: dogge ~; cloth ~, ?an arrow the length of a 'cloth-yard'; pecok ~, an arrow tipped with peacock feathers; Scotish ~, see quot.; shef arwes, arrows furnished in bundles, cp. shef of ~ in l; wolf ~.
Associated quotations
- (1315) Plea R.Edw.II in WSAS 1016 : [A barbed arrow called a] clotharewe..[a barbed arrow called a] Doggearewe.
- (1315) Plea R.Edw.II in WSAS 1017 : [A barbed arrow called a] wolfarewe [made of ash and three-quarters of an ell in length]..Scotische arewe [an ell in length, and feathered with the red feathers of a peacock].
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.104 : A yeman..A sheef of pecok arwes..Vnder his belt he bar ful thriftily.
- (1474) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)11.838 : Our said Soveraigne Lord streitly Chargeth..that noe Fleccher make ne doo to be made any maner of Taccle for Shoting but only Shefe Arowes.
4.
Used fig. (a) of love; (b) of virtues, such as charity, remorse; (c) of temptation to sin, seductive glances; (d) of verbal attacks, such as threats or nagging.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)885 : So louely loue..lent him an arewe hetterly þurth his hert.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)4314 : An aru [Vsp: flan] þat es wid wild fir brent, First to brinne þi hert wid-ine, And siþen to strangil þe in sine.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5462 : Cupide..woundid hym depe to þe herte With þe arwe of golde.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)953 : The swiftest of these arowis fyve..was clepid Beaute.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1723 : The God of Love..tok an arowe..And shet att me..That thorough myn ye unto myn herte The takel smot.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.691 : The firy tyndis of his brennyng harwe.
b
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)63/16 : [Reuhðe] cumþ of ðare iwundede herte ðe bien iwunded mid godes arewen.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.192 : A man in þis tour [Christian virtues] drediþ not arwis ne dartis, but arwis of Goddis Word overcomen enemyes.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)2/24 : Thou Lord..hast hitte our hertis with þe hote arowys of charite.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)336 : And yf..the fende..stere all vices agayn the, thou shalt smyte hym with the arowe of penaunce.
c
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)14/191 : Te alde feond..scheoteð niht & dei his earewen idrencte of an attri healewi.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)26/15,23 : Eien beoð þe earewen & te ereste armes of lecheries pricches..Þe earewen of þe liht eien, þet fleoð lihtliche uorð ase earewe [Tit:Morton): flan] þet is iviþered.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.116 : Lecherye..bare a bowe..and manye blody arwes [C: brode arwes], Weren fethered with faire biheste.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)421 : Þus can anticrist..sende his arowis to wounde þe puple, & moue consciense of men þat þey leeue goddis lore & take þe lore þat þe pope biddiþ.
d
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1203 : For thogh thyn housbond armed be in maille, The arwes of thy crabbed eloquence Shal perce his brest.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.225 : Many a shef of othes And brode hoked arwes [C: harwes].
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)72/1 : An arow wounding is her tung, for it spekiþ gile.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1183 : Yffe ȝe take hede be weye of gentilnes, Of manassyng swiche arwes for to schete.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)9.15 : Orygene..to old translacioun meyngide þe translacioun of theodocyon..with Obelo, þat is, with þe syngne of ane arow, whenn he eny wast þinges distruyiþ
Note: New sense