Middle English Dictionary Entry
lark(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lark(e n. Also lerke & laverok(ke, lavirok, laveroc(k, laverk(e, laverch(e & leverok, leverock & (in place names) lavereke-, lavirke-, leverke-, loverke-, livroche-; pl. larkes, etc. & (early) laverkene. |
| Etymology | OE lāwerce, lāwrice, lǣwerce, infl. lafercan-. Also cp. OI lævirki. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The skylark Alauda arvensis; also fig. [quot.Ichot a burde in a]; or the ~ ended, ?before the lark stopped singing; ~ ei, the egg of a skylark; exaltinge (flight, flok) of larkes, a flock of larks; (b) a lark used for food, the cooked flesh of a lark; (c) in proverb; (d) larkes fot, ?the field larkspur Delphinium consolida.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)412 : Phylomena: lauerche, alowe.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)455,458 : A gret hep of lauerkene..murie sounguen al þe longue niȝht..aȝein kuynde þei it were, For þe lauerke is a foul þat muche louez liȝht, And herethþ þane dai with hire song, and restez hire a-niȝht.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)226 : Damei des alouves [glossed:] larkes.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)177/3779 : A morwe þe lauerkes songe Whan þat þe liȝte day was spronge.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)388 : On morwe þo þe dai sprong, & þe larke bi-gan hire song.
- a1350 Ichot a burde in a (Hrl 2253)24 : He is þrustle..þe wilde laueroc ant wolc ant þe wodewale.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3534 : Duk Roland & Erld Olyuer þilke niȝt kepte þe wacche þer Til þe larke sunge.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1491 : The bisy larke, messager of day, Salueth in hir song the morwe gray.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4100 : Sche made many a wonder soun, Somtime lich unto the cock, Somtime unto the Laverock.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)324a/a : Larke eyren beþ litil and smale & spekked and beþ y-leyde vnder a clotte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)325a/a : Qvaile eiren beþ..more þan larke eiren..Þe quaile..is of lasse flight þan a larke and liþ vnder a clotte as þe larke doþ.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)738 : Leuerockes [vr. Then larkes] vpon lofte lyfteneþ her steuenes.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.196 : Whoso leide lynes to lacche wiþ larkes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.262 : Þe larke..is more louelich of ledne..þan þe pecok.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.2752 : Þe larke, messanger of day, Of custom ay Aurora doth salue With sondry notis.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1191 : What myghte or may the sely larke seye Whan that the sperhauk hath it in his foot?
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)662 : There myghte men see many flokkes Of turtles and laverokkes.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)37a/a : Laudula: a litel larke.
- c1430 In May whan euery (Cmb Gg.4.27)p.107 : Þe larke longe er it was day Gan mountyn hye in þe eyr.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2674 : Of larkes, of lynkwhyttez, þat lufflyche songen.
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)603 : A exaltynge of lerkys.
- c1450 Terms Assoc.(2) (Cmb Ll.1.18)232 : A flok off larkez.
- ?a1475 Gloss RSS in Sln.1986 (Sln 1986)56 : Lark [glossing:] parex.
- a1475 Holy berith beris (Hrl 5396)p.94 : Holy hath byrdys..The nyghtyngale, the poppynguy, The gayntyl lauyrok.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.1.87a : This be called larkes, which þat in Latyn han the name of praysyng and of worshepyng, and be called 'alaude'..and purely thei prayse God with hire mery song.
- a1500 Terms Assoc.(3) (Lamb 306)233 : A Flight of larkis.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7694 : All þes bold with þere batels brochet in swithe..mony lost hade þe lyffe or þe larke endit!
b
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1124 : Grives, alawes [glossed: larkes], e plovers rostiz.
- ?c1335(a1300) Cokaygne (Hrl 913)107 : Þe leuerokes..Liȝtiþ adun to man is muþ, Idiȝt in stu ful swiþe wel.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)p.101 : Tak Partrichys rostyd and checonys and qualys rostyd and larkys ywol.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)350 : Birdes bownn one a broche riche. Larkes and lyngwhittes, lapped in sogoure.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)68 : The thirde course..Larkes rosted.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.36 : Oþer foles..schun be rostyd..As osel..laveroc, gray, Pertryk.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)698 : Gret briddes, larkes, gentille breme de mere..þe course for to fullfylle.
- a1486(c1429) Menu Banquet Hen.VI in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)p.58 : Le iij Course..Snytes, Greet briddes, larkes.
- a1500 Feast Tott.(Cmb Ff.5.48)95/286 : The nedur lippe of a larke Was broght in a muk cart And set befor the lorde.
c
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1181 : We shall kacche many larkis whan heuene doith falle.
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.120 : Yf heua[n] falle, meny lerkys schall be take: Si celum caderet multi capiantur alaude.
d
- a1500 MS Hrl.3388 in Cockayne Leechdoms3.335 : Larkesfote: pes alaudæ.
2.
Any of certain other birds: copped ~, the crested lark Galerita cristata; wode ~, q.v.
Associated quotations
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)310 : Et deplume la cocheuyz: And pulluth a coppid larke.
3.
(a) In place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.17]; (b) in surnames.
Associated quotations
a
- (1159-60) in Wallenberg PNKent148 : Lauerchfeld.
- (1184-5) in Wallenberg PNKent148 : Lauerkesfeld.
- (1198) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)381 : Laverkstok'.
- (1225) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)246 : Laverkbergh.
- (1236) in Ekwall Dict.EPN275 : Lavirkestok.
- (1237) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)571 : Liurochebere, Laurekebare.
- (1238) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)571 : Loverkeber'
- (1266-71) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)571 : Lauerkebeare.
- (1282) in Ekwall Dict.EPN275 : Laverketon.
- (1298) EPNSoc.7 (Sus.)333 : Laverketye.
- (a1300) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)437 : Leverkebeare.
- (1310) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)382 : Larkestok.
- (1321) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)437 : Lerkebeare juxta Exon'.
- (1341) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)151 : Larkedale.
- (1360) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)365 : Larkehull.
- (1460) EPNSoc.19 (Cmb.)189 : Larkedene.
b
- (1275) Hundred R.Tower 2306 : Ricardus Laverock.
- (c1275) Hundred R.Tower 1487 : Barth. Larke.
- (1294) Court R.Ramsey211 : Thomas Lauerok.
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1050 : Matild' Lauerke.
- (a1300) Extent Wykes in Nrf.Archaeol.1449 : John Larke.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2195 : Radulpho Leverock'.
- (1303-4) Acc.Chester in LCRS 5952 : Hond Larkehele.
- (1346) Close R.Edw.III82 : William Larkestok.
- a1400(1252) Cart.Ramsey in RS 79.1360 : Ricardus Laverok.
- (1428) Feudal Aids 5165 : Margareta Larke.
- (1431) Feudal Aids 1276 : Isabella Laverok.
4.
?The hyoid bone [due to confusion of ML lauda & alauda; cp. laude n. (3), 1st quot.].
Associated quotations
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)12a/b : Þe bone of þe lauerok [*Ch.(1): Os laude; L os laude] in þe whiche þe tonge is I-grounded.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)13a/b : Fro þe commissures of þe lauerok boon to þe myddes of þe bones of þe temples.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.1.87b : Seinte Paule was a good lark, þat said he knewe not elles but Crist.
Note: ?sense