Middle English Dictionary Entry
lāven v.
Entry Info
| Forms | lāven v. Also lavien, lavi. P. lāvede & lafte & leavede, leafde. |
| Etymology | OE lafian, Merc. *leafian, from L. Also cp. L lavāre & OF laver. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To wash (sb. or sth.); bathe (sb.); moisten (sth.); wet; also fig.; (b) of water or blood: to stream, flow; swell; well; lavande teres, flowing tears; ~ ablode (aswote), stream with blood (sweat); (c) to introduce liquid into (sb.), feed (sb.) with a liquid; fig. pour (gifts, grace, etc.).
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)145 : Hie [Mary Magdalen]..cam þar he was, and his holi fet ȝesohte, and sore hire sinne biwiep þat hie his fet lauede mid hire hote teres.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)147 : Talibus lacrimis lauit Maria Magdalena pedes domini. Mid swiche teres lauede..Marie magdalene ure helendes fet.
- a1250 Ancr.(Tit D.18)59/14 : Blodi strundes streamden & leafden [Nero: bileaueden] his swete bodi bunden naket to þe piler.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1856 : Sche was anon with water laved, Til sche cam to hirself ayein.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.41 : Take..rew, rosemarye, purslarye, laue and waische hem clene.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.5 : I haue but one hatere..It hath ben laued in lente and oute of lente bothe, With þe sope of sykenesse.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)17.330 : He..laueþ hem in þe lauandrie, laboraui-in-gemitu-meo, And boukeþ hem at hus brest, and beeteþ hit ofte, And with wharme water of hus eyen wokeþ hit..white; Lauabis me, et super niuem dealbabor.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)260/21 : Whan that I yelded me unto hym, he laffte me goodly and hath staunched my bloode.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.816 : If he beleeued, he heeled hym than; The body from the filthe was clenly laved, And also the soulis he suerly saued.
- a1500 Idley Instr.(Dub 160)1.816 : Ther bodies with baptisme than to be laved.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7489 : He swonc i þon fehte þat al he lauede [Otho: leþerede] asweote.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)97/5 : Þornene crununge þet set him i þe heaued swa þet te blodi strundes striken adun & leaueden [Vrn: laueden] dun to þer eorðe.
- a1275 Judas (Trin-C B.14.39)17 : He drou hym selue bi þe top þat al it lauede a-blode.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)366 : Waltes out uch walle-heved in ful wode stremez; Watz no brymme þat abod unbrosten..Þe mukel lavande loghe to þe lyfte rered.
- a1450 Ch.Feasts (Roy 18.A.10)220 : To bye hys chaffare þe child payed erres, Dropes rede as ripe cherrees, Þat fro his flesshe gan lave.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)314 : He..to þe toumbe lokyd To þe liche þer hit lay, with lavande teres..þe wete of eghen & teres trillyd adoun.
c
- a1350 Iesu suete is (Hrl 2253)111 : Iesu..þe deu of grace vpon me laue.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)607 : He lauez hys gyftez as water of dyche, Oþer gotez of golf þat neuer charde.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)2250 : Þe geant had a drynk wroghte..Þay wolde not lett long thon, Bot lauede in hir with a spone; Þen scho one slepe fell.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)156/2767 : Peny-man is mekyl in mynde, my loue in hym I leye & laue.
2.
To bail water; draw (water); drain (sth.), exhaust (sth.); also, fig. exhaust (a topic); ~ up of, draw or drain (water from sth.); ~ out of, draw or derive (inspiration) from (sth.).
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)425/162 : Muche folk was bisi with-oute to lauien [Corp-C: laui] watur and quienche þat fuyr.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)77/189 : Þe men laueþ out þe water þat hy in þe ssipe vonde.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.415 : Þat lorde was woned to..worche..and lave up water of pitts [L ad exhauriendos puteos], and watere orchardes and gardines.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)154 : Mony ladde þer forth lep to laue & to kest, Scopen out þe scaþel water.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.12.25 : He..song in wepynge al that evere he hadde resceyved and lavyd [L hauserat] out of the noble welles of his modir (Callyope), the goddesse.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.14 : Thou clepist me..to telle thing that is gretteste of alle thingis that mowen ben axed, and to the whiche questioun unnethes is ther aught inowgh to laven it. (As who seith, unnethes is ther suffisauntly any thing to answeren parfitly to thy questioun.)
- a1500 *Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)38/1 : For to travaile in vayne, as for to laave the deepenesse of the see [Fr. (proverbial): espuicier la mer], to mesur the hevenes and to stryue with Him which noumbrith the sterres.
- ?a1500(?1458) Off alle Werkys (Inscr)p.42 : They reysid up the archeys be gemeotre in rysyng, With xi laborers lavyng at onys.