Middle English Dictionary Entry
lē̆den n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lē̆den n. Also lẹ̄den, led(e)ne, ledin, ledon, ledden, lā̆den & līden(e, lidin, lidun, ludene & leodene & lede, lud, leode. |
| Etymology | OE lǣ̆den, lēden & WS lȳden. Many forms show influence of lēd(e n.(2). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Associated quotations
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)135.137/1 : Þeos wyrt þat man on ledene veneriam & engle beowyrt hæteð.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)27/21 : Þara fringra [read: fingra] sare þæt Greccas hataþ pormones and on leden [L Latini] perniciam man hyt hæt.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)32/16 : We nimæð her to to ðissere trahtnunge Augustinum..swa swa he hit ȝeloȝode on ðare Ledenspæce.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)36/8 : Godes laȝe..þæt is Decalogus icwæden on Leden.
2.
(a) A language; (b) speech, utterance; also, song.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)117.96/1 : Þeos wyrt þat man philantropos, þat is on ure ledene, manluviende.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)25/10 : Þæt sar Greccas nemneþ spasmus, þæt ys on ure leodene, hneccasar.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2356 : Trinouant wes ihaten, þe wes on vre leoden [Otho: leode] Lundene ihaten.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)143 : Ðes wimman hadde ec on toname magdalene, quod interpretatur turris..Ðat is on ure ledene, tur.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)4/27 : Syon ase muchel on englische ledene [Tit: leodene] ase heh sihðe.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)3/6,7 : Alle leawede men þe understonden ne mahen latines ledene, lideð & lusteð þe liflade..þet is of latin iturnd to englische leode.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)30/281 : Ȝarowe forte demen..alle cunreadnes of alles cunnes ledenes.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)72/10 : On ebreische ledene [Tit: leodene], oloferne is þe feond.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)89/2 : Semey seið audiens, þet is, herinde on ure ledene [Nero: leodene].
- (a1333) Herebert Come shuppere (Add 46919)6 : Þou makest tonge of vlesȝe speke leodene of uche londe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5007 : 'In quatkyn manir of lede sall me þir treis sware?' 'Sothly, ser, þe son-tree..Entris in with yndoyes & endis in greke.'
b
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)32 : No monnes mouþ ne be idud, Ne his ledene [be] ihud, To seruen his God.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.253 : Þough he crye to cryst..I leue His ledne be in oure lordes ere lyke a pyes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13276 : The songe of þo Syrens was selly to here! With a ledyn full lusty & likyng with-all.
3.
(a) Birdsong, the cry of a bird; also, the language of birds; (b) a sound, noise; animal cry, whine, etc.
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Bytuene mersh (Hrl 2253)4 : Þe lutel foul haþ hire wyl on hyre lud to synge.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.435-6 : She vnderstood wel euery thyng That any fowl may in his ledene sayn, And koude answere hym in his ledene agayn.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.478 : Right in hir haukes ledene thus she seyde.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)14.173 : Ich..ferliche hadde of hus fairnesse and of hus foule leedene [vrr. leodene, lidun].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)15.186 : The larke, þat is a lasse fowel, is loueloker of lydene [vrr. ledene, leodene, ledon; B: ledne].
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)139 : Goodli Canace Of euere foule þe ledne & þe song Coud vndirstond.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)3238 : That wyt God hym gafe That on fouls lydyn he couthe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)1340 : A foul that was of colour blak..in hys lydene thus he spak.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)601 : Þei bene rinkes aright..Too preeve..pypyng of birdes; Þe ludene of þat language lelli þei knowe.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)55/191 : Here are doves, diggs, drakes..and each fowle that ledden makes in this shipp men may finde.
b
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)874 : A hue from heuen I herde þoo Lyk flodez fele laden runnen on resse.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)878 : Þaȝ hit schowted scharpe, And ledden loude alþaȝ hit were, A note ful nwe I herde hem warpe.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)482 : He..scrapid the door welplich & wynyd with his mowith, Aftir a doggis lyden as nere as he couth.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)782 : With a dragones drem dreew too þe bedde, Þan hee meeves too hur mouthe and makes his lidene.