Middle English Dictionary Entry
lei(e n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | lei(e n.(1) Also le, leȝe, leigh(e, leiȝe, leihe & li(e, ligh, liȝe, liȝhe. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. A lēg, lǣg, *lēh & WS lēag, lēah. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An alkaline solution made by leaching ashes, and used for washing, making soap, bleaching hair; lye; ~ cuppe, a cup for holding lye; (b) med. & surg. a similar solution used for cleansing wounds, removing dead tissue, etc.; (c) fig. a spiritual cleanser; (d) urine.
Associated quotations
a
- a1300 Leuedi sainte (Add 27909)19 : Mi brune her is hwit bicume, ich not for hwucche leihe.
- a1350 Lord þat lenest (Hrl 2253)30 : Ȝof þer lyþ a loket by er ouþer eȝe, Þat mot wiþ worse be wet for lat [read: lac] of oþer leȝe.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)828 : Þe hote teres of mannes eiȝe Makeþ clannere þan any liȝe.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)179/7 : If þou wolt make heeris ȝelow..R[ecipe] mirre..fecis vini combusti..grinde hem wel togidere & distempere hem wiþ lie [L lixiuio] maad of askis of vinis.
- (1421) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.90 : [75] liecuppis, [25 s.].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)11b/b : Capitellum, i. suppina [read: suprema] pars columpne, or lye.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)175b/b : Þe secounde is lye þat, as summe men seien, is water of sope makers oþer þe lye þat þei make þe sope wiþ alle, þe whiche y knowe not, for þei holde it wunder priuee.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6555 : Thei han strictories to make ther skyn to shyne..Craffti lies to die ther her citryne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)294 : Ley for waschynge: Lixivium.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)303 : Lye, supra in Leye.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.1175 : As ly is made [L ad lixiuii modum].
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)7596 : Many of hys herys were waxen hore; Lygh [vrr. Lye, Lee] She made hym of a certayn asche, And ofte hys hede ther-wyth dyd waysshe; The coloure amendyd than howgely.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)218 : But let hyt þorow a cloþ twyes or þryes as barbores makeþ leye.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)259 : Lye, for wesshyng of heddis: lixiuum.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)72a : Lee: lexiuum, lixiuium.
- a1500(?a1449) ?Lydg.Lavenders (Cmb Ff.1.6)17 : Of wyn away the moles may ye wesshe In mylk whyt; the fletyng oyly spott Wyth lye of beenes make hit clene & fresshe.
- a1500 Hal.Gloss.(Eg 829)p.8 : Lixinum: lye, cum quo vestes lavantur.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)2294 : Liquour bringeth..hide thinges in bodies owte, as launders witnes evidently when of asshes they make their lye.
b
- c1325 Corp-C.388 Recipes(1) (Corp-C 388)163 [rec.1] : Quo so haues werk and turning in his hed, mack leye of verueyne..and þarwit wasse þin hed þries in the woke.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)93/11 : Þe vlcus is clensid wiþ þilke liȝe [vr. leyȝe; L lixiuio], & þe fleisch is maad fairer.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)227/10 : Þis is good þerfore: lie [L lexiuium] of askis & of vryne, & wete þerinne stupis & leie vpon þe enpostym.
- a1400 Recipe MS Hal.in Rel.Ant.1 (Hal 335)53 : Tak the white malue, and bryn hit..and tak of tha askes and mak lee, and wasch thi thees and thi schankes tharwith.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)31b/b : Þe first is a newe sponge infunded in conia, i. sope, or hote lyȝe [*Ch.(2): lye; L lixiuio].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)43a/b : Be þer made a gloue or a purse of gode lether, & be it filled of gode liȝe of asshez of ficztreez & of sarmentz, i. vyne kuttyngez, & of verue, with a litel salt and acete, and be þe hand put þer yn.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)177b/a : Capitellum is strong lye, ca. & adustif.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)95b/a : Ȝif it be to febel, adde of þe pouder to þat it suffice, & þen distille it as men done lie.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)104a/a : Ȝif þu wesche oþer olde sores wiþ lee, it clenseþ þe sore wele, & þe fleische in þe sore is redder þen it was & feirer.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)167a/a : Ȝif þer be summe abstersiue dissolued wiþ hem, as alumme, aloes, sarcocolle, and oþere sucche oþer stronge lye oþer vrine.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)175b/b : Lye þat surgiens vsen is made of two parties of calce viue & 4 parties of þe asschen of þe steles of benes pouderde, & made wiþ scalding water as harde paste troden in a potte bodumme fulle of holes.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)176a/b : Þe fifte is anoþer lye þat schal be made of þe same aforeseide, but þat þe lye schal be euen as it cummeþ oute of þe fourneis sleckend wiþ colde water.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)176b/a : Þes les aforseide and arsenek sublimed aforne seide corrodeþ alle maner fleische wunder strongelye.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)49/14 : Tak white malue & bryn it & tak þe askes & bare gres & stamp to-gedir..& tak of þose askes & mak lee & wasche thi thees.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)195/28-9 : Asschys & hote watyr makyn good leyghe, & but þe watyr go thrugh þe asschys, þe leygh makyth noȝt clene.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)148/444 : To kepe here fro fallynge, wasshe thyne hede with lyȝhe þat is made of saluen leues.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)218 : Kast hyt [the liquor] on þe assches & mak lye þerof.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)39/12 : Take argoyle and stampe it small, and do it in a poket as who makyth leye.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)139/4 : Take white vinegre and þe haskys, and make leye of hem.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)112b/a : If þou waische þe cankre wiþ lye ouþir wiþ ony oþir strong waischinge, he schal be fouler after þe waischinge þan he was bifore.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)124a/a : And þanne seþe it til þe hony & þe liȝe be consumed, & þanne of þe remenaunt make troscisci.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)156b/b : Þere schal be leid an Emplastre aboue of barly flour, rie flour, and flour of orobi decocte wiþ lie.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)106/4 : Mak lye of verueyne, of betayne, and of werwod; and wassh þi hed thries in þe woke.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)6/7 : Take brasel and schaue hit smale ant tempere hit wit goud leyȝe.
c
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)95/30 : Nis ðar non swo god leiȝe se teares; hie makieð scene ansiene.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)145/22 : We byeþ alle cristene..þet is, þet we byeþ alle ywesse of onelepi leȝe [Vices & V.(2): of o leiȝe], þet wes, mid Iesu cristes preciouse blod.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21855 : Wyth wych water dame Penaunce Maketh a lye..To wasshen a-way al ordure.
d
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)38b/a : Lotium: lye.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)593/23 : Locium, anglice, lye, or pysse.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)72a : Lee:..locium.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)794/41 : Hoc locium, Anglice, ley and nettyng.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Sln.122 Artist.Recipes (Sln 122) 84/28 : Take half a pownd of blywe flokkys, and .ij. galonys of fyne leye, and sethe hem togder.
- a1500 Hnt.HM.64 Artist.Recipes (Hnt HM 64) 280/21 : Take brassell and schaffe hit small, and temper hit withe goode lighe.
Note: New spellings.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. lye.