Middle English Dictionary Entry
lei(e n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | lei(e n.(2) Also leȝ, leiȝ(e, lege, læȝ, lai, leohe & li(e, liȝ(e, lig. Pl. leies, leiȝes, lẹ̄es, līes, līȝes, -æs, (early dat. pl.) līȝeum & leien. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. A lēg, WS līeg. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Fire, a fire; also, a light, firelight; light (red) ~, bright (red) fire; swart (thester) ~, dark fire; (b) fire as one of the four elements; (c) a flame; red (hot) ~, red (hot) flame; ~ of fir, flame of (a) fire; (d) a flaming, a blazing up; (e) a candle; the vestal fire; a firebrand; (f) fig. spiritual fire or light; (g) a (o, on, of, on a, into a) ~, on fire, ablaze; alight, shining; also fig.; (h) ~ ber [OE līg-bǣre], a light-bearer, Lucifer; ~ rash [OE līg-ræsc], a flash of lightning.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)111/39 : Se gewæpnode ængel þa fleah him ætforen, todælinde þone lege.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)126/15 : Þær þe leiȝ reþelice bærneð.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)130/15 : Heo beoð mid heofenlice fure iþread & iþreste & mid liȝt toslaȝene.
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)20/12 : Þa feng þe leȝ ærest on þæs reofliæn fet &..alle þe reofliæ forborn.
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)30/12 : Þe læȝ on ælc healfe ut ræsde.
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)34/22 : Ðonne wende of ðæs horses muðe se liȝ, þet mon mihte ofer ane mile iseon.
- a1200(?c1175) PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)282 : Nis þar nafre oder liht þan þe swarte leie [vr. þiester leie].
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)61/650,656 : Ha lokede up & seh þis lei leiten..Help me & of þis reade lei reaf & arude me.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1406 : Me weorp ham mid tis ilke word amidde þe leie.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)157/19 : Wið uten us, al þe world leitinde o swart lei up in to þe skiwes.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)160/22 : Þu were i demet forte beon ahonget o bearninde wearitre i þe eche lei [Tit: fur] of helle.
- a1275 *St.Marg.(2) (Trin-C B.14.39)173 : Þe fur flei of is mouþe so leie of brenston.
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.59 : Þe leyȝe [vr. Þe blo fire], it lemede of his þrote.
- c1300 11 Pains(2) (LdMisc 108)37 : Powel saiȝh a fuyr glowe grimme; Of seue colours was þat leiȝe þar inne.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)184/115 : Heo sat hire adoun a-kne, and in eiþur half was þe leiȝe.
- a1325 SLeg.Bridget(2) (Corp-C 145)80 : Þo þoȝte..alle þat hure seie Þat cloþ was al avure and stod a liȝte liȝe.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)6796 : Þo seiȝe þai al þe cuntray Stonden brenand on rede leiȝe
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2242 : To þe schrewe he huld þe glede..So harde leid he þer-on is onde þat sone þe lye out rende.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.255 : Bote þe leye [vr. lyȝe; L flamma] aroos to hiȝe and brende þe citee of ȝork.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)13b/b : Þey buth j-flaumed as it were in a liȝt liȝe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)132a/a : A lytil puffynge of wynd quakeþ and tendiþ leye, and ȝif þe puf is to strong, hit toschediþ and quykeneþ leye.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)207b/b : If it is y-holde to a tre þat brenneþ, it quencheþ þe leyȝe þerof.
- c1400(?c1280) SLeg.OTHist.(LdMisc 622)188 : And as þe oþer þai weren serued, ibrouȝth on liȝth leie.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.207 : Wex and weyke and hote fyre togyderes Fostren forth a flaumbe and a feyre leye [vr. lowe; C: lye; vrr. liȝe, leiȝe].
- (c1400) Higd.(1) (Hrl 1900)522 : Fendes..cast on hym wonder hote brennyng lyȝe thurȝ the same pipe.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)13/15 : Þu prouis vs here als te siluir þat es brind; þu did vs in þe lay.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)9393 : In þe myddys stondyng of þe leye, Lucye stedefastly þus dede seye.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2291 : I make a fer in mans towte þat launcyth up as any leye.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)304 : Was noȝt bot roryng..in alle þe riche tounnes, & red laschyng lye [vr. leye] alle þe londe ouer.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)555 : He was alosed in his lif, lechourus of kinde, Þat in his licamus lust as a lie brente.
- a1500 Tundale (Adv 19.3.1)731 : But yonde lye schall the not schend.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)132a/a : Leye [L Flamma] is a firy matiere j-spred in eyry substaunce..by cause þat he is nexte to þe spere of fire, eyr takeþ fyre sone & turneþ in to firy kynde.
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)124/28 : Heo þenne iseoð..þone heahroder on reade liȝeum.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)126/26 : Heo beoð bisencede on þa hate liȝæs.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.DD (Lamb 487)41 : An ouen..warp ut of him seofe leies.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1360 : Þe keiser..i þe reade leie & i þe leitinde fur, het warpen euch fot.
- a1275 Þene latemeste dai (Trin-C B.14.39)86 : Of is neose-þurlis comet starke leyen.
- c1275 Þene latemeste dai (Clg A.9)118 : Of his neose-þurles cumeð þe rede leie.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Wright)p.23 : The lie of the fur stod an heȝ.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Wright)p.24 : So stronge brende the mountayne, that nothing hi ne seȝe..bote fur and lie.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)260 : Heo..drowen him into þe feorþe felde, Ful of brumston, al brenninde with stronge leiȝe and spelde.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.153 : Þe eorþe oponede, and leye of fuyre [L flamma] was i-seie breke oute.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.79 : Þe strengþe of þe wynde droof þe leye [vr. lye] of þe fuyre into þe toun.
- c1390(?a1350) Trental St.Greg.(1) (Vrn(1))66 : Mouþ and Neose, Eres and Eȝes, fflaumed al ful of furi liȝes [vrr. furi leiȝes, brennyng lyes].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)198b/a : Þis stoon y-sette in þe sonne takeþ fire and lye, þat it sitteþ drye tadstoles a fyre.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)304b/b : And so þe leye of þe fuyre semeþ white som tyme whanne þe ayre is clere.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)6672 : For y am yn endles peyne, yn fyre and yn leye certeyne.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.213 : The blase þere-of yblowe out, ȝet brenneth þe weyke Withoute leye or liȝte.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)2 Thes.1.8 : Angeles of his vertu, doynge veniaunce in lye of fuyr [L in flamma ignis] in hem þat ne haueþ noȝt y-knowe God.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)5/30 : Þat was þe fyre of hell..And yn þe lees þerof, he segh sowles bulmyng vp and don.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)229/25 : Tho that haue a brandynge colure like the lye of fyre, lightly wexen woode.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)230/7 : And tho that haue eyen like ly of fyre, brandynge and sprakelynge, bene angry and shameles.
d
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)544 : Þare-fore helle was so glad and makede so grete leiȝe [Hrl: lye] For þat he was þudere i-come.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)3437 : Þe fuyr was on so gret lyȝe Þat Darie hit sone syȝe.
e
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)49 : Ech cristene oh to habben on honden to-dai in chirche lege bernende.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.73 : He ȝaf a temple..wiþ fyre to þe goddes Vesta..þat þe lye schulde be wardeyn of þe emperye.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)255/13 : Þe devull come on hym with a ley & walde hafe smetyn hym.
f
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)195 : Heo..com leapinde forð, al itend of þe lei of þen hali gast.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1401 : & tis ferliche fur schal lihten in ow þe halwende lei of þe hali gast.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)42/20 : & te lei of þi luue leiti i mine lenden.
- a1250 Lofsong Louerde (Nero A.14)215 : Wið þe lai..of þe holigost..tend mine heorte.
- a1350 Ase y me rod (Hrl 2253)33 : God wes bore on þoro lay ant brohte vs lyhtnesse.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.275 : For þat þe holygoste hath to kepe, þo harlotes destroyeth, Þe which is lyf & loue, þe leye [C: lye; vrr. ley, leiȝe] of mannes bodye.
- c1410 Trev.Higd.(Add 24194)6.451 : Lyȝe [L luce; Tbr: he byschon þues cytes wyþ lyȝt of ryȝt byleue].
g
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)672 : Al þe cwarterne of his cume leitede o leie.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1651 : Euch bold þrinwið briht as hit bearnde, & leitinde al on [vr. leitede al o] leie.
- c1225 St.Marg.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)21/32 : A scharp sweord..leitede al o leie.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)105/2 : Þet is wlech heorte -- vnlust to eni þing -- þe schulde leitin al o lei [Tit: leohe] i luue of ure lauerd.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)153/1 : Þe sperke þe wint up ne bringeþ nawt ananriht þe hus al o leie [Nero: al ofure; Cai: al aleie].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)181/1 : Þis ilke is ec bitacnet bi cherubines sweord..þe wes of lei [Nero: lai] & hweolinde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)198b/a : Þis stoon [crisolitus]..if it is yset by þe fire, anon it wexeþ a lie [L inflammatur].
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)112/30 : iiij flamys o foyre stod on alye.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.74 : Ðis stone [crisolide] takeþ most soone, & if to be set by þe feyr, anone it waxeþ into a lyȝe.
h
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)121.103/2 : Ic bidde þat..þu awende haȝolas & liȝræceas [L fulgora] & helle hreonysse.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)271 : Ligber he sridde a dere srud, An he wurðe in him-seluen prud.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)198b/a : Cristalle…ysette in þe sonne takeþ fire and lye, þat it sitteþ drye todstoles afyre.
Note: We don't have the phr. taken ~ prob. sense (a)--per MJW
Note: Quot. already used under sense (c)--JL