Middle English Dictionary Entry
leuk adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | leuk adj. Also leuke, leuȝke, leughe, lheuc & luk(e & louk. |
| Etymology | Prob. OE *hlēoc beside hlēow-; cp. rēoc & rēow, slēac & un-slēaw, etc. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. leue adj.(1), to which the example with 'leughe' may belong.
1.
(a) Lukewarm, tepid; of moderate warmth, warm; hot ~, warm; (b) lacking in ardor or enthusiasm; slothful, apathetic, indifferent; ?sad, dispirited [quot.: a1275]; ?feeble, inadequate [quot.: c1449].
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27557 : Opened wes his breoste; þa blod com forð luke.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.149 : Most brennynge flamme in reward of whiche flamme oure fire is but lewk [Higd.(2): as..warm water unto scaldynge water; L tepidus].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)213a/b : Oyle of almoundes..helpeþ..aȝeins deefnesse..if it is luke y-dropped þer Inne.
- a1400 Recipe MS Hal.in Rel.Ant.1 (Hal 335)52 : Tak..ij sponful of saffronn and of buk blode..temper..and gyf hym drynke in leuke wyne.
- ?a1400 *Albi Reynolds 5081 Recipes (Albi Reynolds 5081)f.20r : For to make mede: Tak .i. galoun of fyne hony and to þat .4. galouns of water, and hete þat water til it be as leughe; þanne dissolue þe hony in þe water.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)37a/b : Wolle or stupez infused in oile or in leuke wyne.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)66b/a : Making it leuke, i. warme [L tepefaciens], in hote water.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)167a/a : Þe first ablucioun is made of luke water wiþ alummen zucarine.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)15/40 : Haue he also redy..warme or leuke watre.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)302 : Lewke, not fully hote: Tepidus.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.197 : Luke [L tepidus] ayer and tempur wynd olyuys loue.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.61 : The Greek seith, yf luk water [L aqua tepida] hem biwepe, They wole be grete.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)30/37 : A draghte of gude rede wyne lewke, or lewk water.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)178 : Ȝeue hym a sponeful þerof, & þre of leuk [vr. lewede] water.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21907 : The water..Ys lewk; therfor yt ys..to bathys mor coumfortable.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking (Hrl 2340:Halliwell)295 : Take and chaufe with your hondes her fondement with luke water.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)60a/a : First he wolde waische þe wounde wiþ hoot leuk wiyn white til þat it were riȝt clene.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)125b/a : It is bettere þat oile of rosis be putt leuk vpon þe hurt.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)73b : Levke: tepidus. To be levke: tepere, tepescere. To make levke: tepefacere.
- a1500 Med.Bk.(2) (Sln 3153)82 : Leuȝke [Add 33996: let hit stonde in a litul warme watur].
- ?a1500 PConsc.(Hrl 6923)7481 : Als a leuke bath, nouther hate ne calde.
b
- a1275 Stod ho (Tan 169*)23 : Þi wep ne wemmede noht þin heau, þat made þi leor ful louk and lew.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)31/12 : Huanne þe man loueþ lite..oure lhord, þet he ssolde louye bernindeliche..he is fyeble and lheue to alle guodes to done.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)184 : In ech chapel or chirch may be ymagis..forto make bi hem sengil and leuke remembrauncis.
- c1450 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (StJ-C G.25)p.25 : But for þou art lewk [vr. lew] & neþir coold neþir hoot, I shal bigynne to caste þee out of my mouþ.
- a1475 Imit.Chr.(Cmb Gg.1.16)12/4 : Lewke [Dub: we tende not euery day to encrece, & þerfore we abide colde & leude].
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)20/31 : Þese owe to prouoke us more to..profite wel þan þe gret nombre of sluggussh and leuke men [L tepidorum] to make us remysse & laxe.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)38/23 : If þou begynne to be leuke [L tepescere], þou begynnest to be euel at ese; But and þou yeue þiself to feruour, þou shalt finde gret pes.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)83/19 : We waxe leuke, but by þe we biþ sette a fyre.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)115/26 : And, but I be holpen of þe & inwardly enformed, I am made all leuke [L tepidus] & dissolute.