Middle English Dictionary Entry
lēve n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | lēve n.(1) Also lefe & (early) leave, leaf(e, leafa, leafæ, læfe, (early infl.) læfes, lefven. |
| Etymology | OE lēafa & gelēafa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Religious faith or belief; god (right, soth, sothfast, treu) ~, genuine or lively faith, firm or steadfast belief; the) right ~, the true faith, the Christian religion; (b) faith as one of the theological virtues; (c) trust, confidence.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)72/33 : Ac heo ne iseȝon na Crist mid soðæ leafæ.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)pref.44 : To spellenn..Off..Crist..& off þe rihhte læfe.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)2776 : Godess þeoww birrþ habbenn..soþfasst læfe o Criste.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6533 : Þatt flocc..follȝheþþ..Cristess laȝhe..& rihhte læfe o Criste.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11096 : Þe rihhte læfess brihhte leom..ledeþþ upp till heoffne.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)12181 : Þurrh trigg & trowwe læfe o Godd.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)16809 : To lefenn uppo Crist Wass rihht unnorne læfe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)16840 : Ȝif heo wulleð cristindom mid gode lefuen [Otho: bi-leaue] vnder-fon.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)11 : Unbileue..is aiware aleid, and rihte leue arered godeðonc.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)97 : Gif we ben..on clene liflode and on rihte leue and wið alle men sehte.
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)69/241 : God..ȝefe us mihte..þet ure leue beo ure sceld.
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)69/259 : Vre rihte leue, god, cume to þe þurh festing.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)384 : Þet tu were iset ȝung to leaf & to lare.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)832 : Þe liffule leaue [Roy: lare] of hali chirche þe ich ichosen habbe.
- c1225 St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27:Hall)129 : Hire feder hefde iset hire earliche to leaf & to lare.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)432-5 : Ðo arn ðe littel in leue lage; ðe mikle ne maig he to him dragen. Ðe mikle i mene ðe stedefast, in rigte leue mid fles & gast.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.247 : Þe barons alle said, alle holy þe clergie þe lond þei wild void of þat herisie..þe kyng..wild had briggid þe fals leue & erroure.
b
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Dom.Quadr.(Bod 343)40/7 : An is ileafæ; oþer is hiht; þridde is soþ lufe; On þam leafe is þæt he ilefe on God Fæder.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)50/4 : Ðrym þingum, þe allum monnum beoð neodbehefe to..habbenne, þet is, leafa, & hiht, & lufe.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)2704 : To cwemenn Crist..Þurrh lufe & hope & læfe.
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)57/42 : Mid al þis haue þu charite, and soðfeste leaue and trowðe lef.
- a1425 Templ.Dom.(Add 32578)459,463 : Lefe is þe fyrst þat may noȝt slake, Charite next..leefe ne may noȝt be forsake Bot nede most be with charyte.
c
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)120/481 : Haue þu none leue [Mdst: lefe; Glb: iliaue] to þe þad after þe bileued.