Middle English Dictionary Entry
lō interj.
Entry Info
| Forms | lō interj. Also loe, leu, lou & (early) lā, leo, leou. |
| Etymology | OE lā; late senses perh. influenced by lọ̄k, impv. of lọ̄ken v.(2). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
As an emphatic particle: (a) emphasizing a statement: indeed, surely, certainly; (b) emphasizing a question: why, then, how pray; ~ hou; -- sometimes implying irony; (c) emphasizing an entreaty: please.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)741 : Swa wass þatt, la, ful iwiss All affterr Godess wille Þatt Sannt Johan wass streonedd ta.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Jun 121)25 : Efen: lo.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)31076 : La, swa ic auere mote iþeon, ich wulle his an barh beon.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)98 : Þus, lo, for hare sake ane dale ha etheold of hire ealdrene god.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)155/28 : Schrift lo [Nero: lo nu; Cai: leo] is gunfanuner.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1543 : La, godd hit wot heo nah iweld Þa heo hine makie kukeweld.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(Hrl 2277)50 : Þis was, lo [Ld: for-soþe], a god moder þat teiȝte hire childrene ariȝt.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3113 : Quad moyses, 'la! god it wot..Al we sulen is wið vs hauen.'
- ?c1335(a1300) Cokaygne (Hrl 913)34 : Þer nis schepe no swine no gote No non horwȝ, la, god it wot.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)4060 : Mani he smot of fot & fest; He hadde al nede, la, wite Crist!
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)16411 : Sua it es, la god it wijt, sene on al þair sede.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)319 : Amon..Shal doune come from þe skye To þine bed, la, God it wete.
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)2/10 : Mæȝ he, la, infaren to his moder innoðe eft, & swa beon ȝeedcenned?
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)60/2 : La! hu næs þæs þe blinde mon?
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)62/3 : La! wylle ȝe beon his leorningcnihtæs?
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)78/23 : Sæȝe us, la! hwæt eart ðu?
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)5/18 : [Wen]dest þu la! erming her o to wunienne?
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)89 : None ecce omnes isti galilei sunt..La hu ne beað þa..galileisce, and ure elc iherden hu hi spechen ure speche on þan þet we akenned weren. Lahwet scal þis beon?
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)235 : Numquid potest mulier obliuisci infantem..þat is, la lief maȝie wiman forȝeten his oge cild?
c
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Ic wile ðe ge bidden, la leoue freond, þet hii wirce æuostlice on þere werce.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)24/33 : Efest la, leof Drihten, far to mine sunæ.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)30/24 : La, leof, let me fyrst & ic þin feoh forȝylde.
2.
As an interjection to attract attention: ah, see, behold, look; (a) in sentence-initial position [in early quots. not easily distinguished from 1. (a)]; (b) in sentence-final or clause-final position; (c) in medial position; (d) in combs.: ~ ~, ~..~; we ~, we..~, indicating resignation: ah well; ~ wher, ~ who, see quots. [see also lour interj.].
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Ða cwæd se kyning to þan abbode, 'La, leof Sæxulf, ic haue ge seond æfter þe.'
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)78/2 : A la! ȝebroðræ, aræreð eowre heorte.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5027-9 : Lou, war hire þa wifmon þa þe a ðas weoreld ibær; leo, wær her þa wombe þe þu læie inne swa longe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5455 : Leou, wer here ich eow abide.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)13233 : Leo [Otho: Lo], wær here is þat ilke child; makien we her of enne king.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)2425 : Lo [Roy: Low], al þet meidene mot..cumeð her aȝein þe.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)65/16 : Lo, her, aȝeines wreaððe monie remedies.
- c1300 SLeg.Jas.(LdMisc 108)80 : Lo, sire, ȝware he is her þat to swuche torment us wrouȝte.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)43/505-7 : 'Lo!' þai seyd, 'Swiche a man! Hou long þe here hongeþ him opan! Lo! Hou his berd hongeþ to his kne!'
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1208 : Loo, how luþerly þat lud leyes on oure burnes.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Jer.13.7 : And lo [L ecce]! rotid hadde the bregirdil, so that to noon vse it was able.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.3017 : Lo, the ook that hath so long a norisshynge..at the laste wasted is the tree.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.113 : Ȝif þe peple of Rome..will have it soo, loo [Higd.(2): beholde; L ecce], ich goo.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.234 : Lo, thus was Petres barge stiered Of hem that thilke tyme were.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1934 : Lo 'buf,' they seye, 'cor meum eructauit.'
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)73a/a : Lo, lord, þy mna haþ I-maad ten mnas.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18237 : Lou! nu hu þis iesus her..Vre mirckenes driues he all dun.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)2.5 : Loke on þi left half, & lo [vrr. loke, see], where he standis.
- a1400 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Pep 2498)p.23 : Loo, I schal ȝiue þe þe synagog of Sathan.
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Rv.(Lnsd 851)A.4171 : Herdest þou euer slyke a sange..Lo, swilke a compline es be-tuene hem alle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2636 : Loo, þis goddesses..Wern at a fest.
- a1425(?a1400) PCounsel.(Hrl 674)164/7 : Lo! here many wordes & lityl sentence.
- a1425 PPl.C (Lond-U V.88)7.303 : Lo [Hnt: loke, in þe sauter glosed On ecce enim ueritatem dilexisti].
- c1425 *Wycl.Concord.(Roy 17.B.1)113a : For, lo, he preieþ, act. nynþe cap.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)153 : Loo! curtayse knyghte, How þat dede hase me dyghte!
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)16/27 : Loo, seint Poule rekkeneþ here þe noblest vertues.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1977 : And loo, thys hous, of which I write..hit nas not lyte.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)1829 : Loo, here here heddis euerychone, Here soulis bene in helle.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)11721 : Þen sayd kyng Acab, 'loe, this told I yow be forn.'
- c1450 Primer Magnificat (Dc 275)246 : Lo [L ecce], therfore alle generaciouns schullen say I am blessed.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)10/6 : Loo, my frendes, these þinges ye see and know in me.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)77 : Open: lo, here the duke.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)38/507 : Hence bot a litill, she [the dove] commys, lew, lew!
b
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3471 : Opon ȝon hulle þai ben, lo; Gret harm þai han ous y-do.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)4430 : Nou es Ioseph in presun strang, Lou, as ȝe haue herd wid wrang.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)3167 : And not oonly þis was hys desyre, loo, But þe sone eek þe same dide entend.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.48 : Euery man the sacrament of baptesme may gif, loo, If he it after haly kyrke haf trew entent to do.
c
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)61/23 : Þet his flesch wes cwic ouer alle flesches, lo [Tit: loke], hwuc an essample.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)57 : Ȝour kyng ywis Comeþ her, lo, to þe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9233 : Þe king nom..þe bissopes tresorie, & in þis manere, lo, bigan is worre mid robberye.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)423 : Soþ and Riht, lo, þus heo suggeþ, And þis þral to deþe iuggeþ.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2238 : What, lo, my cherl, lo, yet how shrewedly Vnto my confessour to day he spak.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)37/16 : An example, lo, of Seint Andrew.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.255 : Pandarus to coghe gan a lite, And seyde, 'Nece, alwey, lo! to the laste, How so it be that som men hem delite.'
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.773 : A cursid eende, loo, Of the fals tiraunt that callid was Nero.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1443 : Therfor was, loo, thys piler..Of led and yren bothe.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)2048 : Nost not thou That ys betyd, lo, late or now?
- c1450(?c1390) ?Chaucer Prov.(Benson-Robinson)2 : What shul thise clothes thus manyfold, Lo! this hote somers day?
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)823 : I am comun here, loe, In derne for to play.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)170/5090 : But wherof, la, this fer madame o towch? Bi verry god ye are to ferfulle oon.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)355/3 : Owre worthy prynsis, lo, are gaderid in same.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)1629 : I the beseche, for sainte Charite, That thou this body here, loo, In a faire buriel thou hit doo.
d
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2473 : 'Lo lo,' quod dame Prudence, 'how lightly is euery man enclyned to his owene desir.'
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19363 : Þe stedfast trout lo her it, lo! Quatkin strenghes it mai do!
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2208 : Let God worche; we loo, Hit helppez me not a mote.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)23a/a : Ecquis: lo ho.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)75b : Lowha: Ecquis. Lowhare: Eccubi.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)15/223 : We! lo xij, xv, xvj!
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)30/238 : We! fare well, lo; Bot wife, Pray for me besele.
3.
Followed by a direct object or noun clause: to behold (sb. or sth.), observe, see; see (that sth. be done).
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(LdMisc 108)252 : Þo eode porfirie forth and seide, 'sire, lo me here.'
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)14 : Feire sone..þow shalt lerne; Lo þat þow do ful ȝerne.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4794 : Lo me [Frf: lo]! i am all redi bun.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)349 : Ris, aproche þen to prech. Lo þe place here!
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.77 : Lo him þat takiþ awey the synnes of þis world.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)372/469 : Lo me here, yowre lord.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)162 : Lo hym yonder, for I knowe well his baner.