Middle English Dictionary Entry
mai n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | mai n.(1) Also maie & (early) maȝ, maiȝ & (in cpd.) ma-. |
| Etymology | OE mæg, ?mǣg. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A woman; esp. a young attractive woman (married or single); man and ~; (b) a virgin, a maid; wif ne (or) ~; moder and ~; (c) a young girl, girl; ~ child, girl child; (d) a maidservant; (e) ~ wort, crosswort (Galium cruciata).
Associated quotations
a
- a1300(c1250) Floris (Vit D.3)378 : Þo iseih he wel anon Þat on was may & þoþer mon.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)30486 : Þe king..þat ilke may [Clg: maide] nom..þe wifman..was Edwynes fo.
- c1305 Als i me rod (LinI 135)6 : This endre dai als i me rode..s[ei]h i hwar a litel mai bigan to singge.
- a1350 Ne mai no lewed (Hrl 2253)4 : Ȝef ich on molde mote wiþ a mai, y shal falle hem byfore & lurnen huere lay.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1755 : Sche þouȝt..'Sche [Brengwain] lay first bi þe king'..Sche told hem..'Ȝe moten slen..Bringwain, þat miri may.'
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)2761 : A feir soster ich haue..Erneborwe hat þat may.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)659 : Melior þat menskful may..com ful comliche clad.
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)19 : He hed a wif hiȝt Susan..Þei lerned hire lettrure..Þe Maundement of Moises þei marked to þat may.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3438 : And so it fell..That Jason with that suete may Togedre sete.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.95 : Henry wedded dame Molde..Þe corounyng of Henry & of Malde, þat may, At London was.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)446 : Unto myne in I come by day; Þe hende knight and þe fayre may Of my come war þai ful glade.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1720 : But trewely, Criseyde, swete may..That ye thus doon, I have it nat deserved.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)586 : Whan that this dore hadde opened me This may..I thanked hir.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)2965 : When Goodlak hadde þat may in hande, He ȝerned faste to þe lande.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)623 : Cristabelle, the clere maye, es crept in hir graue.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)877 : Brigida, þat gude may, Turned hir to cuthbert.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)200/1532 : [A]chilles be-halt..Þat may [vrr. maiden, maide, damsel] þat was soo rody and bryght.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)690 : Þe Erl Antore also blyue Profrede hys doftyr hym to wyue, Vyolette þat may.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)4003 : In Ynglonde ther ys a maye..The erlys doghtur Rohawte.
- a1500 O fresch floure (RwlPoet 36)47 : Your bolwerkys, pectorellys, and al your nyce aray: Treuly me semyth ye ar a louely may!
- a1500 Thou schalte haue (Hrl 1706)p.205 : Haue mynde to halowe þi holyday Wiþ alle þi mayn, man and maye.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)2489 : To lutenn Þatt clene maȝȝ þatt shollde ben Allmahhtiȝ Godess moderr.
- a1275 *St.Marg.(2) (Trin-C B.14.39)18 : Þe eisteþe was maregrete, cristes may of heuene.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)194/26 : Þis luþere wummen weren..A-boute to bringue luþer þouȝt In-to þis swete ȝounge mayȝ.
- c1390 Heil be þow Marie Moodur (Vrn)1 : Heil beo þow, Marie, Moodur and May.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.851 : Now lady bright to whom alle woful cryen, Thow glorie of wommanhod, thow faire may [vrr. maie; mayde]..Rewe on my child.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)961 : 'Motelez may,'..Þen sayde I to þat lufly flor..'let me se þy blysful bor.'
- a1425(c1300) NHom.(1) Abbess (Cmb Gg.5.31)p.168 : The byschoppe..Somonde the wyfes..That him suld..say Wehedyr this abbas war wyfe ore may.
- a1450(a1387) PPl.A(2) (RwlPoet 137)12.116 : Marie, moder and may, for man þou byseke.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4266 : He..mekeliche bysouȝt seynt Ede, þat blessede may, To send hym rest & hele.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)119/23 : She shulde be als clene maye As euer she was by-forne.
- a1450 Ihesu as þu (Sln 2593)p.55 : Jhesu was born of a may..Sche was may beforn and ay.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)56/143 : Trespas nevyr with wyff ne may.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)158/213 : If we hym fynde..be a may From kynge and qwen we comyn aȝen þis day.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)1332 : He Was Bore of a may To saue al men-Kynde.
- ?a1525(?a1475) Play Sacr.(Dub 652)994 : Loke ye nat delay For to serue the Holy Trynyte, And also Mary, that swete may.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10267 : Þe lagh..Biclepis þat man for maledight Þat has na barn, ne mai [Ld: maide; Trin-C: mayden] ne knaue.
- c1450 Metham Palm.(Gar 141)116/3 : Yff a woman hath conceyuyd a man chyld or a may chylde.
- (?1473) Stonor1.132 : Umfrey Salman..hath a may chyd of x yere old to hys eyyr.
d
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6480 : Þi neghbur wijf ȝerne noght at haue, Ne aght of his, ne mai [L ancillam] ne knaue.
e
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)43b : Maworte haviþ levis like to coluyr fote, and hit havith a rede stalke and rede flour; and he is gode to vpyn þe stoppinge of the leure and the mylt.