Middle English Dictionary Entry
march(e n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | march(e n.(1) Also mersh, mearch & marz, mars, marce. |
| Etymology | AF march(e & CF marz, mars. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The month of March; ~ butere, ?butter made in March and preserved for medicinal use; ~ month, March; marches idus vi, March 10; last idus of ~, March 15; ~ thonder, thunder in March; ~ weder, weather in March; (b) March personified; (c) spring.
Associated quotations
a
- [ ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)74.17/1 : Þu þeos wyrt scealt niman on þan monðe þe martius hateð. ]
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1891 : Gabriæl Comm till..Marȝe..Þat wass i Marrch.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1901 : Marrchess nahhtess wannsenn aȝȝ.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)71/771 : Iuliene wende..from worldliche weanen to heoueriches wunnen..i þe Sixtenðe dei of feouerreres moneð þe fowrtuðe kalende of mearch.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2559 : Þey sholden comen him to..To lincolne..Of marz þe seuentenþe day.
- a1350 Bytuene mersh (Hrl 2253)1 : Bytuene Mersh ant Aueril..þe lutel foul haþ hire wyl on hyre lud to synge.
- c1330 St.Greg.(Auch)99/497 : Þis felle in þe time of marche.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.207 : Eueriche monþe þe sonne entreþ in to a signe, as it falleþ for þe monþe, And so in Marche þey entreþ into þe Weþer.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4378 : The monthe in which the world bigan That highte March, whan god first maked man, Was complet.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2852 : Afterward the time is schape To frost, to Snow, to Wind, to Rein, Til eft that Mars be come ayein.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.47 : He leet the feste of his natiuitee Doon crien thurgh out Sarray, his citee, The laste Idus of March [vr. Mars] after the yeer.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)124b/a : Marche hatte marcius and haþ þat name of mars, þe auctour of romaynes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10926 : Þe dai þat hir was send þis saand O marz þe fiue and tuentiand.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.765 : The sonne shyneth brighte In March.
- a1425 Progn.Thunder(1) (Ashm 342)287 : March þonder toneth grete wyndes and plente of fruth and strif a-mong rich.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)326 : Marche, monythe: Marcius.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Friend AN (Ashm 59)94 : Þere ben eke freondes..Wheche þat endure but a smal saysoun..stormisshe of entencion, Liche march weder.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2041 : In Marche moneth the Kynge of Fraunce Wente to shyppe.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)53 : This kyng [numa pompilius] eke addid on to þe ȝere too monthis, januari and februari, for þe ȝer be for his tyme be gan at march.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)217 : Tak anote schale & ful hyt wyþ mersch butter & ley hyt on þe nauel.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)171/6 : The samond..ys in season from þe moneth of marche vn-to mychelmas.
- ?1457 Hardyng Chron.A (Lnsd 204:Hammond)234/3 : Henry his sonne..In marce was crounde..at Westmynster.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2729 : Nouembir in tempest is al to shake, And aftir vnto Marchis Idus vi, Viage thenne on see nys noon to take.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)49b/a : Aries..haþ lordschipe ouer þe heed & þe visage..In to which signe þe sunne entriþ þe 18 day of Marche.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)72/36 : Veir bigynnes..fro þe xe day of March out passand to þe xxiiije day of Iuyn.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)8478 : In Decembre þei begynne, And in þe midle of Mars þei blynne, Þat is þe coldeste time of alle.
- a1500 When thonder comeþ (Cmb Ff.5.48)12 : In Marche if þou þonder here, Stowt wynde & fayre ȝere; And it is to drede ay, Lest þat ȝere come Domesday.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)124b/a : Marche is I-peynt as it were, a gardinere.
c
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Trin-C O.2.21)644 : Marz [glossing AF (Cmb) tens de veir].
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)4734 : Marche is hote and moyste i-wys, And somer is dry and hote.