Middle English Dictionary Entry
mareis n. singular & plural
Entry Info
| Forms | mareis n. singular & plural Also marreis, marais, mares(se, maris(se, marise, marissi, marice, maries, mar(r)as(se, marace & (error) moresse. |
| Etymology | OF marois, mar(r)eis, marais, mares. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. mersh.
1.
(a) Marshland, fen, swamp; quagmire; also fig.; ~ and mores; salt ~, salt marsh; (b) a tract of marshland, expanse of bog or swamp; (c) a lake, pool, stream; ~ of maeotides, Lake Maeotis, now called the Sea of Azov; (d) in surnames; (e) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.36].
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)250/36 : Þe ilke loue [of God] ne wext naȝt of erþe ne of mares Of þis wordle.
- (1376) Inquis.PM Edw.III14.217 : [The extent includes 56 acres of poor and valueless land called] mareys [and] buscaill.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.333 : Þe lond is..ful of mountaynes..of wodes, of mareys, and of mores.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.157 : Marius..tornede in to maryse and into watery places [Higd.(2): myry places; L loca palustria].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)76a/a : Watir of layes & of marys [L palustres]..makeþ þe sp[l]ene greet.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)97b/b : In mures and in mareys [L palude] is moche superfluyte of slyme & of wose.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.325 : William Waleis..In mores & mareis with robberie him fedes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.344 : Other briddes Hudden and hileden her egges..In mareys and mores.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)194/7 : His hors..sterte into a mere of marreys vp to þe bely.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.41.2 : Seuene faire kiyn..weren fed in the places of mareis [WB(1): mershi placez; L locis palustribus].
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.11.116 : Some [herbs and trees]..waxen in feeldis..and othere waxen in mareys.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)326 : Maryce of a fen (or myre, or moore, infra): Mariscus, labina.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2014 : He hade þe cete forsett..Bothe the clewez and þe clyfez with clene men of armez, The mosse and þe marrasse, the mounttez so hye.
- (1442) RParl.5.59a : Purveied..that..Paston..and Clere..have and hold to hem..of yow..a pek of Londe, Pasture, Hethe, and Maresse callid Copie holde.
- (c1444) Paston2.70 : iiij acras pasture, bruere, et marissy in villis de Paston, Edythorp, et Bakton.
- c1450 3 KCol.(2) (Add 31042)164 : Ne þay wiste noghte what waye to þaym was beste, In dales depe or elles one heghe mountayne..in marras, as in playne.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4335 : To glasynbery he glade, Þare, in myres and maress Forto sitt in sikernes.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1087 : In place þer hath be The pestilence, his place anoon resigne, To weet marice and feeld to hard declyne.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)284/16 : Sir Launcelot rode many wylde wayes thorowoute morys and mares.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)660/26 : The forsaid mynchons shold haue and holde all ther almesse and possessions..of chirch..fee..in pondis and maryse [L mariscis].
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)254 : The river..com..be-twene the drie londe and the maras.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)604 : All a-boute the walles of the Castell was marasse that dured two myle so full of myre and water.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)48 : Yeff your land ly in marysse or in watry grounde make good depe foroughis.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)53 : Your good kyne go in good pasture off salt maries.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.303 : The king Edward..him soght With mene on fote through marris, mosse, & myre.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Ezek.47.11 : In brynkis therof and in mareisis [WB(2): maraisis; L palustribus] thei shuln not be helid.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.970 : Doun to a marys faste by she ran.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Jer.51.32 : The mareisis [WB(1): mershis; L paludes] ben brent with fier.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)36a/b : Labina: a mareys, terra aquosa.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)65/8 : Men may noȝt wele ga þat way..for waters and maracez þat er þare.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.12/22 : Thys place..was..as a maryce dunge and fenny with water almost euerytyme habowndynge.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)74/31 : Þay..come till a dry Marras full of gret redez.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)2613 : Myn neyghbours..Haue..disherited me..Of ffayre castellis..That stonde here in this Marreys [vr. the moresse] Rounde a-boute this Castell of Bleys [vr. Bloys].
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)63/36 : They yode ouer a mareys..but thei fell in the myre.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)190 : The Scottis fled onto wodes and marices and othir straunge place.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.163 : Archelaus lay bare in a marras [Trev.: deep watery mores; L paludibus].
- c1475 *Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)158/9 : The good conduit and wyse gouernaunce of Haniball caused his men to passe the streyghtes and grete marreyses [*CQ(2): maresses].
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)604 : Thei come to a Castell that stode in a maresse.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.57 : Þe grete see Ponticus..passeþ by north by Thracia and Mœsia, streccheþ to þe wateres and marys of Mæotides [L Mœotides paludes].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)267a/b : Ydra is a serpent wiþ many heedes, and such oon was y-seye in a marreys in þe prouince of archadia.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3893 : Now comes a company of Crabbe-fische as calues gret, Meuand of þis marras oure men to assaill.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)124 : Þe ffrenschmen come downe wt here vesselles into the maryes of Calys.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.357 : This Hercules..did slee..a grete serpente in a marras [Trev.: water; L palude] callede Lerna.
d
- (1130) Pipe R.Hen.I11 : Johel' de Mareis.
- (1168) in Pipe R.Soc.12162 : Turbertus Mareis.
- (c1200) Doc.Ireland in RS 5333 : Willielmus del Mareis.
- (1271) Close R.Hen.III427 : Johannes Mariscote.
- (1296-7) Acc.Cornw.in RHS ser.3.6658 : Willelmo le Marays.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3143 : Johannes le Mareys.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)106/37 : My name is..Blamore of the Maryse.
e
- (1189) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)84 : Theokemarais.
- (1312) EPNSoc.2 (Bck.)241 : Langeleye Mareys.
- (1335) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)95 : Loftmarreys.
- (1412) EPNSoc.12 (Ess.)228 : Stowe Mareys.
- (1438) EPNSoc.19 (Cmb.)283 : Mariskote.