Middle English Dictionary Entry
mei n.
Entry Info
| Forms | mei n. Also meie, mai & (early) mæi(e, meai(e, (infl.) mæin; pl. meies, meiis & (early) mæies, mæȝes, maȝas, (pl. gen.) meȝie, maȝe, maȝa, maȝæ. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. WS mǣg, pl. māgas, A mēg, pl. mēgas, 'kinsman; usually male' & WS māga, infl. māgan 'son, descendant, young man'. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A male kinsman; (b) a parent, male or female.
Associated quotations
a
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1127 : He wæs ðes kynges mæi of Engleland & þes eorles of Peitowe.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)538/11 : Propinquus: mæi.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Jun 121)25 : Magum: meies.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)93 : And efter him simeon, þes h[e]lendes mei.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)227 : Þa wes hweðere an meȝie cynn þe nefer ne abeah to nane deofel ȝyld, ac efer wurðade þane soðne god.
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)29 : Ne beo þe loure þene þe solf ne þin mei [vr. mæi] ne þin maȝe.
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)185 : Nalde hit mei do for mei [vrr. meie, mai], ne suster for broðer.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)457 : Heo beoð to gadere icumene, kuðies mæȝes [Otho: meyes].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1713 : Þer hefde Brutus enne mæi [Otho: mey] haihte Turnus.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3847 : He fusede..to ward Margane, his mæie [Otho: meye].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5098 : Cussede and cluppede cuðie meies [Otho: treuwe broþers].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)20812 : We habbeod..at Lincolne bilæued leofe ure mæies [Otho: freondes].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27900 : Þe leoden he bilæfden al þurh Modred, is mæin.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)28124 : Moddred, mi mæi [Otho: meay].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)28195 : Walwaine mine mæie [Otho: meaye].
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)36/31 : Tu þe ane hauest ouergan þi..meies.
- a1275 Þene latemeste dai (Trin-C B.14.39)37 : Nou nis offered [Dgb: is afered] of þe þi mei ne [Dgb: and] þi mouwe.
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bede (Dgb 86)208 : He ne haueþ..nowþer mey ne mowe Þat þer doren..Bi hem sitten.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)3783 : Þo dealde þe meies [Clg: þat broþeran] þis lond ȝam bi-twine.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)23994 : Arthur..cleopie agan to his may Waweyn.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)385/290 : Carik hiet þe kingues mei.
- c1300 SLeg.(Hrl 2277)476/360 : Þis kniȝt triste to his meyes word.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)424 : Ȝe worþ ynome of ȝour kyn..Of ȝoure Meyes and ȝoure ffreondes, and to hard deþ ydo.
- ?c1335 Þe king of heuen (Hrl 913)p.120 : Alle we beþ meiis and mowe.
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)58/24,26 : For hwæs synnæ wæs ðæs mon swa blind acenned, hwæder þe for his aȝene oððe for his maȝæ?..Næs he blind acenned for his aȝene synnum oððe for his maȝa.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)60/22,24 : Þa Iudeiscen..clypodon þa his mæȝes..His maȝas sædon þa.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)66/2 : For his aȝene synnum oððe for his maȝe.