Middle English Dictionary Entry
merch(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | merch(e n. Also marche, (early) merc(e, (late) merege. |
| Etymology | OE merece |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Any of several celery-like plants; celery Apium graveolens, wild celery, smallage, etc.; merche(s sed, seed of the plant; merches wirtrume, root of the plant; (b) ?in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.39].
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)97.58/2 : Wyd blæddra sore, nim..merces wyrtrume gren[e].
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)103.69 : De Apio..Cnuca þa wyrt þat man merce hatað.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)45/19 : Nim cumin and merces sæd.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)544/43 : Apium: merc.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 76)21 : Merce, appium: merc.
- ?a1300 Wor.F.157.Gloss.(Wor F.157)183 : Ius de ache (angl. merch).
- ?a1300 Wor.F.157.Gloss.(Wor F.157)184 : Apium: vraimerch [read: vrai merch].
- a1325 Erf.Gloss.(Erf Amplon Q.351)160 : Ache: merch.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)215b/a : Merche hatte apium and is a comune herbe..Of merche and apium is oþer maner kynde, as apium of frogge, apium of lanȝinge, apium of emoroydes.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)51 : Mez si vous trouez en vostre erber Ameroke ou glocomer; But ȝyf ȝow fynde in erber Merche oþer clote.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)1a : Ache with smale ach or marche is hote..and drye.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)175b/a : Take..þe leues of wodesoure, oculus christi, Marche, ache, scabious.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)193a/b : Apium comunie, Merche..is an herbe h. in j degre & d. in þe middil of þe j gre.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)30/21 : Recipe -- þe Iuyse of smalache or merch, wormode, Molayne, walworte.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)120/19 : Apium is an herbe þat men clepe smalache or Merche [vr. marche].
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)212/18 : And yf þe splene be a-chafyd, do þerto som diuretyk, as fenell-sede or merche-sede.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)214/16 : Also þe rote of fenell soden, and of merche.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)215/22 : Claryfye þe merche..and drynke þer-of with warm watyr.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)115/1 : Take..þe leef of whyt vyne, merch, egremoyne.
- c1475 Sln.4 Recipes in Rel.Ant.1 (Sln 4)324 : Recipe..merch, cerfoyle, sowthernwod.
- a1500 Platearius CInstans (Cmb Ee.1.13)7/3 : Apium, merch: þe sede is of grete vertu & seth þe rote, & seth þe herbe, & when þu findist 'apium' bi himselfe in medicines, take þe sede.
- a1500 Platearius CInstans (Cmb Ee.1.13)7/6 : For strangowri, take saxifrage and gromel and filipendula & boyle hem þe iuse of merche.
- a1500(?a1450) Treat.Garden.(Trin-C O.9.38)173 : Yn the moneth of Auerell, Set & sow ham euerydell; Herbys to make bothe sawce & sewe, þu schalt haue ham here A rewe..Weybrede, growdyswyly, elysauwder, & brysewort, Merege, lauyndull.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)56/17 : Take a pound of pigle..and a-nouþer of merche.
b
- (1254) in Ekwall Dict.EPN299 : Merchewude.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Agnus Castus (Roy 18.A.6)177/27 : Merche [Stockh: Morsus diaboli is an herbe men clepe for bete or more herbw.].
Note: Additional quote(s)
Note: Cp. stan-merche n. ?Use spellings of 2nd elem.