Middle English Dictionary Entry
mēting(e ger.(3)
Entry Info
| Forms | mēting(e ger.(3) Also metingue, matinge, (error) metynt. |
| Etymology | OE mǣting |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A dream; prophetic or admonitory dream; also, vision [quot.: Cursor]; (b) in ~, in a dream or trance, dreaming; also fig.; haven mi (thi) ~, to have my (your) dream fulfilled; meten ~, have a dream; (c) coll. dreams, dreaming; in ~ of swevenes, in dreams.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)40 : 'Vader,' seide Iosep, 'nou ich wole þe telle Of mine metinge & of mine spelle.'
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1542 : To-niȝt ase ich was a-slepe, a ȝonder [read: wonder] metinge me com.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)136 : Þis child tolde hire..of is metingue al is cas. Þo þis Norice hadde i-heord þe sweuene..heo bi-gan to siche sore.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)145 : Þis metyngue bi-cam soth.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)109/2276 : Isschal telle and nowt ne lie What þi meting signefie.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)32/8 : Þe meteres þet habbeþ drede of hare metinges [Vices & V.(2): sweuenes].
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)698 : Metynt [read: Metyng] miȝt it be non, in no maner wise.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)900 : Al þis mochel meschef a meting, i wite, þat me com on a niȝt.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2293 : Meliors þurth a metyng was marred neiȝ for fere, & þurth þat sorwful sweuene swiþe sche a-waked.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19939 : Corneli..him tald..o þat angel sight And..bodword..fra dright: 'For þis meteing þat I of mett, I did..þe for to fett.'
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)261 : By þe planetes and by þe sterren, J can juggen alle þe werren, Alle pleȝes, alle metynges [vr. matynges] On erþe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.4 : And I awaked þerewith..And of þis metyng many tyme moche þouȝt I hadde.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)25.8 : As he was In his Slombrenge hym thowghte he hadde a wondir Metenge.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)26.190 : In hire Slombering, Sche thowghte sche hadde A Merveillous Metyng; Sche thouhte sche Say In hire Avisiown Nasciens, hire lord.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)282 : Joseph..Of Egipte, he that redde so The kynges metynge Pharao.
- a1475 PPl.A(1) (Hrl 875)8.131 : Meting [Trin-C: Manye tyme þis metelis han mad me to stodie..For þat I saiȝ slepyng ȝif it so be miȝte].
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)839 : Hee cliped hym his clerkes..Full noble nigremancienes..Þat kouth such swevenes..arede. Hee minges his metyng..And what it might bee too meane..gan hee ask.
b
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)215/29 : Þo nicht efter þet aperede an ongel of heuene in here slepe ine metinge.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)38/675 : Me þoute in my metynge Þat ich rod on fischinge.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)40/749 : Nou hauestu þi meting [vr. sweuening]; Þe fys þi net to rente.
- c1300 SLeg.(Hrl 2277)516/21 : Hard metinge [Ld: metingue] me haþ ymet..Me mette þat on of oure godes her come bifore þe.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)329/208 : Louerd..ȝweþer þis beo soth þat we i-heorez..oþur us þinchez ase in metingue oþur in manere of spelle.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)420/4 : A fair siȝht..þe Aungel þo gan bringue Þene Manne of Rome ase he ladde him, ase he lay in metingue.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)422 : Slepinde in ametingue, to him seide þoruȝ godes sonde, Þat he scholde nime of þat watur.
- c1300 SLeg.Judas (Hrl 2277)8 : As þis Ruben bi his wyf aniȝt ileye hadde, Harde metinge [Corp-C: metingge] his wyf mette, whar of he sore adradde; Hire þoȝte heo hadde ibore a child.
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)73 : For a nyȝt þare cam a voiz ase it were in metingue..and tolde him þis tyþingue.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)582 : He stod..for Ioye þat he þo hadde, Ȝweþur he were quik oþur ded, bote ase he in metingue [Corp-C: metynge] were.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)3796 : Lot, þe king, In bed was in gret meteing; Him þouȝt, water, winde & rain In her teþ was hem oȝain.
- a1350(a1325) SLeg.Cec.(Ashm 43)78/100-1 : Weþer is it soþ þis Oþer ich stonde in metynge [Ld: in matyngge; L in somnis] & mete þat it so is? In metynge [Ld: metyngge; L somnis]..we habbeþ euer ibe; Nou we beþ verst of slepe awaked, nou we mowe uerst ise.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)327 : Ac ȝif she hym seiȝ in metyng, She wolde leue in swiche þing.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)346 : Þe leuedy in her bed lay; Aboute mydniȝth..Whiles he made his coniuryng, She seiȝ ferly in her metyng..a dragoun adoune liȝth.
- c1400(?c1308) Davy Dreams (LdMisc 622)115 : Adam..hym-self mette þis metyng.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)9.59 : Blisse of þise briddes brouȝte me a slepe; þe merueilleste metyng [vr. Meetynge] mette me þanne Þat euere dremide driȝt in doute.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.311 : Ac moche more in metynge þus with me gan one dispute, And slepynge I seigh al þis.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)207 : If this meetinge [F songe] j haue not wel ymet, j preye that..it be corrected.
- a1500 Bevis (Chet 8009)193/3840 : Now thought Sabere: 'Be hevyn kyng, Now haue I my metynge.'
c
- a1325 SLeg.Mich.(Corp-C 145)225 : Boþe þe luþer & þe gode aliȝteþ ofte adoun, And to men in slepe comþ and in auision, And sseweþ hom in metinge [Ld: metingue] moni a wonder dede.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)92/4 : Þench of þe lost of uernyere and of metinge of nyȝt [Vices & V.(2): þi sweuen of tonyȝt]. Þou sselt ysy þet hit is al on, an haste guoþ and zone comeþ.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.427 : Þe ffantasie of man þat chaungeþ in þouȝt and in metynge of sweuenes [L somniando] by dyuers manere þinges..And so a man may seme to hym self suche as he semeþ in metynge of sweuenes [L in somnis].
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)61/16 : Yuel accidentis: as yuel þouȝtis, soruful metynge in his sleep [L mala somnia], & þat he be wroþ.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)69b : Take the lefe of this erbe and do him vnder þi bedd, and þou shalt haue no meting.
- a1450 Dc.291 Lapid.(Dc 291)p.23 : Who-so beholdeth the Iaspe ayeins day, he shal descriue metynge.
2.
An illusion, figment of the imagination, fantasy; something futile or worthless, vanity.
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)77/21 : Leazinges and ssed and metinges and uanites, nettes and bendes, and þe dyeules grines.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)92/4 : Þe lostes of þe vif wyttes..huanne me hise halt, alle hi byeþ uorlore and becomeþ naȝt and metinges [Vices & V.(2): meteles].
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)143/19 : Him hit þingþ þet hit is al wynd and metinge and lyeȝynge [Vices & V.(2): wynde and a drem].
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)87 : If ye ne weren so wys and hadden..so gret wit, I wolde weene al were lesinge or elles that it were meetinge [F songe]. But..j wot..gabbe wolde ye not for no thing.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)89 : Of my mouth cam neuere out lesinge, ne fairye, ne no thing that men shulden clepe meetinge [F songe].