Middle English Dictionary Entry
mid adj. & pref.
Entry Info
| Forms | mid adj. & pref. Also mide, midde, mit, med, medde & (in names only) mith(e. |
| Etymology | OE; also ON; cp. OI mið. Some forms perh. influenced by L medius. In later ME, mid was prob. felt to be a prefix rather than an adjective. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Middle, mid-; ~ strem, the middle of the stream; ~ theigh (leg), the middle of the thigh (leg); in the ~ se (sheld), in the middle of the sea (shield); in the ~ side, ?in the middle; to the ~ shaft, for half its length; to ~ side, halfway up the side; to the ~ side, at the middle of the side; etc.; (b) located in the middle, central; ~ line, a line running through the center or running midway between and parallel to the bounding lines; ~ point, center; ~ strengthe, central stronghold; (c) intermediate, middle (in a group or series); ~ erd, the earth (between heaven and hell); ~ finger, middle (i.e., third, counting the thumb as the first) finger; ?also, the ring (i.e., fourth) finger; ~ rinde, the inner layer of the covering of a root; ~ veine, the antecubital (or medial cubital or median basilic) vein of the arm; (d) in surnames & place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.40].
Associated quotations
a
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)498 : In water ge sal stonden, In water to mid side.
- a1300 11 Pains(1) (Jes-O 29)97 : Summe..Þat stondeþ vp to heore kneon, And summe to heore mydþeyh.
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.59 : Forth was brouȝt þere with a bridel A corsed devel..With a sadel to the midside Fol of scharpe pikes schote.
- c1315 *Greenwich Hosp.MS.Documents (P.R.O.Box 20, bundle O, No.12) [OD col.] : En primis a commensere de mydstreme de Derwent.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3605 : Williams spere was stef..& mette þat oþer man in þe midde scheld.
- c1425 Liber de Hyda in RS 45171 : Begyn on Maccanyngford along the strete up to Temese to the myd streme.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)82/132 : Ouer him was a pentice wroght..And þat was made to þe midstrete.
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)314/3 : A sangweyn crosse..was seyn..at Boloigne in þe eyr..it mevid & fill in þe myd see.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)192/5 : In settynge þe firste steche, in þe myddel of þe wounde and anoþer in the mydde space of eyþer side.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3841 : Þan he moues to sir Modrede..And mett hym in þe myde-schelde.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)2062 : The clobe in þe erthe stode; To þe midschafte it wode.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.179v : The clothyng of Englysshmen was thulke tyme of lenthe to the mydde legge .., vsyng in hure armes beghes of golde and of siluer.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)1398 : And in the myd cyte, as he rod thru the strete, The mayer and the pepyl with hym mett.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)83b : Þou ȝyuest him wey..to entre wiþ-ynne boþe on þy corneres, þat ben departed, and on þy mydscheltrun [L mediam aciem] þat is vnwarded.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)23556 : The strok was gret that he ther smot, For jnto the Midscheld the swerd hit bot.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)659 : Therwith Fortune seyde 'Chek her!'' And 'Mat!' in myd poynt of the chekker.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)955 : Pausanna..Presis out of þe palais..And metes him in þe myd-fild.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)9/18 : In þe mydflore, þey sett a brennyng chayre.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)504 : To make a fortresse..se that ther be fode For man & beest, and watir, deep mydthigh, Not fer.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2882 : Breke euerych oore in the mytside [vr. mydside].
- c1475 St.Patr.Purg.(2) (Brm)447 : Whan he comme yn to the myde bryge, Euery dewyll to other chyd.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1060 : Ther that the water was dep, brod, & wyde, the hert ȝede al esyly to the myd syde.
- ?a1500 Veynes þer be (SeldSup 73)20 : And i is in the myd forehed ffor lepre and sausfleme þat moste blede.
b
- (1298) Doc.Manor in MP 3451 : Per opera uno mydsty jacenti contra hostium maioris grangiæ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)113b/b : For his [the sun's] cercle passiþ streight by þe mydlyne of zodiacus.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)104a : In þe mydde stage [hee] haþ a foldynge brigge to let falle sodeynliche vpon þe top of þe walle.
- c1450 Metham Palm.(Gar 141)86/1 : The secunde lyne ys the mydlyne, that pasyth thorw the myddys off the hand.
- c1450 Metham Palm.(Gar 141)92/9 : Qwan the mydlyne [vr. medde-lyne] ys ryght and longe..yt sygnyfyth a mygthi stomake.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)13/38 : Þe Ile of Man lyþe as hit were yn þe myd-novyl of the see, betwix Vltonye of Irelonde and þe Galowey Scottis.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)204/15 : Throw the mydstreynthes of Manus Mcmahons countrey, Sauely wythout any fyght..to the toune of Arthyrde hit repayred.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Nwb f.36 Ry.20)121/1 : Poynte [Rwl: the mydde parte of a compas].
c
- a1275 Doomsday (Trin-C B.14.39)6 : Þat fuir sal comen in þis world..Firbernen al þis middeherd [Clg: middelerd].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)5b/a : Anularis: midfinger.
- a1440 Palmistry (1) (Dgb Roll 4)12 : And if this lyne turne any thyng to the myd fyngur, he shal haue in his werkis much favor of fortune.
- a1440 Palmistry (1) (Dgb Roll 4)22 : In the rote of the mydfyngur or of the schewer or in the next jointur of any of them.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)53/19 : Blede þan..on þe vayne þat is called cephalica, & it is nexte abowen þe myd veyn þat is called mediana.
- c1450 Metham Palm.(Gar 141)92/6 : Yff yt procede from thens to the myd fynger [vr. medde fynger], yt sygnyfyith ryches in the mydyl age.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)238/15 : Take þe rote of wormot and sethe yt yn water, and do a-waye þe vtmeste rynde, and take þe medrynde and stamp it.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)187/6 : Here frendys..closyd here in a stonyn coofere boundyn aboutyn wyth iij yren cheynes..feendys comyn & brokyn vp..two cheynes..þe midcheyne was stylle hole.
d
- (1190) EPNSoc.42 (Wm.)76 : Mithehop.
- (1255) EPNSoc.30 (West Riding Yks.)225 : Middehop.
- (1280) EPNSoc.42 (Wm.)76 : Mythop.
- (c1280) EPNSoc.30 (West Riding Yks.)225 : Mitthop.
- (1290) EPNSoc.30 (West Riding Yks.)225 : Midehope.
- (1307) Feet Fines Kent in Archaeol.Cant.11314 : John Midecote.
- (1314) Name in LuSE 35103 : Midrige.
- 1327 in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames133 : Will. atte Midlane.
- (1332) Sub.R.War.in Dugd.Soc.624 : William Midtoun.
- (1423) Reg.Chichele in Cant.Yk.S.42 (Lamb 69)245 : Stephanum Mydtowne.
- (1497) EPNSoc.30 (West Riding Yks.)225 : Ouermedope.
2.
Being in the middle or intermediate in time; ~ age, middle age; ~ fasten [OE], Mid-Lent Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent; ~ hervest, the middle of the harvest season; ~ diner, ~ mete, ?a meal between early morning and noon, ?a meal between noon and evening; ~ sondai, the Sunday nearest Midsummer Day; ~ houre, ~ month, ~ april, ~ mai, etc.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22256 : He ferde to Æxchæstræn to þan mid-festen.
- c1330 Roland & V.(Auch)263 : Opon his fest in mid may, Þer on is front of gret noblay.
- 1415 Procl.Yk.Corp.Christi Dayp.xxxiv : That euery player..be redy in his pagiaunt at convenyant tyme, that is to say, at the mydhowre betwix iiijth and vth of the cloke in the mornynge.
- a1450 Glo.Chron.B (Lond-U 278)4005 : At myd [A: Amidde haruest, we þe setteþ day].
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1064 : At Mid Aprille, the mone when myrthes begyn..Thies kynges..pulled vp þere sailes.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)171/10 : Thynk in þi ȝouthe, in þi myd-age, & in þin age.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Add 17866)298 : Be twix midde marche & mydde Aprill, þe gaderer moste be war and sle.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)66 : For thei alle..were used..to hold Pase day evere in the myd monthe, that is to sey, the xv day.
- a1475 Herkyn to my tale (Brog 2.1)p.85 : The Pame sonday be-fele that ȝere one Mydesonday.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1141 : He wold not in passe, Till [at] the myd mete was The kyng.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1189 : They at myd mete was.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)59/11 : Mych pepyl come to deuelyn about myd hervyst.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)113/22 : In þat tyme, about Mid-heruest, Morice fiz-geraud deyed.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)739/18 : Hoc auncinium, Hec imranda, Hoc merarium: a myddyner, undermete.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Test.(Hrl 218)592 : Of thy mercy requyryng the to myne Of my mende the mydpoynt most profounde, This word Iesu my v wittes tenlumyne, In length & brede like a large wounde.
Note: Additional quote(s) for 1.(b)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.49va () : Þe erþe is þe centre, i. the mydpoynt, of al þe world.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(b).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. mid vein.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. midfinger.