Middle English Dictionary Entry
mid-ward n.(1), adj., & adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | mid-ward n.(1), adj., & adv. Also -warde, mideward(e, middeward(e, -wardan, (?error) -warðe & (error) midwar; pl. midwardes. |
| Etymology | OE midde-weard adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The middle of a thing, center spatially; the middle of a book; the middle portion of a river's course; bi the ~, at the middle of the body, at the waist; (b) aboven ~ of, in (into) ~ of, upon ~ of; (c) the middle of a period of time, middle portion of one's life; in midwardes, in middle age; (d) the middle stage of an action or process; (e) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)9062 : Ac Herui..On þe scheld him hit a dint hard & cleued it to þe midward.
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)90/567 : In þat bour, in mydward ryȝt, Stondeþ a toure.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2300 : Þe gysarme carf in þe steel hard, Fer ouer þe mydward.
- (1421) Indent.Catterick in Archaeol.J.758 : Nich' and his felaws schall make ridde ye groundes in ye watir ware ye brigg schall be of all sydes, And in ye mydwarde ware itte is most nedefull.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)38b/b : Þes bestes ben smale at eiþer ende and longe, namelie, towarde þe taile, & þeie ben grete in þe midwarde.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)51a/a : Þe spondile..is holed oþere holowe in þe midwarde, þoruȝ þe whiche þe nucha passeþ.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)67b/b : In þe ouer partie, it is cleped þe bone of þe fflaunke; and in þe forþer partie, it is cleped þe bone of þe schare; and it is cleped in þe midwarde þe bone off þe þiȝe.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)6.38 : A forgh iij footes deep..With grauel or with litel pibbul stonys, Vnto the mydward fild ayeyn this forgh.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)39.245 : The Nynthe..is likned to a flood..that Trowbled As A kanel schal be, and thikke atte Begynneng..but In the Midwardis, It schal be More Cler..And in the Ende..More fairere, More Cleer, & More swete.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)431 : Þe fauward Titus toke..With six þousand soudiours, assyned for þe nones, & mony in þe mydward wer merked to lenge, Þer Waspasian was.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)986 : The midwarde of þe worlde is þere, Euen bifore the hie autere.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)prol.67 : For and þey mvse þeron [on this book] to þe myddwardis, They shall fele fawtis foure score and odde, That yough[th]e weneth alwey þat it be witt euere.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)151a/a : Þer schal first be a poynt in þe myddeward, and on eiþir side a poynt bitwixe þe firste poynt & þe extremitees of þe wounde.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)165b/a : Rolle it on eiþir side euene to þe myddis and leie þe myddeward euene vndir þe nose.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.54 : Ysay..He did with a sawe of tree be the mydward be cleved.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)5180 : And whanne þat ȝolke is soþen hard, A pitte is in þe midward.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.556 : Boþe helmes he carf atvo, & his heued he dede also In midward of þe face.
- a1350 St.Alex.(1) (LdMisc 108)74/551 : Þe pope com forþ, & te Emperours Leten him bringe owt of þe hous..And beren..In-to þe mydeward of þe cyte.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1190 : This chanoun took his cole..And leyde it aboue vp on the myddeward [vr. mydward] Of the crosselet.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)13702 : Þair lau wold men suld hir stane In midward of þis temple wide.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)106/6 : In þe midward of [F en mye] þe palays es made ane ascensory.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)39a/a : It makeþ brawnes aboue þe midde warde of þe grete arme.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)88b/b : Make an hole in þe middewarde of þre oþer foure of hem.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)97a/a : Shere þe wounde of trauers euen in midwarde of þe wounde, þat boþe þe inscicions make as it were a crosse.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)66/3 : In þe mydward of þe heed of þygh and of bones of þe schere, it was nedeful to make a grete hole.
- (1435) Doc.in Sur.Soc.8517 : And yt at ye middeward of yat lyne be set a stake.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)1056 : And in the mydwarde of that way There is forsothe, as I you say, A wel faire churche sikerly.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2759 : In mydward of this gardyn stant a feire tre.
c
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9664 : God ys shapper of alle þyng; he wote þe mydward and þe endyng.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)21541 : Aboute midward of þe day..a dede man cors forþ þai bare.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)435 : Alle mans lyfe casten may be..Principaly, in þis partes thre..Bygynnyng, midward, and endyng.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)553 : Þe tother part of þe lyf men calles Þe mydward.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)39.550 : In the Midwardis..whanne he Cam to his Middyl Age, he wax A man bothe sad and Sage.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)p.503 : Lord sall deme..noght the bigynnynge na the mydward, for ilke man sall be demyd..as he is funden in the endynge of his life.
d
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)118 : How that God knew wel alle thyng, bothe gynneng, midwardis, and endyng!
e
- (1244) Close R.Hen.III237 : Ricardus Midewarde.
2.
As adj.: (a) middle; in ~ helle, in the midst of hell; on ~ se, in the middle of the sea; etc.; (b) in ~ the throng, in the midst of the crowd; (c) ~ the dai (night), midday (-night); (d) on ~ his unright, in the midst of his wickedness.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1070 : Þa hi comen on middewarde þe sæ, þa com an mycel storm.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.DD (Lamb 487)43 : He him sceawede and [read: ane] stude inne midde-warðe helle.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)32/574 : Ich sal do pruesce..In mideward þe felde.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)655 : Bot yhon tre cum þou nawight to þat standes in midward paradis.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)764 : Þe midward tre is vs outtan.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9921 : Þe midward [Trin-C: middel] heu es þat i mene.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13702 : Þair lagh wald man suld hir stan In to midward þis temple wide.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)6319 : Als a litel spark of fire..In mydward þe mykel se.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7325 : He merkit hym in mydward the mydell in two, Þat he felle to þe flat erthe.
- a1500 Tundale (Adv 19.3.1)734 : Euyn in the mydward [vr. in myddes] the fyre thei stond.
- a1500 Tundale (Adv 19.3.1)893 : That best sat evyn in myd ward A lake.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15026 : And sum þai kest þai clothes dun In midward þe thrang.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22957 : He sal deme at mid-ward þe night.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)21541 : Abute midward þe dai or mar, A dede man bodi forth þai bare.
d
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1100 : He, on middewardan his unrihte buten be hreowsunge & ælcere dæd bote, gewat.
3.
Adv. or quasi-prep.: (a) amid (a place); (b) in the middle of (a period of time).
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1032 : Midward [Göt: In middes] þat land a wel springes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5967 : Þai war midward [Frf: amid-warde] þe contre.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7184 : Vp he ras midward [Göt: mid-war] þe night.