Middle English Dictionary Entry
mid-winter n.
Entry Info
| Forms | mid-winter n. Also -wenter, midewinter, -wintre, -wintra, (error) mynwynter. |
| Etymology | OE |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Christmas day; also, the Christmas season; (b) ~ (midwintres) dai, Christmas day; midwintres eve, Christmas Eve; ~ month [OE mid-winter-mōnaþ], December; ~ (midwintres) night, the night before Christmas; ~ tid, Christmas.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1103 : Her on þisum geare to mide wintra wæs se cyng Heanrig æt West mynstre.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)55 : We auen forgult ure saules wille siðe mid winter com hiderwardes and ouercumen it.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Horst.)239 : Ȝe schulleþ beo mid holie men þis myde-wynter þere.
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.156 : Hail be ȝe tailurs..Aȝens midwinter hote beþ ȝur neldes.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6092 : To midewinter he wende anon..To normandie & huld him þer.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8441 : Þe endleueþe dai of decembre þe toun hii wonne so, & bileuede þer inne vorte midewinter were ido.
- a1400(a1325) Glo.Chron.B (Trin-C R.4.26)841/46 : A seinte stephenes day..henri king vnbured..lay..þo þat bodi was ibured..Wiþinne twelf dawes of midewinter hit was.
- (1429) *Mun.B.Bridgewater15 : For wex a ȝenst mydwynter vj s. viij d.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)77 : On the Cristynmesdaye..That..conquerour commaundez..þat ylke a lorde sulde lenge..To the tende day..whas neuer syche noblay..Mad in mydwynter in þa weste marchys.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4211 : Þe nexste mydwynter after..þey styntone herre song.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)5.32 : With-inne mydwynter..Whan in aquarye phebus shed his light.
- c1450 Mirror St.Edm.(5) (Cmb Ii.6.40)246 : Þou schalt þinke..on þe tyme & þe oure þat Crist was borne. The tyme was at mydwinter whan it was most cold.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)63/23 : Whan the Mydwyntyr came, many..comyn to the kynges courte to feste.
- -?-(1377) Tenants in Som.Dor.NQ 13274 : The tenantrye of Lye..bryngith almost 200 bests..unto our comyn assone as hit is apeyn for hit draw to midwynter.
b
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1135 : Þe ærceb[iscop]..halechede him to kinge on mide wintre dæi.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22905 : Þine cnihtes at þine borde gunnen fihte a midewinteres dæi.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)7 : Swo abiden ure helendes tocume þat neihlacheð..and beð on midewintres niht.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)210/25 : Ure breðren beoð ihuslet inwið tweolf moneð fiftene siðen: Midwinter dei, Tweofte dei, [etc.].
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1931 : Seint thomas at Caunterburi a-midewynteres dai..prechede al þat folk.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1887 : It was midwinter tide Þat riche douke..Fram chirche com.
- 1372 Als i lay vp-on (Adv 18.7.21)50 : Þer..i þe bare On midwenter nith, In maydened with-outen kare.
- c1375(?c1280) SLeg.Advent,etc.(Eg 1993)87/494 : Þe gospel..Þat me rat ate furste masse amidwinteres niȝt.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.207 : In Decembre it is mydwynter monþe.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.19 : Me schulde synge þre masses wiþ Gloria in excelsis a mydwynter day [Higd.(2): Cristes day; L in festo Natalis Domini].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)122a/a : Þe fourþe [fasting time] is in wintir and is in þe laste hole woke tofore mydwinter day.
- a1400(a1325) Glo.Chron.B (Trin-C R.4.26)848/141 : A midewinteres eue to bedeforde he com.
- (c1400) Higd.(1) (Hrl 1900)7.511 : Fiftene men and thre wymmen ladde a daunce in the chirche heye, in a mydwynter nyȝt.
- a1425(?a1400) PCounsel.(Hrl 674)146/4 : Þe derknes of þe moneschine in a mist at midwinters niȝt.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4078 : Þere on mydwyntrus nyȝt þis meracle was done.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4081 : Gerleyne..in mydwyntrus-ȝevyn to þat chirche dude gone.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)51/30 : Yn wytnes of þys geanology þat ys red yn mydwyntyr-nyght.
2.
In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (c1220) *in Pilkington Surn.208 : Robert Midewinter.
- (1279) Hundred R.Tower 2695 : Gounild Midewynter.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 380 : Johannes Midewynter.
- (1445) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 481 : Robert Medwynter.
- (1463-4) Acc.St.Michael Bath in SANHS 2561 : Johanni Mynwynter.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Sln.962 Diseases Horse (Sln 962)103 : A chame for ye ffeloun…I coniure ye…in ye name of god al weldyng of heuen…and of al weldyng of heuen…and of all ye confessoeres, bisschopes and of all hundred abbotes redy to syng on mydwynter nyght, [etc.].
Note: Postdates sense 1.(b)