Middle English Dictionary Entry
mirre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | mirre n. Also mir(e, mirra, mirrhe, murre, merre, mere. |
| Etymology | OE myrra, myrre (from L) & L myrrha, murra & OF mirre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Med. Myrrh, the gum resin from the tree Commiphora abyssinica and related species; also, a concoction containing myrrh; collirie of ~, confeccioun of ~, poudre of ~; (b) in literary contexts: one or another kind of myrrh; an ointment or a solution containing myrrh; also fig.; (c) the shrub or tree that produces myrrh; ~ tre, tre ~.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)128.120/1 : Þeos wirt..spreritis..hafað ȝeoluwe blostma, & ȝif þu hi bitwinan þinum fingrum ȝebritest, þanne hafeþ heo swæc swylce mirra.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)45/9 : Nim alewen and myrra and hwit cudu and æȝra hwit; meng eall togadere.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)47/15 : Ȝenym hwit cude and alewan and mirra and gingiferan and cymen, and grind hy eal togadere.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)171b/b : In..þis Arabia growen mooste mirre and canel, and oþer medicynale þinges ben þer inne grete plente.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)193a/b : In þis Regioun is an Ilonde where ynne groweþ þe beste kynde of myrre..and it is yclepede myrre trogaditis & haþ þe name of þe Ilonde þat þey growen ynne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)235a/a : And of mirra is seuene manere kynde..oon hatte trogodita..þe secounde hatte gelbatica and þe þridde dyantrides, the fourþe collaticia, þe fyfte pracena and hatte also salbada..þe sixte hatte dyurtyum [read: dyurtym] and odorariam..þe seuenþe is indica..Dias seiþ þat mirra is droppyng of a tre y-harded aboute þe bowes by hete of þe sonne..dede bodies ben ykepte saue and sounde whanne þey ben y-bawmed wiþ confectiouns of mirra.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)235a/b : Mirra is y-kepte in his vertu nyh an hundred ȝere and..freteþ deed fleissh and..saueþ quik fleish atte beste..Mirtum is an oynement y-made of mirra and of oþer spicery.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)49/16 : Þis is þe poudre: take frank-encense, mastik, mirre, dragagantum, gumme arabik..caste þis poudre vpon þe defaute of þe boon þat is lost.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)37b : Ypocras byddith to take..þe appill of þe oke and þe floure of rikylle, myrr, and wyne.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)173a/b : Mirre gendreþ flesh vp on bonez nakened or bare.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)109a/b : Ȝif þe vlcus be old, mak pouder of mirre, aloes, olibanum, sarcocol.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)143b/a : Consoude þe place wiþ pouder off mastik and fraunke encense & mirre ana.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)139/1 : Þe collirie of myrre is gretely commended.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)161/5 : Put þerto a litel saffron and of mirre..and make emplastre.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)168/1 : Plastre þe lyuer wiþouteforth wiþ..myrre resoluede in soure wyne.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)625/22 : Mirre is a gumme hote & drye in þe secounde degree.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)73/10 : Tak mirre & olibanum and powdir of mastike..& lat þam boile wele.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)175/13 : Ȝef a man take a gret quantyte of..flax and dodur with þe seed þerof wyth myrre and olye..þou schalt ben hol.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)243/14 : Caste on þe stonys poudyr of myrre and of encence and let hym stew to hys fundament.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)103b/a : Dissolue þe terbentyne and þe hony and þanne do þerto mirre.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)50/1 : Take..an vnce of þe wyȝt of two and halpeny worþ of murre.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6479 : An oþerr lac wass..an full deore sallfe, & itt iss..Myrra bi name nemmnedd.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)45 : Avro, Thure, Mirra: þat is, gold and recheles and mirre..Mirre for ure biternesse bitocneð þe lichames pine.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)192/8,9 : Lo hwuch is þe wei to..swotnesse, bi myrre of bitternesse.
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)211 : Cofren..heo vnwunden; Gold & stoir & mirre heo halbit þerinne ifunden.
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)214/11 : Þo þrie kinges..wolden offri him gold and stor and Mirre.
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)216/54 : Bi þet Mirre þat is biter and be þo biternesse defendet þet Cors þet is mide i smered.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)178/22 : Gold and mirre and An-sens..heo him brouȝten.
- a1350 Ase y me rod (Hrl 2253)41 : Epyphany, when þe kynges come..to presente hyre sone wiþ myrre, gold, ant encenz.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.37.25 : Þey seeyn ysmalitez..to commen..& chamels of hem beryng swete oynementez & swote gomme & myrre in to Egypte.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.2.11 : Thei offreden to hym ȝiftis: gold, encense, and merre.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 15.23 : Thei ȝauen him for to drynke wyn meddelid with myrre.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.99 : In Arabia is store, mir, and canel and a brid þat hatte fenix.
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)301/236-7 : A Maner tre..we fynde þat Mirre ȝiueþ be wei of kynde. Two Maner of Mirres from him goþ..þe ton is taken out bi craft, And þe toþur freoly laft.
- c1390 Chart.Abbey HG (Vrn)361 : Þe false Iewes maden Ihesu Crist a drynke of eysel and of galle, I-tempred wiþ mirre.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.97 : The thrid gift..Was a smerlis..That bitter es and mir is cald..wit mirr thai schewed..That him bihoued dey als manne.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11502 : Attropa gaf gift o mir, A smerl o selcuth bitturnes þat dedman cors wit smerld es.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)44.10 : Mir and drope and bike of schroudes þine, Ofe houses iuoyred.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.88,89 : The þridde kynge..presented hym with pitee apierynge by myrre, For mirre is mercy to mene.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)22.76 : Kynges..offride Muche gold and murre with-oute mercy askynge.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)51/9 : Murre, þat kepiþ bodies fro rotinge, bitokeneþ bitter penaunce and sorwe þat schal saue þi soule fro rotinge in sinne.
- c1425(c1400) Primer (Cmb Dd.11.82)p.33 : As tried myrre, y ȝaf swetnesse of smelling.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.487 : Brunnechild..Shad hony first, stang aftir, as doon beene, Hir myrre medlid with sugrid fals plesaunce.
- c1440 Bonav.Medit.(3) (Thrn)209 : Iosephe of Aromathy & Nycodeme..broghte..with þeme a hundrethe pounde of aloes & of myre.
- a1450(1411) Many man (Dgb 102)119 : I ȝaf þe lyf, þou ȝaf me ded, Mirre and galle to drynke wiþ grame.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)136/286 : Sen thy body beryed shalbe, This mirre will I giffe to þi grauyng.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)154 : Þay offerde to hym..Mirre, Rekills, and Golde.
- a1450 Now is þe twelþe day (Sln 2593)p.83 : Thei made offeryng with gret solas, Not ferre, With gold, incens, and myrre [vr. mere].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)153/61 : I brynge myrre to my present, A byttyr lycour.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)160/255 : Byttyr myre to þe I brynge.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)2542 : The kyng let that body dyȝt with myrre and baume.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)148/246 : In tokyn that he shalbe ded, This Myrr I bryng.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1997 : Plesante odours engendrid be shal Of clene & pure substance & fumygalle, As it apperith in Ambre, narde, & Myrre [vr. mirrhe], Good for a woman, such thingis plesith her.
c
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)301 head. : Off mirretre þat ȝiueþ two-maner gummes.
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)302/360 : Penaunce..we moste do freoly, Bi þe Mirre-treo ȝou told I.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)235a/a : Mirra is a tree in arabia, fyue cubite hih and is liche to a þorne þat is y-cleped aromaticum..mirra..groweþ in woodes in Arabia..Bowes þerof ben y-korue, y-kutte, and y-slitte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)247a/b : The droppyng of the tre mirra hatte stacten and is þe same that is mirca.
- c1400 WBible(1) (Dub 66)2 Esd.8.15 : Myr [Bod 959: Bringeþ braunchis..of myrk tree & boowis of palmys].
- 1408 WBible(2) (Frf 2)Esth.2.12 : Mirre tree [Roy.1.C.8: so oneli that thei weren anoyntid with oile of myrte tre].
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.43.11 : Take ȝe..of licoure of the tree of storax, and of stactes, the licoure of myrre tree [WB(2) vr. of mirre, that is a bitter gumme].
- a1425 WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Is.41.19 : Myrre [Dc 369(1): I shal ȝyue..ceder and thorne and myrt tree and oliue tree].
- c1450(?a1405) Lydg.CBK (Frf 16)66 : I sawe ther Daphene, closed vnder rynde, Grene laurer, and the holsomme pyne, The myrre also, that wepeth euer of kynde.