Middle English Dictionary Entry
morein(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | morein(e n. Also moraine, morrein, moreigne, moren, moran, morin(e. |
| Etymology | OF morine & ML morina, murena. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Death; widespread death of people or animals; ~ of bestes (catel); maken ~ of, to slaughter (sb.); gostli ~, spiritual death; (b) plague; widespread sickness among people or animals; ~ of bestes; ~ of bestes and of men; an occurrence of plague; the first ~, the Black Death of 1348-49 in England; (c) fatal disease; bestes of ~, diseased animals; dien in ~, to die as a result of disease; (d) carnage, carrion; flesh of ~, meat of animals which had died from disease.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.341 : Al his ofspringe by dyuers myshappes of werres and of moreyn [Higd.(2): oþer mortalite; L mortalitatem] was clenliche destroyed.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.387 : Beda..seiþ: Pestilens of moreyn [L Clades mortalitatis] bare doun Hibernia.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.226 : For til moreyne mete with ous..Ne wot no whight..what is ynowh to mene.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)100/13 : Þei prisoun many an houngry soule wherof growiþ in þis rewme a greuouse goostli moreyn, For..& certis þe bodi may not lyue wiþouten bodili food, no more may þe celi soule wiþouten Goddis worde.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5708 : Ector..cleff Gregeis as men do swyn, He made of hem gret moryn.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)159 : And on the morwen, whanne it was lyht, the pastour aspide that moreygne, and to his lord he wente.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1066 : Of þe tene in þe toun wer hard for to telle What moryne & meschef, for mete is byfalle, For four dayes byfor.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1147 : Þe morayne was so myche, þat no man couþe telle Wher to burie in þe burwe þe bodies þat wer ded.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)75 : For hunger pepyle yetyn houndys, cattys, and horse, for be fore there was grete morayne of bestys, of oxyn, kyne, and shippe.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.360 : Haye and corne were loste both two in fere Whiche made greate derth & of catell morayne.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.241 : And afterward come a moreyn vppon þe oost, so þat bestes and foules folowede þe oost by smel of dede.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1369 : Yn Rome fyl a grete moreyne [vrr. moryne, moreyn], A pestelens of men, a veniaunce to pyne.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.97 : God on hem sendeþ Feueres oþer fouler yueles, oþer fur on here houses, Moreyne oþer oþere meschaunce.
- c1410 Trev.Higd.(Add 24194)2.161 : Þe firste moreyn [StJ-C: Þis manere was moche i-vsed to for firste deth].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4889 : Þe Moreyn & þe woful rage Of pestilence be-gan for to swage.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)10 : In this same yere was a grete moreyne off beestes and off men.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.4089 : That caused a ful gret pestilence..Nih al his peeple was slayn in that moreyn.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)16453 : What for moryne, what for dere, ffewe þer wore þat might liue here.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)19.5 : The kyng was born Away..swich A Moreyne [F pestilence] As In that paleis was, Was Neuere Sein In non plas.
- a1450 St.Etheldr.(Fst B.3)411 : A moreyn come in-to þat abbay..And sixe wekes forsothe hit þere last.
- a1450 Who þat liste loke (Stw 951)47/276 : Sodeynly..Thurghoute Egipt ther fell such a moryne That Pharao..restored Sarray.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1755 : Moran was ouer þer catell kast, on schepe, swyn, oxe and asse, So that in lyfe þer myȝt none last.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)185 : In that same ȝere was grete moreyn of bestis..It regned most in oxen, and whan the bestes were ded, dogges wold not ete of the flesch.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)1.1 : Pestilens is an euyl rechand o lenght and bred that all or nerand all umlappis that the folk kallis Moryn [L pestilencie] or manqwalm.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)3 : When the heirdes sye theire bestes so deyen in the feldes, thei..tolde theire maister the mervelle of the moreyn [F morille], that was fallen a-monge the bestes.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)101/39 : My shepe haue I tynde by the moren full euen.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.110 : Ðe water þat it is wasshen yne, it distroyeþ þe moren of bestes & of men.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)94a/a : Somtyme he castiþ out wormes at þe mouþe & schortliche þe euel is pestilence & moreine [L pestifer et mortalis], sleinge anon but if þere be hasty socoure & remedye.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)54 : Yeff eny of þem be defaute let hym soone be clepid & marked & put away fro þe hole shepe..and let þe woll off þis shepe be sold with these skynnes of þem þat dyed in moreyne.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)57 : Ordygne you a strange iron to marke þem withe in þe forhede & yeff eny off þem dy in moreyne reseyue not your skynnes withe ovte þey be marked withe your marke.
- a1525(1421) Cov.Leet Bk.25 : We commaund þat no bocher sell noo beestis of moren, ne no roten Schep.
d
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.7.33 : & ben shal þe moreyn [WB(2): deed careyn; L morticinum] of þis puple in to mete to þe foulis of heuene & to bestes of erþe.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)145 : Also wele kepe hem alle the bochieres..that non of hem shewe to sellyn flessh of morreyn [ID(1): chars de morine], stynkkyng, ne corrupt.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. murrain.