Middle English Dictionary Entry
nappen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | nappen v. Also nappe, nap(e, (early) nappi, (early SWM) neappen. Forms: p. nappede & napte; ppl. napped & napt. |
| Etymology | OE hnappian, Merc. hneappian. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To sleep lightly, doze; sleep for a short time, nap; go to sleep; be asleep, sleep; fig. sleep in death; (b) to be sleepy, nod; be inattentive or careless; be stupefied (by a rebuke, by sorrow), be incapacitated; (c) to let (one's eyelids) fall, allow (one's eyes) to shut [see also anapped]; (d) of damnation: to not be made ready.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)1219 : So he [ga]n nappi [Clg: slomnen] þar after to slepe.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.6.10 : A litel while þou shalt slepen; a litel while þou shalt nappen [L Paululum dormies, paululum dormitabis].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.393 : 'I most sitte,' seyde þe segge, 'or elles shulde I nappe.'
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)465 : Quen hit neȝed to naȝt, nappe hym bihoued.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)16406 : When thei were layd, sone thei napped.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)351 : Nappyn, or slomeryn: Dormito.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)260/179 : Vs muste..full still stande, For itt is nowe of þe nyght, yf þei nappe oght.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)277/187 : All naked þis nyght as I napped..was I trapped With a sweuene.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)338/19 : He napped noght of all þis nyght.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)874 : Mercury..Brought thys Argus in-to dormytacion And with a swerd, as he satt nappynge, Smote of hys hede.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)84a : To Nape: Dormitare.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)70 : Wyn..swymyd in ther hedis and mad hem to nap.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)128/370 : When we had long napt, me thoght with a gyn A fatt shepe he trapt.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.60 : Gif I my handis clap..than will sche flee away; And gif I hald me pes, than will sche nap.
b
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)201 : Man þe nappeð wile to heueð his eȝen and þenne seð and wile leið togadere and þenne noht ne seð. Swo doð þe sinfulle.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)166/22 : Þe neappið up on helle breord, ha torplið ofte al in ear ha least wenen.
- ?c1335 Elde makiþ me (Hrl 913)p.171 : I nese, i nappe, i nifle, i nuche, And al þis wilneþ eld.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ps.118.28 : My soule nappede for noȝe: conferme þou me in þi woordes.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ps.120.3-4 : Ȝyue he not in to stering þi foot, ne nappe he þat kepeþ þee; Loo, ha shal not nappen ne slepen þat kepeþ irael.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.9 : Se how he nappeth; se how for cokkes bones That he wol falle from his hors atones.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)75.6 : Fra þi snibbynge, god of Iacob, Þai napped þat horses stegh up.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.293 : Whanne þis spouse made dwelling, alle þes virgines napten and slepten.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)392/11 : Wharto syttys þou þus scornand & nappis?
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.6.4 : Ne ȝyue þou sleep to þyn eȝen & nappe not [L nec dormitent] þyn eȝelidis.
d
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)2 Pet.2.3 : The perdicioun of hem nappith not.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)177/8 : To þe whiche þe dome cesiþ not, and here pardicioun nappeþ not.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Pseudo-F.(Dub 245)303 : To þise sectis ceessiþ not þe iugement þat is now & bifore tymes, & here leesing nappiþ not.