Middle English Dictionary Entry
nā̆vī(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | nā̆vī(e n. Also nauvie & navẹ̄, (error) manye. |
| Etymology | OF navie & nave(e. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. navei(e n.
1.
(a) Ships; a group of ships; fleet; also, naval transports; (b) a ship; (c) bi ~, by sea, by means of a ship.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Esd.5.55 : Þey ȝeuyn carrys to sidonyes & to tyres þat þei shulden carien ouer to þem fro liban woode cedre bemys & maken a naue [L rates] in to Joppe hauene.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Kings 10.22 : Þe naue of þe kyng bi þe se with þe nauee [WB(2): schip; L classe] of yram ones bi þre ȝeer wente in to tarsis bryngynge þennes gold & siluer.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1171 : Al prively thei [Greeks] gon to londe Ful armed out of the navie.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1979 : First tassemble holy oure navye, And stuf hem strongly with oure chevalrie.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)18170 : The corn bare thei vnto the see And charged ther-with alle her nauee.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)18621 : Thei alle at morwe be tyme..Were al redi at here naue To passe forth ouer the see.
- (1429) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)10.421 : Th'Admiral..shul have sufficeant Commandement..to ordeigne and bring Shipping and Navie, sufficeant for Passage of the said People.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)960 : He sayled in the salte se..With shipes sevene and with no more navye.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)352 : Navee, or gaderynge to-gedyr of many shyppys: Classis, navigium.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.193r : The kynges men, kepyng the see, slow and toke certeyne maryners and stroyed hur nauye; L (Wm of Malmesbury (Hardy, 490)): naufragio oppressere], which duc Robert Curtehose hadde sente into Engelond cost to robbe and to brenne.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)200 : But sone anone oure marchaundes were itake..They loste here goode, here navy, and spendynge.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)p.243 : And at the laste she aperseued that they were mastes of a full grete nauye, the whyche nauy rested in an hauen under a grete Cite opon the see.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)602 : Saisnes..fledde to theire navie.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.2.16 : Wee forsoþe hewen þe trees from þe wode..& wee schuln applien hem in nauees [WB(2): schippis; L ratibus] bi þe se in to Joppe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.546 : Þis boke doth vs specifye, How it be-fel forth of þis navie [the Argo].
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2087 : A wynde came dryuynge Kynge Rycharde, With all his grete nauyes And his saylynge galyes.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)58 : Þe racke myd a rede wynde roos..Nathannys naue a-non on norþ dryueþ.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3376 marg. : Naue [Adomant..growis out of þe grete see..If any aue to it neȝe þat naylid is with iryn, Þen cleuys it ay to þe clife carryg & othyre].
- a1500 Partenay (Trin-C R.3.17)5673 : The kyng issued fro his nauee bliue.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.329 : He [Cornelius] lefte moche be-hynde Of the story..how thei [Greeks] come by lond or by navie.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)181/23 : Noman may passe þat see be navye, ne be no maner of craft.
2.
(a) A navy; ships and men, naval forces; (b) ~ of shippes, a naval fleet; (c) a naval crew; ~ of men (peple, lordes, etc.); (d) power over the seas.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.80 : Eneas..With gret navie, which he ladde Fro Troie, aryveth at Cartage.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1445 : Of the men of his navie Thei tuo forschope a gret partie.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.40 : Suane þe Danes kyng..To aryue on Hingland he dight his nauy.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1791 : Priamus..cast hym first a naue for to sende In-to Grece his fomen for toffende.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)19955 : Þar legates þan with gret nauie Repairde againe fra germanie.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)525 : For sir Iason and his nauee..wente out of Grece To wynne the schepis goldyn flece.
- (1435) RParl.4.493a : Bannyng [of English merchants] hath be, and is like to be, grete hurt to our soverain Lord, and to his Navye, and to al his Royaume.
- c1450(?1436) Siege Calais (Rome 1306)139 : They come with grete Navy, With bulged shippes ful craftily, The hauen forto haue shent.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.3506 : Sextus..Delited hym with a gret naue Lik a pirat to robben on the se.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)1336 : Thorow þe myght of God þis fayre naue Alle in lykynge passed the see.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)35/16 : A grete nowmer of þam tuke þam schippez & went to þe see, a grete nauy, to feghte wit Alexander.
- (1442) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.3.177 : Oure said Aduersaire..is fully avised to ley siege to oure good Citie of Burdeaux, the whiche thing doing is and shuld be to grete an hurte..and also of lyklyhode to be destruccion of the Navie of this oure lande.
- (1443) Let.Bekynton in RS 56.2238 : He was kept stille with thadmiral of thEnglish nauvie.
- (1444) RParl.5.113b : The myght of such Nave [is] gret defence for all this londe.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)3010 : Brenne..Aryued vp in Albanye Wyþ gret force of god nauye.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)20.332 : For to him hadde it ben gret velonie Vppon A thef to han set his hol Navye.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)216 : Venus, how ye..Prayen Jupiter on hye To save and kepe that navye Of the Troian Eneas.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12475 : The gret nauy of the grekes & the gay kynges Were put in a purpos to pas fro the toune.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)67 : Full of breneid bernes, bargis a hundreth, Of slik a naue is noy, to here or to tell.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)2/11 : The wynde drove hym and his navye by gret tourment.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4789 : In his tyme come ouer þe se A paynyme kyng with grete naue.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)171 : Wherfor Edward with his nave sailed streit into Geround, and there took he Borow, Bloys, Burdeus, and Bayon.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)1246 : Soche a nave or þere was oon Was neuyr seen but þat allone When hyt was on the see.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)378 : Sir Gawein..assembled a grete navie.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1128 : Hire Schip was drive..Wher that a gret Navye lay Of Schipes.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)104/13 : In þe whilk citee es a grete nauee of schippez.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)15 : The seyd towne was beseged by the Frenshe partye by lond and also by see, wyth a grete navye of carekys, galeyes, and shyppis off Spayne.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)84a : A Navy of shippis: Classis, Nauigium.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5102 : So gret noumbre..Is nat remembrid of no maner man, Þat to-gidre in a companye Was met y-fere, so passyng a navye Of manly men.
- ?c1450 Brut-1447 (Trin-C O.9.1)484/19 : The Kyng..ordeyned hym with a grete Navy of peple, of lordes, knyghtes, Squyers, men of armes and archers.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)644 : Than was the navie appereiled and entred in to shippes.
d
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)151/6 : O Alexandyr, the myghty Emperoure, make we vs a merroure, For hym myght not Suffice the brede of the worlde, the nauy of the See, of all to be lorde.
3.
?A large number, quantity.
Associated quotations
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)3/11 : The sonne of the sawdeyn, that was called Brodas, come to the foote of the wall with a grete navye [F nombre; vr. foueson] of ladders.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2088 : A wynde came dryuynge Kynge Rycharde, With all his grete nauyes…To the shyppe that stode in depe.
Note: Supplemental material for (d)
Note: Presumably 2.(d) 'power over the seas', but quot. is already taken for 1.(b) 'a ship'--JL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Forms in -ei-, currently isolated in navei(e n., ought probably to be moved here, as not requiring a separate entry. So, for example, both OED (s.v. navy n., vrr. naveie, etc.) and AND (s.v. navie n., vrr. navé, navee, naveie, naveye, navy, navye).