Middle English Dictionary Entry
nẹ̄̆r(re adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | nẹ̄̆r(re adj. Also nē̆r(re, nere, (N) nar, (SWM) neorre, (S) nire. |
| Etymology | OE; Merc. nēorra, Nhb.*nēarra, WS nēarra, nȳr. Also cp. ON nāaradv. comp.; Noreen Altisl.Gram. p.302. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Nearer in space or time; ~ dai, an earlier date; (b) more closely related by kinship; ~ kin (sibbe); (c) in proverbs.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Jun 121)25 : Gehendre: ner.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(Hrl 2277:Wright)p.133 : The sonne..schyneth on the nerre [Ld: hiderore] half [of the moon], in thulke that ner him is.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)758 : No wiȝth miȝt william se but ȝif he were þe nere.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.21.3 : Þe spacis of alle þe citees by enuyron sholyn be metyd fro þe place of þe careyn, & which þei byholdyn be ner [L viciniorem] þan oþer, þe alder men of þat cite sholyn take a she calf fro þe droue.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)115a/a : And þe ner [L plus appropinquat] he [moon] is to þe sonne, þe more he lesiþ of his liȝt to þe erþeward.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)239a/a : And þe nere þe fruyt þer of is to þe sonne bemes, þe more fructuous it is.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.448 : To sen hire goodly lok he gan to presse..And ay the ner he was, the more he brende.
- (1429) RParl.4.342b : The seide hole Quinzisme and Disme afore graunted..may been areised, paied, and hadde atte a rather and nerre day.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)234/4 : Here is new note in honde nere than ye wene, fore by an houre aftir none I trow hit woll noy us all.
- (1475) RParl.6.151a : Wee..have lymyted and sette a rather and a ner day of payment of a somme.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.4.5a : I was left up in to the eyre..So than I be helde dounward for to se the erthe..and yitte it semyd to me muche neer than it was befor.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15691 : Teȝȝ wærenn off hiss kinn & tærþurrh nerre breþre.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Kings 19.42 : Alle þe men of Juda answerde to þe men of israel, for to me nerr [L porpior] is þe king.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ruth 3.12 : Ne I denye me to ben neeȝ, but þer is anooþer neer [Corp-O: nerre; L propinquior] þan I.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7371 : Whan men take kyn yn felawrede And wyþ hem doþ flesshely dede, Þe ner [F plus procheine] syb she ys hys kynde, Þe more plyȝt shal he þere fynde.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)233 : Ho watz me nerre þen aunte or nece.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)18/23 : Y saide she was bothe good and faire, but she shulde be to me no nere than she was.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)295/32 : He was nere kyn to hym than he wyste off.
c
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.449 : For ay the ner the fir, the hotter is.
- (1461) Paston2.228 : Nere is my kyrtyl, but nerre is my smok.
2.
(a) Nearer in nature, quality, or relationship; more akin; also, nearer in color; (b) closer to one's goal or purpose, better; also, more accurate [quot.: (c1392)]; of love, salvation, grace, etc.: sooner to come, closer at hand; ~ ende, a better purpose or conclusion; never (nought) the ~, no nearer to one's goal, no better off; never the ~ of, no more privy to, no more knowledgeable about; meven of no ~ mene, to discuss no more restrictive settlement, negotiate no further compromise; (c) more likely to result in (spasm).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)119b/b : For liȝt in kinde of bodies haþ lest of matiere and moost of fourme, liȝt is ner [L vicinior] in kynde to foorme þan to matiere.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)255b/b : Þe nerre þey [wines] beþ in colour to white and blak, þe lesse hoote þey beþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)326b/b : Þre Ierarchies of aungels..beþ nerre [L imediatius] to god than beþ oþere creatures.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)85/25 : Þe clerar certan lufe of a lufar is, þe nerre to hym & more present god is.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)96/36 : Þe nar to hym [God], þe fayrar & þe bettir þa ar.
- c1440(?c1350) Mirror St.Edm.(4) (Thrn)19/7 : Þan es þi broþer fleschely na nerre þan anoþer.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)113 : Þe substancial beyng of mannys soule is neer to hym þan is eny of hise powers.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)425 : Yse is nere to symplicite Then is metalle.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.13.11 : Sothli now oure heelthe is neer [L propior] than whanne we bileueden.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)18/4 : Euere the mo of smale fracciouns, the ner the trowthe of thy conclusiouns.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2286 : Bot therof was sche noght the ner, As no fortune may be weyved.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.721 : With this chanoun I dwelt haue seuen yeer, And of his science am I neuere the neer.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.258 : Ȝet am I neuere þe ner, for nouȝt I haue walkid, To wyte what is dowel witterly in herte.
- (1419) Proc.Privy C.2.256 : Ye unese yat ye merque of hem of Gene haaþ doon..tourneth to noon neer ende for hom yat han ye merque yan hit did at bygynnyng us yenkey.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5101 : Fleshly delit is so present With thee, that sette all thyn entent..For to gete and have the Rose..But thou art not an inche the nerre.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)31/23 : Sum tyme wen men loken lest after socour, þanne is goddis grace ner þan þe bischops dole.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)619 : For I have herc al youre opynyoun, And in effect yit be we nevere the neer.
- (1447) Shillingford20 : Y conceyved that my lorde wolde move of no nyre mene.
- a1450 The grete god (Gar 143)27 : What art þou þe bet or þe nere, Þi neiȝbur wickedli for to spille?
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)303/321 : Nedlyng my lorde, it is neuere þe nerre..all youre mutyng amendis not a myte.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)888 : To gete her love no ner nas he That woned at hom, than he in Ynde.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.70.48a : Þe nerre þat he weniþ forto ben, þe ferþer he is.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)289/320 : Grefe you not greatly, the next shall be nar, If I haue hap to my hand, haue here for all.
c
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)69 a/b : If þu haue in ony of þese woundis a senewe þat is schortid or hackid so þat it be not kutt al atwo, þanne..it is þe more greuous & þe nere to þe spasme.
3.
As quasi-prep.: (a) nearer in space or time to (sth.); (b) nearer in nature, quality, or relationship to (sb. or sth.); nearer to attaining (sth.); of love: nearer to (sb.); (c) in proverbs.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3051 : Were we a litel ner þe tour, þanne nere we in none doute.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.312 : A mannes yhe is there nerr Thanne is the soun to mannes Ere.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)289b/b : He is nerre [L vicine] þe age of soukynge þan þe elder bestes.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)318/31 : Þe nere þat it [adiutorium] be þe ioynct, þe more perilous it is.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.69 : Contenence is nerre the croppe as calwey bastarde.
- c1450 Wimbledon Serm.(Hat 57)26/10 : If poule seide..þe endys of þe world ben comen, myche more may we seyn þe same þat byn so myche ner þe ende þan he wos.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)198/26 : Heo..swa wes heard iheortet þet hire luue ne mahte he neauer beo þe neorre.
- a1350 When þe nyhtegale (Hrl 2253)7 : Me nis loue neuer þe ner, ant þat me reweþ sore.
- c1390 ?Hilton Qui Habitat (Vrn)31/3 : Þer is no kuynde nerre god ne herre þen my kuynde is, but onliche þe blessed kuynde of god.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)87/21 : Þe mare payne þai suffer here for lufe of þaire mawmet..þe nerre þaire godd sall þai be.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)136 : The more perfite that they ben in leuinge and the nerre god..the more meke they ben.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)146 : Summe schulen be more loued of þee and more honourid of þee, and so in maner be neer þi majeste þan oþere.
- c1400 Interpol.Rolle Cant.(1) (Bod 288)69 : Watir is neer hevene in kynde þan is erþe.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)315b/b : And þerfore it is þat euere þe nerre þe bone, þe swetter is the fleissh.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9242 : Þe nere þe cherche, þe fyrþer fro God.
- c1450 Dc.Prov.(Dc 52)p.45 : The nere the chyrche, þe fer fro Crist.