Middle English Dictionary Entry
nexte n.
Entry Info
| Forms | nexte n. |
| Etymology | OE; for forms, see adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
One who or that which is closest in space or position.
Associated quotations
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)195/33 : Oxen and horsis..ben þe next to whom we dressen oure deedis.
2.
(a) A relative; kinfolk; ~ of blod (kin), the next of kin; the closest one among (one's) relatives or kinfolk; (b) a neighbor, fellow man; (c) coll. intimates, close associates; (d) ~ of oure allie, of virtues or attributes personified: that which has the closest affinity to us.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6729 : Min frend & mi nexte [B: sibbe] ney stondeþ aȝe me.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.155 : Þe feeldes wiþ oute eny plee schulde falle to þe nexte [Higd.(2): nyeste; L porpinquiores] of þe blood.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3149 : Thus stant Envie in good espeir To ben..the develes heir, As he which is his nexte liche.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Deut.19.6 : He that smytith his neiȝbore vnwitynge..shal fleeȝ and lyue, lest perauenture the next of kyn [WB(2): next kynesman; L proximus] of hym..pursue and take hym.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)162/31 : Þei taken the nexte of hire kyn to hire wyfes.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)124/26 : When þis emperoure es deed..þe..kynredens..chesez his sonne or þe next of his blude.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)45.166 : I wile that the lond his be, As next of my kyn ful sekerle.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)19/31 : His sone or ellis the next of his blood schuld be sette in his steede.
b
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Dom.Quadr.(Bod 343)40/12 : Þone is þeo soðe lufe þæt he beo ifylled mid þare godcunden lufe onȝean his nyxtæn, þæt is, ælc cristene mon.
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Dom.Quadr.(Bod 343)40/15 : We sculen symle wuniæn on þare godcundæn lufe & ure nextæ.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)50/11 : Ðeo lufe is..þæt we beon ifulled mid þare soþan lufe to Gode & to ure nextum.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)99 : Alle cristen men scullan lufian heore nehstan.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)13 : Ne spec þu aȝein þine nexta nane false witnesse.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)39/13 : Ðanne behoueð ðe ðat ðu bie wel warr þat tu luuiȝe ðine nexte, ðat is, aurich mann ðe berð ðin anlicnesse.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)63/24 : Hie dieð him arst habben reuhðe of him seluen, and ðanne of his nexten.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)7/3,4 : 'Hwa mod wunian on þinre eardungstowe?'..'se þe his nyhstan nan þing yfeles ne dyde, & se hosp..on his nixten ne setten.'
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)114/395 : Ac loke þine nexte, He is ate nede god.
- a1300 PMor.(McC 123)274 : Louie..vre nexte [vrr. emcristen, euen-cristen] al suo us self.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3515 : Ne gisce ðu nog ðin nestes ðing.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)11/7 : Þou ne sselt naȝt wylni þing þet is þine nixte.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)145/29 : Loue þine nixte ase þi-zelue.
- c1485 Assump.Virg.(1) (Hrl 2382)125/428 : Yf he..telle it oute vnto the preste, or..vnto his nexte..I woll of hym haue mercy.
c
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)30/17 : Þe uerþe is werre wyþ-oute to his neȝybores and to his nixte þet byeþ alle aboute him.
d
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)10490 : Grace dieu..To Our cosyn, dame Resoun..Whom al our court doth magnefye As to the nexte off our allye -- Elthe, Ioye, & contynuance.
3.
(a) The successor of a ruler; (b) that which immediately follows or precedes in a narrative or discourse; ~ biforen, the preceding gospel.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)508 : Þe kyng Maxymyan -- Þe next after Octauyan -- He conquered all Armoryk.
b
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2822 : Swete-Thenkyng shall aswage The peyne of lovers..the next..is not lesse saverous.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.4 : Þis gospel telliþ, as þe nexte bifore, how Joon made redy þe weye to Crist.
4.
In prep. phrases: (a) at (the) ~, in the immediate vicinity; (b) at the ~, imminent, at hand; on ~, subsequently, then, thereafter; (c) at ~, at last; (d) at ~, in logical sequence; (e) at (the) ~, without an intermediary, directly, not secondarily.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25383 : Þa seoluen Romleoden liðen heom to-somne þat weoren at nexte of Rome þa hexte.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2422 : Abowte the cete..they soughte at þe nextte, To seke them a sekyre place to sett withe engeynes.
b
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)360/44 : Atte þe nexte is my tribulacyone þat I schalle passe forþe fro this worlde.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)363/4 : Now I see & know þat I maye no lenger lyue and þat deth is atte þe nexte.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2795 : Þen to Nostanda on next þus notis he a lettir.
c
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)227 : Þa et nextan, þa se time com þe god forescewede, þa sende he his ængel to ane mede.
d
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)481 : Alle maner of outward werkis..ben good, for as myche as þe special wel willingis of whom þei at next proceden..is good.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)481 : Alle þese outward werkis ben good oonli bi þe inward werkis commaunding at next.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)177 : Euene immediatli at next to the now bifore alleggid text of Peter this proces folewith.
e
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)271 : What a man mai not haue and do at the next and immediatli, he wole be..weel plesid for to haue it mediatli.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)521 : In ij..maners God dooth dedis in erthe. Oon is..whanne he bi him silf at next, withoute meene or his assignee, dooth..eny myracle.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)21/26 : Eche moral dede comaundid or counseilid of resoun or of feiþ And..eche moral vertuose dede comaundid..of god, we owen to do immediatly, or at þe next.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.92 [3rd occ.] : After þe deth of euerych haldere in ffee sholle þe baylyues of þe Citee seysy sympleleche þe tenemens of weche he deyde y-seysed, for to y-wyte bet, who-so is next eyr…and at þe nexte court…ȝif eny more next a-leggy þat in erthe his frendes day to don hem come [etc.].
Note: gloss: closer kin
Note: F plus prochein