Middle English Dictionary Entry
ō n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | ō n.(1) Also oo & (?error) on. |
| Etymology | OE, from L. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The letter o of the alphabet; (b) the o-section of an alphabetized list; (c) a designation for the fourteenth item in an order; (d) the sound of the vowel 'o'; (e) the last letter of the Greek alphabet, omega; alpha and o, the beginning and end; (f) the letter o as used in divination; (g) in poetic refrains.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4318 : Iesoys..Þe feorþe staff iss nemmnedd O.
- a1425 *Tit.Alphabet (Tit D.18)9a : Alphabetum Anglicum: m, em; n, en; o; p, pe.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)412/9,13 : He bigan to write an o..but anoon wiþout ony tariing he wente to his obediens & lefte his o vnwritun half.
- c1450(?c1425) St.Mary Oign.(Dc 114)175/1 : She cleped a clerke & tolde hym þe lettirs, þat were a, i, o, l, and asked what þey betokenyd; Þan hee, spellynge hem to-gedir, answeryd þat þey signifyed aiol, And þenne she knewe openly þat þis relikes were of seint Aiol.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)379/28 : A monk..was writand & in makyng of ane O, his abbott callid, & he lefte it half vnmade.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)107 : The secunde declynson is of the wheche the genityf singuler endyth in us, the datyf in o.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)178b/a : Medicinez bygynnyng bi .O.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)626/4 : Of þe lettre O. Opium is þe iuse of an herbe..Ordeum, barly, is a corne, [etc.].
c
- (1421) in Hist.Essays Tait211 : Inventarium librorum..O, Cronica de exordio et progressu ecclesie Dunelm.
d
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.35v : Modirwort: Lewed folk þat in manye wordes conne no ryȝt sownyng, but ofte shortyn wordes & changyn lettrys & silablys, þey coruptyn þe 'o' into 'u' & 'd' into 'g' & syncopyn, i. smytyn awey 'i' & 'r' & seyn mugwort.
e
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)Apoc.1.8 : 'I am alpha and oo, the bigynnyng and endyng,' seith the Lord.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)335b/a : His worschipe and blisse..is alpha & oo, bygynnynge and endynge of alle good.
- ?a1500 O sapiencia (Hrl 45)1 : O Sapiencia of þe ffader..Alpha and Oo, both end & begynnyng..We the besiche, lord..teche vs þe ways of prudence.
- ?a1475 LDirige(2) (Dc 322)525 : O thow grete lord, alpha and oo, Helpe me.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)1/1 : Ego sum alpha et o, I am the first, the last also.
f
- ?c1400 Sloane SSecr.(Sln 213)15/40 : Counte þe name of ilkone of þem [men] by þe letteres of þe Abc..and by þe noumber þat es on ilk letter þer-of..wher-by..þise countes sale be caste. A:3. B:3. C:22..M:23. N:15. O:8. P:13, [etc.].
g
- c1350 Of alle þe witti (Add 45896)29 : Wit an on and an I, hyt Is a sori fare on such a sori chepusckyn alday for to stare.
- a1400 Of thes frer mynours (Cleo B.2)5 : Nou he þat sytes vs aboue, make ham sone to sonder, With an O & an I, þai praysen not seynt poule.
- c1400 I herd an harping (BodDon c.13)5 : With an O & an I, his carpynge is ful hende.
- ?a1425 Luke in his lesson leres to (RwlPoet 175)p.285 : Wiþ ane O & ane I, sothly þou sall Consayue a child.
- c1440 When adam delf (Thrn)69 : With E and O, take kepe þare-to.
- a1450 Erliche in þe morwenyng (Cai 175/96)p.312 : Wiþ an O and an I, Jesus my lemman, Woo forbled is þy body.
- a1450 Godys sone þat (Dc 126)9 : Wiþ an o & an I, His coroune was mad of þorn.
- a1475 How GWife Pilgr.(Brog 2.1)5 : Witt an O and an Y, seyd hit ys full ȝore, That lothe chylde lore behowytt.
- a1500 Salamon sat (Cmb Gg.1.32)11 : With an O & an J, þus gas þis werld abowt: To day j am in offyce, to moru j am put owt.
- a1500 Thynke man qware off (Cmb Gg.1.32)9 : With an O & and I, thynk on hym, I rede.