Middle English Dictionary Entry
occean n.
Entry Info
| Forms | occean n. Also oc(c)eane, occian(e, occianne, occion(e, oxian. |
| Etymology | OF ocëan, occëan n. & ocëane, occëanne adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The circumferential sea surrounding the world; se of ~, gret (muchel) se of ~, gret) se ~, ~ se, gret ~; laste) clif of ~, the end of the world; (b) any sea or ocean; the sea along the coast; se ~; amiral of the se ~, the commander of a fleet of ships.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)16,17 : 'Tel us ȝwat þou hast i-seiȝe..In þe se of Occean [Hrl:Wright: mochele see of occian]'..Nou is þe see Occean grettest and mest al-so; heo goth a-boute al þe world and alle oþere cometh þer-to.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)632 : Þe gret se of occean In þe on ende, i-wis, Is more þane al þe eorþe beo..Ech oþur se..Nis bote a lime of þulke se.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)940 : Oþer half ȝer we abbeþ now iwend wiþ oute reste In þe grete se of occean.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.455 : Alisaundre hadde i-goo aboute þe laste clif of Occean [L oceani].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.592 : Thilke See which hath no wane Is cleped the gret Occeane, Out of the which arise and come The hyhe flodes alle and some.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)115a/b : Þe mone meouyth and drawiþ aftir hire þe see of Occiane.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)158a/b : Boþe grees and latyns clepeth þe see occean, ffor he biclippeth the roundenesse of þe erþe aboute as it were a cercle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)194a/b : Wynlandia is a cuntrey bisides þe mounteyns of Norwey towarde þe eeste an streccheþ vppon þe cliff of occean.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)194b/a : Island is þe laste Regioun in Europa in the norþe biȝonde Norwey in þe firste parties þer of is alwey Ise and glaas and streccheþ vppon þe clyffe of Occean [L occeani maris] toward þe north.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.605 : Þe pelers at Gates..Be-ȝownde whiche is no land habitable..So fer it is by-ȝonde þe occian.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3435 : Appollo..gan downward to declyne, And on þe wawes ful watery gan to schyne; ȝet or he was passed the Occian, Iason is comme..to þe presence of þe kyng.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2933 : Phebus..gan to baþen in þe wawes wete His briȝt bemys of þe occian.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Job 38.16 : Whethir thou entridist in to the depthe of the see and walkidist in the laste partis of the occian [vr. depthe; WB(1): se; L abyssi].
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.m.6.15 : The same sterre Ursa nis nevere mo wasschen in the depe westrene see, ne coveyteth nat to deeyen his flaumbes in the see of the occian.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)37/29 : The Rede see þat is an arm of the see Occean [F meer occeane].
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)108/21 : Men gon þorgh ynde be many dyuerse contrees to the gret see Occean [F la grant mer Occiane].
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)31 : All that Vter in erthe aughte..Orgayle and Orkenay..Irelande vttirly, as Occyane rynnys.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)533 : So miche holdest þou þe, man, of miht..Þat þou miht ovur Oxian wiþ þin ost saile.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5503 : He..cairis on forthire To þe occyan at þe erthes ende.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)5.21 : A certeyne kynryde towarde the Occian.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)1638 : That Mediteran..Cometh froo Marrok and Despaine And holdith his cours forth fro than Vnto the Grete See Occian.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)24/3 : The sevynte kyngdame was Norþehumbirlonde, þe wch haþe for his boundis Este & Weste þe occyon see.
- c1475-c1500 Looke well (Skeat)45 : Though..the gret see, cleped the occian [vr. occianne], Were torned in inke..They coud nat wryte wommannes traitory.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)105/26 : Hercules..sette the markes of his conqueste in thende of the Occean See.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.59 : Euerich flood arist more in occean [L oceano] þan in þe grete see.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13254 : I sailet forth soundly on the Sea occian..and happit to light In an yle, þere an old temple naitly I founde, Of a god, þat with gomes was gretly honouret.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)47/1382 : The sighis..Shulde y hem sende..Ovyr the fomy wawis oxyan To her hous.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2697 : All the firmament shuld falle adoun And Occian lepe ouer Caleys Toun.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) Ctn.(Hrl 2261)450 : Hewe of Calverly, knyȝhte, and Syr Thomas Percy..made admiralles of the see occean, after the takynge of mony schippes..come ageyne to Ynglonde.
- a1500 Quest.MOxf.(Hrl 1304)287 : That on is snow, the oþer is occian waters.
- c1500(?a1475) Landavall (Rwl C.86)92 : He founde yn that pavilione The kynges daughter of Amylione; That ys an ile of the fayre In occian fulle faire to see.
2.
In geographical names referring to specific parts of the ocean or bodies of water: se of ~ of atlant, ~ atlantik, ~ atlanticum, the Atlantic; brittish ~, the English Channel [see also Brittish adj. & n. (c)]; also, the sea southwest of Britanny [quot.: Barth. 188b/a]; est ~, the eastern portion of the circumferential ocean; also, the English Channel or the North Sea [quot.: Trev.Higd. 2.101]; flaundrish ~, the North Sea; ~ of fraunce and germani, the English Channel; ~ of gien, the Bay of Biscay; north ~, the northern portion of the circumferential sea; oure ~, the North Sea; also, the sea west of England; south ~, the English Channel or the North Sea; west (se) ~, the Atlantic; west ~ se, error for the eastern portion of the circumferential ocean.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.53 : Þere þe see of occean of Athlant [Higd.(2): occean Atlantyke; L oceanus Atlanticus] brekeþ out and makeþ the see Gaditan.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.171 : Þis Europa is þe þridde deel of þis worlde wyde and..streccheþ dounward by þe norþ occean [L septentrionalem oceanum] anon to þe endes of Spayne..Þe lower Scythia..streccheþ bytwene þe ryuer Danubius and þe norþ occean.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.101 : Þe kyngdom of Kent..streccheþ from þe est occean [Higd.(2): sowthe occean; L australi oceano] anoon to þe ryuer of Temse.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.3 : After þis Alisaundre..passede by þe Est occean [L orientalem oceanum].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.505 : She dryueth forth into oure occian..til..Fer in Northumberland the wawe hir caste.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)175a/a : Brabayn..hath þe Ryuer and ffrisia in þe eeste syde and bruytisshe and fflaundrisshe occean in the norþe syde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)175a/b : Also an oþer lesse Bretayne is vpon þe occean of Gyan in þe cuntre of ffraunce.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)184b/a : Þe see gadicum in þe norþe and þe occean athlanticum in þe west.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)188b/a : Þey sailed þe see cooste of þe Occean of Gyan..pictauia..hath spayne in þe Eeste syde and þe brittisshe occean in þe souþe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)188b/b : Picardia..haþe..þe Occean of ffraunce & Germany in þe weste.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)225b/a : Benes growiþ wiþoute trauaile of tiliynge..in londis of north occean.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11395 : Vs telles alsua iohn gilden-moth Of a folk ferr and first vncuth Wonnand be þe est occean [Trin-C: occione].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.131 : Whan he [Phoebus] made his stedis drawe His rosen chariet lowe vnder the wawe..Passyng the bordure of oure occian.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)14/15 : Alexander tuke trybute of þe Romaynes and of alle the folkes þat duelt bitwixe that & þe weste Occeane, þe whilke regione es callede Europe.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)32/28 : Fra þe citee of Rome to þe weste see occyane, all men submytte þam vn-till vs.
- a1500 *Let.Alex.(Wor F.172)319 : Than I went to the west occean see to Rowe or to shippe.