Middle English Dictionary Entry
oter n.
Entry Info
| Forms | oter n. Also otur, otour, otre, otter, hoter, notir, (error) atter & (in place names only) otr-, oder-, other-, ostre-, hotr-, uter-. |
| Etymology | OE |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The European otter Lutra vulgaris; (b) the fur or skin of the otter; also, a garment made of otter fur or trimmed or lined with otter fur; ~ furre; (c) an otter pelt; ?also, a piece of otter fur; (d) ~ hunte (huntere), an otter-hunter, a keeper of otter-hounds; office of ~ hunt, the office of otter-hunter; ~ furre, otter fur; ~ skin, an otter pelt; (e) oter (flie, an error for buter-flie.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)642 : On is hindore fet An Otur [Ashm: hotur] þare cam gon; Bi-twene is forþere fet he brouȝte a fuyr-Ire ant a ston.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)717 : Poleyn, chiual, et loutre: Colt, hors, and otre.
- (1366) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)2.93 : Goune [of] bluet [with fur of] ottere.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.62r : Þe best may reche to his stonys as hownd to hise; for Y haue kept al a lyter of hem mor þan 6 woks..þe best þat is called castor, otter.
- (1402) RParl.3.506b : Et que Vadlet ne use null Furre, forsq; dangnell', gupill', conyng, & oterre.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)40 : Otire [F Loutre] is a comoun beest inow..she lyueth wiþ ffisshe and dwelleþ nye þe Ryuers..and somtyme she fedeþ hur wiþ gras of þe medowes.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)33a/b : Jcomfagus [?read: iccofagus]: an hotere.
- c1425 Twiti Venery(1) Prol.(Vsp B.12)150 : iij othur bestis ben of gret disport That ben neythur of venery ne chace..The grey is one þer of..The cat an oþer, the otre one also.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)372 : Otur [Win: Ootyr], watyr beest: Lutricius.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Consulo (Hrl 2255)25 : With an otir spare ryveer noon nor pond.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Look TM (Hrl 2255)53 : To ffissh in watir the Otir doth duresse.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)662 : Irelonde..Commoditees of it I woll entitell..Skynnes of oter, squerel, and Irysh hare.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)118/13 : As þe ottyr sleth fysch & gaderyth it on hepe in-to his hole tyl it stynketh, for he wenyth neuere to haue ynow; and þanne for stynche he is syke & deyith; Ryȝt so, þe coueytous man gaderyth rychesse.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)593/40 : Lucterinus: an Otyr.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)22/16 : Late us ete the gret ele, and y will saie to my husbond that the otour [F loerre] hathe eten hym.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)1680 : Twa bestes come fra þe depe se; Þai semed as otyrs forto be; Þir bestes þai anded on his fete To refresche þaim.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)90a : An Ottyr: luter, lutricius.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)700/16 : Hic lutricius: a notyre.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)760/7 : Hic ffeber, hic lutrissius: a otere.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)49/170 : Take here..otters [vr. atter] and foxes, fullimartes alsoe.
b
- a1300 PMor.(Jes-O 29)358 : Þer nys nouþer fou ne grey..Ne oter ne acquerne, Beuveyr ne sablyne.
- (1390) Will York in Sur.Soc.4144 : Ego Petrus..Taillour..omnes pelicios meos de otter.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.67 : [Walter Lange has a gown coloured blue and furred with] oter.
- (1418) EEWills37/2 : A furre of beuer and oter medled.
- (a1451) Doc.in Sur.Soc.4598 : j penula, vocata an otir furr.
- -?-(1429) Will in Som.RS 16131 : Togam furratam [with] oter.
- -?-(1456) Will in Som.RS 16170 : Togam penulatam, [which fur] penala [is called] Oter.
c
- (1442) Will York in Sur.Soc.3084 : Togam..penulatam cum otyrs.
- (1452) Reg.Chanc.Oxf.in OHS 93307 : Togam meam viridem de lira foderatam cum oterys.
- (a1500) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.213 : De qualibet tymber de ottres ven., ii d.
d
- (1246-7) Assize R.Lan.in LCRS 4765 : Siward le Oterhunte.
- (1246-7) Assize R.Lan.in LCRS 4789 : Adam Loterhunt.
- (1333) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 10121 : Ricardus le Hoterhunter.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester7 : Weuerwombes and oter skynes, tymbar, v d.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)40 : Theremenant of his nature I remitte to Milbourne þe king otere hunte.
- (1431) Reg.Chichele in Cant.Yk.S.42 (Lamb 69)447 : Togam meam blodii coloris furratam cum oterfurr'.
- (1446) Will York in Sur.Soc.45103 : De iij otter-skyns.
- (1485) RParl.6.356b : The Graunte of the Office of Otterhunte.
e
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)772 : To þe lepe come she wolde þe flowres to hondel and to beholde; And, or y it ere wyst, An otter [vr. boterfleȝe; F pappilon] fleyȝ ageynst my brest.
2.
Her. The figure of an otter on a shield.
Associated quotations
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.7 (Hrl 2169)196 : Robarde Ottyr beryth asewre iij ottrys passaunt of gold. York chyre.
3.
(a) As surname; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.56].
Associated quotations
a
- (1186) in Pipe R.Soc.3634 : Rogerus Oter.
- (c1200) Doc.Ireland in RS 5345 : Walterus Oter.
- (1230) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.4191 : Johannes Otir.
- (1242-3) Bk.of Fees995 : Willelmus Oter.
- (c1275) Hundred R.Tower 1453 : Rogerus Oter.
- (1297) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 16124 : Mariota Otre.
- c1444(c1250) Cart.Lewes in Sus.RS 38 (Vsp F.15)99 : Benedict Oter.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.7 (Hrl 2169)196 : Robarde Ottyr.
b
- (c1100) in Wallenberg PNKent467 : Otrepol.
- (1158) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.152 : Oterburna.
- (1194) in Wallenberg PNKent467 : Ostrepol.
- (1208) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)207 : Otheringeton.
- (1217) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.152 : Oterburn.
- (1244) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)11 : Ottery.
- (c1250) in Ekwall PNLan.95 : Oterpul.
- (1272) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)593 : Hotrintone.
- (1275) in Wallenberg PNKent467 : Oterpole.
- (1278) in Wallenberg PNKent228 : Oderingden.
- (1301) EPNSoc.11 (Sur.)111 : Otreshaghe.
- (1325) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)593 : Otriton.
- (1337) EPNSoc.11 (Sur.)111 : Otershagh.
- (1374) in Wallenberg PNKent369 : Oterplaye.
- (1375) in Wallenberg PNKent369 : Uterplaisfeld.
- (1424) in Ekwall PNLan.191 : Otrepole.
- (c1475) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)584 : Otyrmouth havyn.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.342 : The earle Douglas & the earle of March also, Northumberlande..dyd mikyll wo At Otturborne.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Medulla quot. is correctly placed, but on further consideration, should perhaps be read as "Iciofagus: an hotere" Per Vince McCarren, Edition of Stoneyhurst Medulla Letter A, p. 56.