Middle English Dictionary Entry
āvẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | āvẹ̄ n. Pl. ave(e)s, aveis. |
| Etymology | L impv. ave. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A greeting: hail!; esp., the greeting of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary; (b) the prayer Ave Maria; (c) the aves, the time (s) at which such prayers are said.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)9b : Leafdi seinte marie..underfeng mi gretunge wið þe ilke 'aue'.
- a1275 Nu þis fules (Trin-C B.14.39)9 : Gabriel hire grette and saide hire 'aue!'
- (a1333) Herebert Heyle leuedy (Add 46919)5 : Þylk 'aue' þat þou vonge..Of þe aungeles mouhþ kald Gabriel.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15766 : Iudas eft he lepe him to, 'Aue, rabi' [Trin-C: heil,maistir], coth he.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.151 : 'Aue, raby,' quod þat ribaude.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)334/409 : Aue! riall roy and rex judeorum!
b
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)115b : Heo ne con oboke segge, bi pater nostres ant bi auez, hire ures.
- c1390 KTars (Vrn)61/1090 : Vr ladi wiþ an aue he grette.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.176 : He can purtreye wel þe pater-noster and peynte it with aues.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)757 : I pray my pater & aue & crede.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)156/10 : All þase þat saise for me..ane Aue, þat Godd forgife me my synnez.
- 1425 Mary moder well (Lnsd 344)169/1 : Y schal..grete þe with aueis fyue.
- a1450(c1400-25) Legat Serm.PD (Wor F.10)4/96 : Y pray ȝow, seith with a deuowte herte a pater noster & an aue.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)67/21 : Sche schulde worschepyn oure lady wyth certeyn Auees.
- c1525 Rule & T.St.Francis(2) (Fst D.4)577 : Euery lay brother shalle saye euery weke an c paternosters, and as meny aveis for alle Cristene sowllys.
c
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4929 : The seid chymes to goo also at the avees at the complyn eche Satirday.
2.
One of the beads of a rosary used for counting the number of Ave Maria's recited.
Associated quotations
- (1381) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.455 : [6 sets of] aves [of] geet.
- (1415) Invent.Agincourt in Archaeol.7098 : Coffre viridi cum iij paribus paternosters de auro, vnde ij paria de lx aues.
- (1424) EEWills58/26 : I wil þe Maister of Manton haf my pair of bedys..with þe x aues of siluere.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4942 : I beqwethe..a peyre bedys of sylvir with x avees and ij paternostris of sylvir and gilt.