Middle English Dictionary Entry
oversē adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | oversē adv. Also ourse & (early) oferse, ofersæ, oversæ, oversea. |
| Etymology | From OE phr. ofer sǣ. Also cp. OE ofer-sǣlīc & ofersǣwisc. Some quots. under ō̆ver prep. 4c. may belong here. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Over or beyond the sea; abroad; (b) quasi-adj.: lying beyond the sea; (c) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1104 : & se cyng his folc ofer sæ into Normandig sende.
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1106 : Ðær æfter to foran August ferde se cyng ofer sæ into Normandig.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1135 : On þis gære for se king Henri ouer sæ æt te Lammasse.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)229 : He awende water to uine, and eode ofer se mid dreie fotum.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1749 : Leir..mid ane alpie swein..ouer sea [Otho: ouer see] icomen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7747 : Mid þe we wulleð buȝen..ouer sæ to Brutlonde.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2646 : Þe king of is men at helde woch he wolde & driue aȝen ouerse [vr. ouer þe se] þulke þat he nolde.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4257 : Two men..wolde han passed ouer see For certeyn cause in to a fer contree.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8843 : He scorned þem on his langage, So fer for stones to make passage, Ouer se til an oþer lond, ffor þey no stones hender fond.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)97/11 : He went þerwith our se into a noder contre.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)115 : The ship..is cleped an hors of tree..To leden men & carien ouer see.
b
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) Ctn.(Hrl 2261)485 : The kynge of Fraunce scholde have hade Caleys delyverede to hym and alle oþer castells and towres over see longynge to the crowne of Ynglonde.
c
- (1289) Close R.Edw.I21 : Robert Overse.