Middle English Dictionary Entry
paum(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | paum(e n. Also palm(e, pame; pl. paumes, etc. & (error) pawnis. |
| Etymology | OF paume, palme, pame. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The palm of the hand; also, a hand; (b) ~ of the (an, his, etc.) honde, ~ of honde, the palm of the (a, his, etc.) hand; ~ of (the) hondes, paumes of the (his, etc.) hondes, the palms of the (his, etc.) hands; paumes of the honde; (c) the pad of a bear's paw.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(Hrl 2277)500/235 : Þreo rounde cerclen heo wrot in þe paume amidde; In þe tueye heo wrot Fader & Sone, & Holi Gost in þe þridde.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.31.20 : Hir hond she openede to þe helpeles & hir pawmys [WB(2): hondis; L palmas] she straȝte out to þe pore.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)51a/a : Þe combe..is þe space of the hond wiþinne þe fyngres..þat comounliche hatte þe palme.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2796 : Men miȝtten seen þere hondes wrynge, Palmes beten, hondes tirynge.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.141 : Þe paume is purely þe hande, and profreth forth þe fyngres to mynystre.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1533 : Þer apered a paume, wyth poyntel in fyngres, Þat watz grysly and gret, and grymly he wrytes.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1542 : His cnes cachches to close and cluchches his hommes, And he wyth plattyng his paumes displayes his lers.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)20 : La pavme de deinz, le claie de hors..Þe pavme vyþynne þe clouth wt oute.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)73b/a : Ȝiff þe arterie þat is lower towarde þe inner partie of þe palme be leten blood, it helpeþ almoste in þe same maner.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)61 : Thenne fareth fals fourth and flatereth atte beste..And euery gome of hym glad, so glorieusely he loketh Thorough þe peynte [?read: peynture] of þe preynte þat in þe palme hongeth.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)3.1682 : Withe his fyngres, mouthe, and eyne touche; His smal pawmes on thy chekes layne.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2704 : To al vertu disposed..Is a man havyng..Signes twelve..Cleer of voys and eke mesurable, Palmys and ffyngrys longe in suffysaunce.
- c1450 Doc.in Bentley Excerpta Hist.415 : Tvrne thy fore fynger of thy right hand in the palme of thy left hande.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)30b/b : Ech of þe iiij fyngris and also þe pawme haþ þre bonys.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)202/5 : He in natur is best disposid..þat hath..a longe palme [Sloane: handes; L palmarum].
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)156/32 : That is not the honde y-meuet ne chaunged, that nowe in leynthe othyre in Palme hym streythyth, agayn into a wyste hym closyth.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.8.6 : Par-auenture þe palmys of þe handis of ȝebee & of Salmana ben in þyn hand.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.26.67 : Thei spitten in to his face, and smyten hym with buffetis; forsothe other ȝouen strokis with the pawm of hondis in to his face.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.311 : Dyogenes..sigh a childe drynke of þe pame of his hond.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)237b/b : Oyle may be so hoote þat he schal brede þe feueres if þe puls, veynes, and nares, and þe pame of þe hondes and þe soles of þe feet ben y-bawmed þerwiþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)239a/a : Palma..haþ þat name..for bowes þer of beþ y-schapid as þe palme of þe hond.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)44/4 : Galion telliþ of a man þat was prickid with a poyntel in þe pawme [L vola] of þe hand.
- (c1400) Higd.(1) (Hrl 1900)537 : He fond the ymages fynger with the ring yclyȝt into the pawme of the hond.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1114 : Therwith his pous and paumes [vr. pames] of his hondes They gan to frote.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)198/17 : The folk ben all skynned rough heer as a rough best, saf only the face & the pawme of the hond.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)163b/a : In summyte or hiȝt of þe heued..þe middel fynger toucheþ, þe hand y-strecched fro þe nose, fro þe þrote of þe palme of þe hand vpward.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)65b/b : Sima off þe liuer is liche as it were þe palme oþer þe holounesse of þe honde.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)108b/b : Smyte on þe ere with þe palme of þine honde & þe stone on happes schal gone oute.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)126a/b : Þu schalt done riȝte in þe same maner ȝif þe schulder bone be oute of iointe vppewarde with..compression dunnwarde with þe palmes of þine hondes to þat he be reduced to his owne place.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)386 : Pawme of an hande: Palma.
- a1450 Chauliac(4) (Cai 336/725)28/37 : Of þe armys & al þe hand as fro þe arme to þe pame & fyngris of þe hand.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)48/108 : Take swynes grese fresshe & þe rote of humbloke..and enoynt þerwt the hert of his fete and the pawmes of his handis.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)208/658 : Enoynt the pawms of thyne handes and soles of thy fete.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)30b/b : Þese iiij neþemoste beþ conteyned wiþ þe iiij bonys of pectini manus, þat is, þe pawme of þe hand.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)39b/a : The lyuere..haþ a bouȝ on þat oþer side riȝt as þe bouȝ or þe palme of þe hand.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)166 : The arche-byschoppys..a-noynted hym..alle a-crosse hys ij schylderys, hys ij elbowys, hys pamys of hys hondys.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)117/10 : Whenne þe palmes of þe honde er longe..it bytoknys his lord wel ordeynyd to many craftes.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)624 : Uola cassa [glossed:] pame of the honde.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)631 : Palme [glossed:] Pame of þe honde.
- a1500 Partenay (Trin-C R.3.17)4306 : Plain pawme of hande the swerde made entre.
- a1475 Sidrak & B.in Centaurus 12 (Lnsd 793)223/5222 : It were al plein londe As þe pawme of myn honde.
c
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)776 : Thane come..A blake bustous bere abwen in the clowdes, With yche a pawe as a poste and paumes full huge.
2.
The breadth of the palm of the hand as a unit of measure, a hand's-breadth; usually 3 inches, sometimes longer; ~ brede (lengthe), the size of a hand's-breadth in width (length); large ~, ?4 inches or longer; other halfe ~, a palm and a half.
Associated quotations
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.40.12 : Who mesurede with handful watris, & heuenes with þe pawme [WB(2): spanne; L palmo] peiside?
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Ezek.40.5 : In hond of the man a ȝerd of mesure of sixe cubitis and a palme [WB(2): a spanne, that is, an handibreede]; and he metid the breede of the beeldyng with oo ȝerd.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)62 : His chynne shuld be a litel hie, for it is better þan it were flatt..þe to boonys of þe chyne behynd brode of a large pame or more.
- (1421) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.90 : [2] rede caudrons [of 9] pame [at 8 s. each, 16 s.].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)47a/b : Palmus: a spoune or a paume.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)49b/a : Albucasis drewe out þat ponder of lede a veyne meden or ciuilem of 15 or 20 palmez [Ch.(2): hande brede; L palmarum].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)70a/a : Þer be made a bende more longe þan an armelengþe of 4 fyngers brode, And be al volued outake 2 palmez or spannez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)128b/b : Be þer infixed with nedilez 3 thredez of a palme [Ch.(2): hande brede] lengþ.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)68b/b : Þe riȝte gutte..is of þe lengþe of a palme.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)124b/a : Leie aboue anoþer pece of gretter cloþe..and þes two peces schal be so grete þat þei mowe conteine alle þe brekinge & a palme of trauers fro euerye side of þe brekinge.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)159 : Pyonye is boþe hoot and drye..Ther ben ii manere of þis herbe..Þe roote of þe more as [read: is] two palmes long and gret as a fynger.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)290/15 : His face was in lenthe oderhalfe palme.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)290/18 : His browis was a palm brede.
- c1450 When the son (Frf 16)320 : The browys smale cercled..halfe a pawme..dwel a sundre.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)166b/a : Boþe in þe brest & in þe wombe, þe rollere schal be a palme brood and riȝt longe þat it mowe go al aboute þe body.
- c1500 Melusine (Roy 18.B.2)325/31 : He..made his swerd to entre in his flesshe wel a palme deep.
3.
The sole of the foot, used as the name of a place in Rome where Christ's footprint is said to have been left in a stone.
Associated quotations
- c1450 Stations Rome(1) (Clg A.2)252 : To þe palme [vrr. palmete; palmalle] wyll we goo, Domine quo uadys, men clepe hit so, And þer mette petur with Ihesu..Ther ys ȝette a syne of his fote On a marbull stone.
4.
(a) The paw of an animal; the claw of a bird, dragon, etc.; (b) the broad, flat parts of the antlers of some deer.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2615 : Þe lyoun hasted him ful hard..And with his pawm al rafe he downe Bath hauberk and his actoune, And al þe fless doun til his kne.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)73/169 : A dragone..In his palmes alle byrnand so, Vp..tuke hir childir two, And away he tuke his flyghte.
- c1460 Of alle mennys (Dub 432)118/52 : Þe bere made the dogges to cry, And with his pawme cast þeyme to grounde.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17190 : She hadde..Syxe handys..And tweyne..Wer the pawmys off A gryffoun.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21508 : Thys menstral..Was..ffrom the myddel vp, A man, Donward..A bryd wynged merveyllously, Wyth pawnys [read: pawmys] streynynge mortally.
b
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1155 : Þay let þe herttez haf þe gate, with þe hyȝe hedes, Þe breme bukkeþ also with hor brode paumez.
5.
A type of game in which the palms or hands are used to strike a ball.
Associated quotations
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)16 : Whane he playd there at the pawme, the ballis that he plaid withe oft ranne yn at that fowle hole, for ther was ordenyd withowt a faire playng place for the Kyng.
- (1467) Ordin.Wor.372 : No man pley at tenys or pame wtyn the yeld halle.
- (1467) Ordin.Wor.387 : No maner persone pleye at the pame or at tenys, wtyn the yeld halle of the seid cite.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)48/36 : His body be put in exercise of som maner of labour and travayll, as in playing at the pame or..othir like pleyes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Consider Late (?) Latin 'palmus' (masc.) = 'span' as possible additional etymology.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. palm of the hand.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. palm.