Middle English Dictionary Entry
Pẹ̄ter n.
Entry Info
| Forms | Pẹ̄ter n. Also petir, petur, petre, peiter. |
| Etymology | OE Pētrus, Pēter; gen. Pēt(e)res; dat. Pēt(e)re & Petrus; ult. Gr. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) St. Peter; also one of the Epistles of Peter [quot.: PPl.A(1)]; -- also as personal name; seint ~; seint petres suster, ?a personification of the White Paternoster; (b) feste of seint ~, seint petres dai, the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, Lammas, Aug.l; seint petres dai and poul, seint petres messe dai, St. Peter's (and St. Paul's) day, June 29; seint petres eve; (c) petres barge, ship of ~, seint ~ ship, the Church of Rome; (d) in exclamations; (e) in proverbs; (f) petres, St. Peter's Church in Rome; (g) a fisherman.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1066 : Se cyng geaf sancte Peter & him þæt abbotrice on Byrtune.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)26/33 : Þa racetegen feollen þærrihte of Petres handen.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)37 : He hauefð þa ilke mahte of Sancte petre to bindene and to unbindene, and of ure biscope þe is on sancte petres stude.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)35/373 : Ich [Belial] hit am þet spec þurh simunes muð þe wicche, þe weorrede eauer aȝein peter ant pawel.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)446 : Seint petur he bad par charite cristni him a-non.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)12/6 : Þis article zette saynte peter.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)1 Pet.1.1 : Petre, apostle of Jhesu Crist, to the chosen gestis.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3486 : Where wentestow, seint Petres soster?
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2379 : Peter Alfonce seith, 'Make no felaweshipe with thyne olde enemys.'
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Pilgr.(Phys-E)p.55 : Sain peter and sain Iam him mette.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.233 : Þat can I þe wisse, And prouen it be þe pistil þat peter is nempnid.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.18 : Is noyther peter þe porter ne poule with his fauchoune Þa[t] wil defende me þe dore.
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds 3.1 : Peter soþely ande saynte John ȝoden into þo temple atte þo houre of nonepreyer.
- c1425 *Wycl.Concord.(Roy 17.B.1)107b : But þat alle turne aȝen to penaunce, secounde pistle of petre, þridde cap.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)395 : Petyr, propyr name: Petrus.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1543 : The senatour Petire to presoner es takyn.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.134/16 : I, petur of Westcote Barton, haue i-grauntid..to þe church of Seynte Marye..londis and tenementes.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)19 : He hurlyd owt hor ydols and hade hym in sayntes..Þat ere was of Appolyn is now of Saynt Petre.
- a1500(?a1450) Treat.Garden.(Trin-C O.9.38)92 : They wul be rype at the full At lammasse of peter Apostull.
b
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1132 : He com on S' Petres messe dei..into the minstre.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8423 : Þis bataile ido was A seinte peteres eue.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8:Kingsf.)303 : The kynge..londid on seint petris day, lammesse, at Benvile.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8:Kingsf.)307 : In the same yere on seint petur is day and poule in the monythe of Juyne, the erle of huntyngdon..foughten with ix Carrikkis of Gene.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)121/16 : This peyn lastid up-on hir fro þe feest of Seynt Petyr, whech þei clepe in Latyn, 'ad vinculam', in Englisch, 'Lammesse', on-to þe natiuite of our Lady.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)637/9 : Roger grauntid..to pay x shillings..at þe feste of seint petur, þat is, ad vincula, or lambemas.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.234 : Thus was Petres barge stiered Of hem that thilke tyme were, And thus cam ferst to mannes Ere The feith of Crist.
- a1400 Ancr.(Pep 2498:Pahlsson)63/25 : Holy chirche..is likned to seint Peter schipp.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)383/39 : I schalle neuer suffire þe schyppe of Petir, þat is holy chirche, perysche.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.1214 : Ye shal leden hem on to peteres barge, Whiche fygureth oure feyth.
d
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)681 : Ac peter! it nas but is puluere.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.3 : Bi peter þe Apostel [vr. seint poule þe apostel; B: seynt Peter of Rome], I haue an half Aker.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1332 : Peter! so been wommen!
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)8.118 : 'What!' quaþ þe prest to perkyn, 'peter, as me þinkeþ, Þou art lernid a litel.'
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)813 : 'Ȝe, Peter,' quoþ þe porter.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)919 : 'Petir [vr. Be Ihesu]!' þan sayd þat riche kynge, 'I will go se þat swete thynge!'
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)933 : 'Petir!' quod Percyuell, 'He es brende.'
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)2000 : 'Petre! that is myn entent,' Quod he to me.
- a1500 Amadace (Adv 19.3.1)119 : 'Petur!' seyd Amadas, 'he fares full yll.'
e
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.656 : Now aday is manyon Which spekth of Peter and of John And thenketh Judas in his herte.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)331/25 : Sum medicyne is for peter þat is not good for poul.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)138/19 : To robbe Petyr & ȝeue it Poule, it were non almesse but gret synne.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)305/15 : Þei robbyn seynt petyr & ȝeuyn it seynt Poule, þat is to seyne, þei getyn falsely here good of holy cherch.
- a1500(?1382) Wycl.Wks.Mercy (NC 95)174 : Lord, hou schulde God approve þat þou robbe Petur and gif þis robbere to Poule in þe name of Crist?
f
- a1350(c1307) Death Edw.I (Hrl 2253)57 : Þe pope of peyters stod at is masse, wiþ ful gret solempnete.
g
- (1384) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.75 : [All the] peteres [who take fresh fish in the Thames east of the Bridge and bring it to the city for sale stand in Cornhill and nowhere else under pain of forfeiting their fish].
2.
In cpds. and combs.: ~ corn, a customary rent paid in grain; ~ gras, wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum); ~ lok, a kind of lock; ~ man, a fisherman; also as surname; petres-net, a kind of fishing net; ~ peni, q.v.
Associated quotations
- (1342) Close R.Edw.III693 : John Petreman.
- (1385-6) Let.Bk.Lond.H (Gldh LetBk H)278 : [Certain nets called] Peteresnettes [belonging to John Weymaker of Fulham and William Elyot of Batricheseye..of too small a mesh].
- (1397-8) Doc.in D.K.R.36app.2 p.90 : [Nine locks with nine keys, called] petrelokes.
- (c1400) Act Petermen in Welch Hist.Tower Bridge89 : An Acte concernyng Petermen and other fysshing in the Thames.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)645/2 : Hoc sirpillum: petergrys.
- (1429) Close R.Hen.VI23 : [The said Richard shall yearly pay..the thraues commonly called] Petircorne.
3.
Associated quotations
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)162/7 : Christofere femel..haȝt lewys lyk to þe lewys of herbe petur.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)163/10 : Herba petri is an herbe þat men clepe peter or cowsloppe.
4.
In place names, names of churches, taverns, ships, etc.
Associated quotations
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5737 : Þe priorie of hely, þere a bissopriche is, & þe abbeye of petresboru hii rerde al so ywis.
- a1350 Nou skrynkeþ (Hrl 2253)11 : From Petresbourh..y me wende o my pleyȝyng.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1956 : Þe chef cherch..chosen is ȝutte, & clepud þurth cristendom þe cherche of seynt petyr.
- (1378) in Ekwall Street-Names Lond.163 : Seint Petre-lane.
- (1400) Comp.R.in Frost Hullapp.1 : Navis Johannis Engson vocata Petre de Hull.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)8.156 : Dowel..passiþ al þe pardoun at seint petris chirche.
- (1423) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)200 : [A tavern called] le Petres Key [near Oldefisshstrete].
- (?1423-4) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)106 : Þe dede..I..John Canesby, deliuered..at a Taillours house ouer for a-yens Petres Tauerne be Poules cheyne.
- (c1441) Paston (EETS)1.215 : To my worshepfull husbond John Paston, abidyng at Petyrhous in Cambrigg.
- (1447-8) Shillingford99 : He and his predecessours have be seised..of a Chirch called Saint Petre in Excetre.
- (1449) Pat.R.Hen.VI304 : St.Peter Ledynhall in Corneyle.
- (1451) Pet.Hen.VI in Archaeol.Ael.n.s.3184 : A shippe of Robert Whithed, called the Petre of the Newe Castell.
- a1500(?a1471) Let.Marg.Anjou in Camd.86 (Add 46846)46 : We be enfourmed that the Paroish chirch of Saint Petre in Cornehull is like..to voide.
- (a1500) Doc.in HMC Var.Col.424 : Here hyt schawyt..what leofryk busschop hath y-do vnto synt Petyrys mynyster of Exeter.