quern and querne - Middle English Compendium

Middle English Dictionary Entry

quẹ̄̆rn(e n.(2)

Entry Info

Forms	quẹ̄̆rn(e n.(2) Also queren(e, querin, quierne, quirne & (chiefly N) whern(e, wheren, qwhern(e & (early) cweorn- & (in surname) quorne & (in place names) querren-, querun-, querme-, quering-, quarne-, quaren-, quorun-, cueren-, wharn(e-, wharing-, kerm, kerung-, karne & (?anal. with corn n.) corn(e-, corun-, curne & quer-, quor-, cor-.
Etymology	OE cweorn & ON (cp. OI kuern).

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

(a) A small mill for grinding grain, pepper, mustard, etc.; a hand mill, quern [something difficult to distinguish from (b), to which some of the following quots. may belong]; also, an instrument of torture resembling a mill; (b) one of the pair of stones forming such a mill, a millstone; ~ ston [OE cweorn-stān]; (c) a handle or apparatus for turning a mill; ~ staf; (d) glossing L trapeta, an olive press; (e) in combs. specifying the material ground: malt (mustard, pepper) ~; mustard ~ ston [see mustard n.(c)]; (f) ~ betere (biler, pekker), ?one who carves millstones.

Show 53 Quotations Hide 53 Quotations

Associated quotations

c1300 SLeg.Kath.(Hrl 2277)234 : Þer hi miȝte lurne To fiȝte aȝe Iesu Crist mid here false querne, To wende aboute here rasours, þe holie maide to drawe.
c1300 SLeg.Pilate (Hrl 2277)5 : Bi a melewardes douȝter he lai..And biȝat on hire vnder þe querne þe liþere bern.
(1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)181/14 : Samson..uil into þe honden of his yuo, þet him deden grinde ate querne.
(c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3264 : They made hym at the querne [vrr. Queerne, queren, quernes] grynde.
(a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.11.5 : Þer schullen dye all þe first goten in þe londe of Egipciens, from þe first goten of pharao..vnto þe first goten of þe honde meyden þat is at þe qwerne [vr. queern; L molam].
(a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.25.10 : I shal lesen fro hem vois of ioȝe & vois of gladnesse..vois of þe querne [WB(2) vr. querns] & liȝt of þe lanterne.
(c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.24.41 : Two wymmen shulen be gryndynge in oo querne; oon shal be taken to, and the other forsaken.
(a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.391 : In somer tyme he made men bere mele and floure and quernes on here nekkes for þritty daies.
(a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.87 : Plautus..he gronde at þe querne [L molas manuales] wiþ a bakere for huyre.
?a1400 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Rwl C.750)p.157 : In here ne no man of craft shal any more be-founden; in here ne no vois of querne shal be herd in here more.
?c1425(c1380) Chaucer Form.A.(Benson-Robinson)6 : Unknowen was the quern [vr. quyerne] and eek the melle.
(?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6468 : Thei..At ther queernys maad hym for to grynde.
(1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)420 : Querne: Mola manualis.
(?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)7.249 : Alfike is..in a oone ybake & maad tendure, That lightly on a quern hit may be grounde.
?a1450 Mem.Cred.(Tan 201)85/14 : As an hors is y blynfelt to drawe an hors mylle..Sampson..was y made to drawe at a querne as an vnskylful beste.
c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1798 : Yet she that grynt at a querne [vr. quyrne] Ys al to good to ese her herte.
c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)4373 : At qwernes [vr. whernis] þei gart hym grynd þer corn.
(a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)55 : Plauctus..was compelled for to dwel with a baxter and grinde his corn at a querne.
c1475 St.Patr.Purg.(2) (Brm)p.95 : Yt semyth a trendyll þat ran so ȝarne, Ryght as a stone of a qwerne.

c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)548/37 : Mola: cweornstan.
(1303) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.296 : Pro acero stithies, quernestones, et lapidibus molaribus val. £cccc ix, cii s. iii d.
(1327) in Sundby Dial.Wor.128 : Petr. voc. quernestones.
(1361) Invent.Monk-Wear.in Sur.Soc.29155 : j par de whereenstanes.
(1387-8) Rec.Norwich 250 : [2 pairs of] whernstones.
(1393) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.4 : [10] querenstanes [valueless through age].
(1396-7) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99214 : Item, 1 par de qwherns pro pepir.
a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Deut.24.6 : Thou schalt not take in the stide of wed the lowere and the hiȝere queerne stoon [WB(1): grynstoon; L molam] of thi brothir.
a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)42a : Mola: a querne or a mille ston.
a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)663/8 : Hec mola, Anglice, quernes.
(?c1425) Will York in Sur.Soc.4588 : De ij s. de j pare de qwhernes in teca. De xvj d. de j pare de whernes ad sanapium molendum.
(1448) Doc.Lynn in Nrf.Archaeol.6145 : Ledy's quernes.
(1449) Will York in Sur.Soc.45112 : De j pari qweryns, cum j cace ligneo, x s.
(?c1450) Rec.Norwich 2235 : j last de whernestones, iij d.
(c1470) Paston (EETS)1.436 : Item, a peyre quernes to grynd wyth mustard.
a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)725/24 : Hec mola: a qwernston.