Middle English Dictionary Entry
relik n.
Entry Info
| Forms | relik n. Also relikke, relic(ke, reliq(u)e, relek(e, releqe, & (error) relyquyt; pl. relikes, etc. & reliquies, releckis & (error) rerikes. |
| Etymology | OF relique, relike; cp. OE reliquias & L pl. reliquiae. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Part of the body of a saint, or other material object associated with a saint or with some event of religious significance, a Christian relic, an object of religious veneration; also, the dead body of a saint [quot.: a1350]; (b) relik(es son-dai, the first Sunday after July 7, when the relics in a church were especially venerated; (c) a Jewish or pagan relic; (d) pl. the remains of a dead person; (e) a valuable object; also, fig. beloved person; trophy of war, spoil.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)14/2 : To ower relikes luteð oþer cneolið.
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)567 : Þe bischop wuste þis holie blod ase relikes riche and guode.
- a1325 SLeg.Assump.Virg.(Corp-C 145)240 : Of hure milk & hure here and of hure cloþes also Among us for relikes beoþ.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5541 : In þe kinges tresorie þat suerd iwust ys, As uor noble relike.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)64/22 : Huanne me zuereþ be þe holy relikes..me zuereþ be ham and be god þet ine ham woneþ.
- a1350 St.Alex.(1) (LdMisc 108)59/378 : Ȝe scholle sone fynde þat schal hele dombe & blynde, A relik precious.
- (1377) Will York in Sur.Soc.4101 : Priori et Conventui de Bridlington, unam paxbrede vocatam relik.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)377 : Þe croys þat ihesus deyd an & þe sepulcre al so, With dede of armes ich hem wan, & relyqes many mo.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.381 : Þe chief of alle suche relikes is i-holde Iesus his staf.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.701 : In a glas he hadde pigges bones; But with thise relikes [vrr. reliqes, relikkes]..he gat hym moore moneye Than that the persoun gat in monthes tweye.
- c1390(?a1300) Stations Rome(1) (Vrn)295 : Rerikes [Clg: Reliquies] þer beo, monyon, In worschupe of crist and seynt Ion.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21368 : Þe right rode þai wend to dil..Bot crist..Wild noght let his dere relicke..sa lang bi hid.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.476 : Creop on kneos to þe croys and cusse hit for a Iuwel, An ryghtfullokest a relyk, non riccher on erthe.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)8/10 : O partie of the crowne of oure lord..& on of the nayles & the spereheed & many oþer relikes [Man.(2): relyques] ben in Fraunce.
- (c1438) MKempe B (Add 61823)237/36 : Owr Ladys smokke & oþer holy reliqwiis..wer schewyd on Seynt Margaretys Day.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1478 : The Priores..Aw for to ches a segerstane..To kepe enourmentes of þe kirk, Als chalese, boke, & vestmentes, Relekes, waxe, & annual rentes.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)2980,2982,2987 : Þere come foure clerkes to Wyltone from ferne londe With a litull beryng-case fulle of relekes gode..To ȝeue þe pardone of herre relekes to diuerse men..& among þuse relekes..Weron þe bones of seynt Ywen þe confessour.
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)538 : Saynt Elyne..Fond þe holy crosse..And helden hit a relyc ful holy.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)1672 : Bidde the Sowden sende me my Nevewes both And the Releqes also of Rome.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)503 : Seynte Sophy..is the fairest churche holde In alle þe worlde newe or oolde, With many a relique riche and dere.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.47/1 : I will the kirk of Stayn haue the littill halfe bruche that es with relikys.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)109/20 : Cloþis or any oþer þing wich tochin holy relikes ben hold for relikes.
- (1466) Rec.St.Stephen in Archaeol.5041 : Item, j lytill purse of yollowe and dyuers relekes with in hyt.
- (1472) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum6 : Relikkes..Item, A relik of Seynt Edmundes Shirt.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)75 : The kynge made be brought the hiest seintewaries that he hadde, and the beste relikes, and ther-on they dide swere.
b
- (1450-52) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.520b : For to make a wacchefyre there, the Fryday byfore Relek Sunday, in the 29th year, 2 d.
- (1461) Paston1.96 : Wretyn at London on Relyk Sonday.
- (1461) Paston2.240 : Yf the coronacion had be on Relik Sunday, as it was apoyntyd, I shuld haue waytid on yow.
- (1475) *Maldon (Essex) Liber B [OD col.]fol.22 : A die Martis proxima post diem dominicam vocatam Relykes Sondaye.
c
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4998 : Yn þys ark were þre þynges..Moyses table..Aarons ȝerd, and a potte of golde; þese þre relykes þey helde ful holde.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8001 : Þar sal þou find a godd relike..Yee sal find þe wandes þar þat moyses oft wit him bar.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1269 : Þenne ran þay to þe relykes as robbors wylde And pyled alle þe apparement þat pented to þe kyrke.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3466 : Þis fest halwed was Of many Greke..On pilgrimage her vowes to acquyte, Of þe place þe reliques to vesyte.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5655 : It is called Palladyoun..for Pallas, to make hir toun certeyn, Þis relyke sent fro þe heuene doun.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.153 : Thei hadde a relik, heet Palladion, That was hire trist aboven everichon.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1572 : Þar passis þe procession..With releckis [Dub: relikkez] full rially, þe richest on þe auutere.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1437 : In this arke were laied three thyngis; Gretter reliquis at that day were noon.
- a1500(a1449) Lydg.Haste (Cmb Kk.1.6)109 : Troians..Looste ther relyquyt called Palladyon.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)3482 : Þus self þere he brenneþ, And to þe deuel his soule bikenneþ..Þanne wole þei her askes take And þerof þei sholen relekes make.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)168b/b : Þere reste þe relikes of seint John Baptiste.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21215 : Þei did sent andru relikes and him [St.Luke] Bring to constantinopolim.
e
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2907 : It is thyng most amerous..To sen his lady by the morwe, For it is a full noble thing Whanne thyne eyen have metyng With that relike precious.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.3465 : The ryng, the anker of gret excellence..Appollo..Sent hym thes reliques of synguler aqueyntaunce.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4207 : Scho hede þe kepynge..Off cofres enclosede..With rynges and relikkes and þe regale of Fraunce.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)321 : What dostow her So nygh myn oune floure..Yt is my relyke, digne and delytable, And thow my foo.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11391 : Antenor also was..A Riche mon of Renttes, Relikes ynow.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12486 : Tho lordes..Shotton into ship mong shene knightes, With the tresowre of þe toune..Relikes full Rife & miche ranke godes.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)185/991 : The kyng cheses precious stonys, Ryche relikis..Plente of siluer and of gold.
2.
Pl. Chiefly in Bibl. transl.: (a) survivors, remaining group of people; (b) posterity, descendants; relikes of sed; (c) other goods; residual property; also, the remainder, residue.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Josh.10.39 : He smot in mouþ of swerd; he lefte not in hit eny relykys.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Kings 21.2 : Gabanytes ben not of þe sones of israel but þe relikes [WB(2): relikys; vr. leeuyngis] of Amoreis.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.21.17 : Þe relikis of þe noumbre of þe stronge archeris fro þe sones of cedar shul ben mynusht.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.6.9 : Þei shul gederen as in a vyne ȝerde þe relikis of irael.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Zeph.3.13 : The relikis of Yrael shuln not do wickidnesse, nether shuln speke leesyng.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Kings 14.7 : Þei sechen to quenchen my sparke þat is laft, þat þer be not laft name to my man and relikes [WB(2): relikis, ethir remenauntis] vp on erþe.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)83/25 : Blessid schal I be ȝif þe relikes of my sed be ordeyned to se þe clernes of Ierusalem.
c
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)36.40 : Þe vnriȝtful, forsoþe, shul ben desparplist, and þe relikes of þe wicked shul dien.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.28.5 : Blessed þe fruyt of þy woombe & þe fruyte of þyn erþe & þe fruyte of þy beestys..blessed þy bernys & blessed þy relykes [WB(2): relifs; vr. othere thingis; L reliquiae].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ps.16.14 : Þei ben fulfild with sones & laften þeir relikes [WB(2) vr. relifs ether residue] to þer children.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ps.75.11 : Þe thenkyng of a man shal knowlechen to þee, & þe relikes [WB(2) vr. leuyngis] of þe thenking a feste dai shul don to þee.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)36.39-40 : Þa ere relikes to man þat paisful es, And vnrightwise samen forworth þai sal, And relikes ofe wicke sal sterue with-al.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)201/6 : Þou shalt be cur[sed]..þi berne, þi relikes, þe fruyt of þi wombe, of þi lond, of þi bestis.
- (1471) Will Sus.in Sus.RS 43206 : I bequeth to the chirch of Mafeld in Sussex, to the makyng of the reliques, xxvj s. viij d.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)36.39,40 : Relikes ere til a pesful man eftere this life..The relikes of wickid ereerthly thyngis.
3.
Pl.: (a) Aftereffects, consequences; (b) traces, vestiges.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)163a/a : Cauterie..correcteþ & amendeþ þe reliquiez, i. leuyngez, of þe forseid euacuacionz.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)134/3 : If it be euel heled it leueþ euel relikes, as burstynge of þe appel of þe eyȝe and teres and noyefull webbes.
b
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)173/10 : A wyse man wolde take peyne to gete the leste fauour [read: sauour; F goute] of the reliques of wysedom.