Middle English Dictionary Entry
barlī n.
Entry Info
| Forms | barlī n. Also barlich, -lick, barlech, berley. |
| Etymology | OE bærlīc |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. bere n.(2).
1.
The grain or meal of barley; flour of ~; water of ~, an infusion or decoction made with barley.
Associated quotations
- a1126 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1124 : Man sælde þat acer sad hwæte..to six scillingas, And þat bærlic..to six scillingas, And þat acer sæd aten..to feower scillingas.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)192 : Oc finde ge ðe wete corn..Ne bit ge nowt de barlic beren abuten.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)5.133 : I Bouhte hire Barly; heo breuh hit to sulle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)238b/b : Of bareliche y scheled and y soden in water is medicynable drynk y made þat phisicians clepiþ thisane.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)287a/a : Þey [ants] gaderen whete and recchen nouȝt of bareliche.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)10111 : Whete cornes wyl nat prykke, As otes dowun or barlykke.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)263/9 : He schal drinke water of barli.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.7.13 : A loof of barlich maad vndir asshen.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)188a/a : Ordeum, barly, is a corne colde and drye in þe firste degree wiþ maturynge & wiþ clensynge.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)175 : It is ordeyned of brewsteres, that after Michelmesse moneth, whan men may have barlych of newe greyn, that the ballyves..doo cryen assize of ale by all the toun.
- (1439) RParl.5.8a : Whete, Otes, Barlich, Malt.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)392/12 : He was als hevy..as..a grete sekk full of barlie.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)146 : Men ete moo benys and pesyn and barly that yere [1438] than euer whas etyn in Englond.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)121/1 : Take half an handful of flour of barly.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)127/26 : To ony þat be woundyd in þe heed..be putte water of barly.
- (1459) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 4100 : iiij bushels barleche.
- a1486 Assize Bread in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)60 : A quart' of whete is solde for iij s. or xl d. and a quart' of barlee for xx d. or ij s.
- a1500 Platearius CInstans (Cmb Ee.1.13)7/16 : Amidun .. sethe hit in water of barlech and almon [vr. almond] mylke & kast penides þerto.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)44 : Þe secunde parte to be sowen withe lenten corne, as with otys, pecys, barly.
2.
(a) The barley plant; (b) a planting or crop of barley.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)238b/a-b : Barlich hatte Ordeum..for he haþ som tyme in þe ȝere sixe ordres and reules of greynes. Þis corn we clepith Wynter bere, and so boþe barlich and bere hatte ordeum..And barlich hatte ordeum & haþ tweye rowes of greynes in þe eere. Þe þridde maner ordeum hatte trimense, for it is y ripe in þre monthes after þat it is y sowe.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)30/12 : By Bethleem..atte cristemasse barlich bygynneþ eere and to wex rype.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)14 : The lengythe of iij barly cornys make an ynche, so that barly growe in comyn soyle.
b
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ex.9.31 : The flax thanne and barlich [WB(2): barli] was hurt, for that that the barlich was grene.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.30 : At Ianys monys Idus, temporate Ground is to sowe in barly galatyke. viij busshell seed an aker lond is ate.
- (1443) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 829 : For fellyng ij akerys of barlyche xx d.
- a1500 Merch.& S.(Cmb Ff.2.38)19 : For and a beste come in hys londe, berley, pese, or whete, [etc.].
3.
Combs. (a) barli bred; ~ broth; ~ cake; ~ chaf; ~ corn, q.v.; ~ croft; (b) ~ flour; ~ fughel, a personal name; ~ grain; ~ kinde, the group of plants including and resembling barley; (c) ~ lepe, a basket for barley; ~ lof, a loaf of barley bread; ~ malt; ~ man, one who owes a feudal debt in barley or grows barley for the market; ~ market; ~ mele, barley meal; (d) ~ seim, ?barley water; ~ sele, the season for sowing barley; ~ silver, a sum of money paid in place of barley; ~ strau; ~ water; ~ wort, an infusion of barley malt, unfermented ale.
Associated quotations
a
- (1185) in Pipe R.Soc.3441 : Josce Barlibred.
- (1197) Feet Fines Rich.I in Pipe R.Soc.2480 : Rod' terre in Barlicroft'.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.130 : Ȝe schulle ete Barly Bred and of þe Brok drynke.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3705 : Me thoghte I sih a barli cake.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.145 : I nyl enuye no virginitee. Lat hem be breed of pured whete seed, And lat vs wyues hote barly breed; And yet with barly breed..Oure lord Iesu refresshed many a man.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)2113 : Quik þai haue his bodi flaine & waltered him in barli chaf.
- c1350 St.Greg.(Cleo D.9)156/995 : My body askeþ no such mete, Bote barli bred and water clene.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2757 : As man in prisoun sett, And may not geten for to et But barly breed and watir pure.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)137a/b : Þe sethynge of barly chaffe.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)23/24 : iij qwartis of barly brothe.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)9b : Barly caffe.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)1530 : Fyue looues of barly-brede.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)5/20 : He..ete barly-bred, and dranke watyr all his lyfe aftyr.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)52 : Let your provynder be medled with whete chafe or ote chaffe but not with barle chafe for þat hurtithe þem in þe mowthe.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)43/11 : Take barly-bred and non ouþer.
b
- (1233) Close R.Hen.III214 : Gilebertus Barlifughel.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)226a/b : Far is a maner corn..and is an herbe þat is of barly kynde.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)249/2 : Make a playster of þe iuce of henbane and of wete flowur or barly flowur.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)300/208 : Menge it with a porcioun of barly flour.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)3315 : Yiff that she..hadde..Off a lytel barly greyn Makyd an Er large & pleyn.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15511 : He fedde fif þusennde menn Wiþþ fife barrliȝ lafess.
- (1289) Rec.Norwich 210 : In parochia S. Petri de Manecroft in Barlimarket Yerd.
- (1325) Close R.Edw.II370 : [Villeins called] Barlymen.
- (1332) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms195 : Petr. (Amicia) Barlyman.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)254a/a : Vyne leues wiþ barly mele heleþ hote gowtes.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)13506 : ij fisshis & v barly lauis [Vsp: lauis of bere].
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)13/10 : He schal ete for his mete growel maad of otemele, eiþer of barli mele.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.219 : I bouȝte hir barly malte; she brewe it to selle.
- a1425(c1300) NHom.(1) Peter & P.(Ashm 42)300 : Ȝe ger me haue All priuelie a barli laue.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Num.5.15 : The tenthe part of a busshel of barly melowe [WB(2): barli meele].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)29a/b : Decoctioun of barly mele.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.3471 : A barli loff in such a distresse Mor myhte auaile than al worldli richesse.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)25 : Barlylepe, to kepe yn corne.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)227/5 : Take a galun of worte made of barly malte, and sethe þes herbys þer-yn.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)76 : Take poudre of comyn, barly mele & hony, & frye hem to gedre, and make a plastre.
- a1500(a1450) St.Robt.Knares.(Eg 3143)274 : The fourth partte was of barly mele.
d
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)p.158 : Taunt de vertu de la grees [glossed:] barly seym.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)67/1440 : Barli bred he et for gode, And barli water, þat was isode.
- (a1375) Doc.in Vinogradoff Villainage291 : Barlicksilver. Item debet Willelmus de B. per annum 6 quarteria ordei et 6 quarteria auene.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)25 : Barlysele: Tempus ordeacium.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)176/549 : Take hony..and powdere of pepire and barly wort.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)204 : Tak agolon of wyn, or elles swete barly wort.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)315/307 : Modirworth late hym takyn all grene..And sothyn with barly-worth full cler And drynkyn it.
- c1500 King & H.(Ashm 61:Hazlitt)168 : With litter son he gau hym bed..The frere he had bot barly stro.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (c1349) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.III(1) in Archaeol.31102 : j. p~ rub~ mixt~. xxj vln~ p~ barlegh. xvj. vln~ p~ barlegh.
Note: ?some kind of (?barley-colored or ?loosely woven) cloth.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 164/4 : Take strawe of barlyth and make a bedde þerof nexte þe flouer, and anothir bede above that.
Note: New spelling; prob. sense 3.(d), with added comb. strau of ~.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. water of barley.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 3.(d)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. barley water.