Middle English Dictionary Entry
barm n.
Entry Info
| Forms | barm n. Also berm, bearm. |
| Etymology | OE bearm |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Lap; (b) breast, bosom; in (on) barme, at (one's) bosom, in (someone's) arms; also, breast-feeding [quot.HMaid.]; (c) fig. godes ~, God's bosom; Abrahames ~; (d) waist, womb.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)30261 : He nom his lauerdes hefd..in his bærm he hit læide.
- c1390 NHom.Abbess (Vrn)116 : Vr ladi tok þis child..And leyde hit in an Angles Barm.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.551 : In hir barm this litel child she leyde.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)510 : As lyttel barnez on barme þat neuer bale wroȝt.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1974 : When þou sittes þe for to warm, þe byche wil lig hir in þi barm.
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)82/3 : J saw a nakyd man gaderin stoonys in hys barm.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)25 : Barme [vr. barym]: Gremium.
- a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307)29 : Þou hast cauth the Vnicorn þat was so fers in þe olde lawe..þou hast set him vp-on þy barm And homly halsed hym in thin arm.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)2937 : He..kest the rynge in hyre barme.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)273 : Yn her barm before her lay Hyr yonge sonys.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)69/166 : Hald thy hand soyn in thy barme.
b
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)32/537 : & hwet þe cader, fulðen, & bearmes umbe stunde!
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)52/12 : Þe engles..beren þe sawle in hare bearmes [Roy: barmes].
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)706 : He fond horn in arme, On Rymenhilde barme.
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)207 : Sche ȝaf it souke opon hir barm.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3256 : Sampsoun..slepynge in hir barm vp on a day, She made to clippe or shere his heer away.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5442 : He kest a-boute þam aiþer arm, And kiest þam oft a-pon his barm.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8621 : Þe barn to fir in barm sco bar.
- c1425 Evang.(BodAdd C.38)802 : Þei slough þe child on þe modirs barme.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)891 : Hold to hym a petycote aboue youre brest and barme.
c
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)57b : Þe slawe lið & slepeð o þe deofles bearm [Nero: berme] as his deore deorling.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)95/8 : Þe ðet [is] idel & ȝemeleas, he is þes deofles bermes slep [Tit: barm slep; Corp-C: bearnes slep] auh he schal adomesdei grimliche abreiden.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.227 : Me thenkth as thogh I were aslepe And that I were in goddes barm.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1023 : The hihe god up to the hevene Him tok, wher he hath set him evene In Habrahammes barm on hyh.
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)64/24 : Þe mesel dyed and [his] soule was..borne wiþ aungels and leide in Abrahames barme.
d
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12283 : Heo gunnen heongen cniues swiðe longe vnder heore barme.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7952 : Þer was mani..Heued ofkoruen..Bodi cleued in to þe barm.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2457 : By heven Quene, þat bare Criste in hir barme.
2.
Associated quotations
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.157 : Hail be ȝe potters wiþ ȝur bole ax! Fair beþ ȝur barmhatres, ȝolow beþ ȝur fax.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3236 : A ceynt she wered..A barmcloth as whit as morne mylk Vpon hir lendes, ful of many a goore.
- (1423) Will York in Sur.Soc.4576 : Pro j barmecloth de rubeo panno auri.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)25 : Barmclothe or naprun: Limas. Barnyskyn [Win: Barym skyn]: Melotes.
- c1450 Swarte smekyd (Arun 292)11 : Of a bole-hyde ben here barm-fellys..Stark strokes þei stryken on a stelyd stokke.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)184 : If thou haue of swich a skin, j wole..make my barmfell ther of.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)15828 : A Barmfel off A smyth At hyr brest she hadde vp-bounde.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)9b : A Barmclothe: limus, limas, pannus, gremialis..corrium gremiale.
3.
(a) A bed or pallet; (b) a hollow (at the base of a mountain).
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)31a/a : Grabatum: a bed, a barme.
b
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4812 : Þan come þai blesnand till a barme of a brent lawe..Þai laboured vp a-gayn þe lift an elleuen dais, & quen þai couert to þe crest [etc.].