Middle English Dictionary Entry
rīche n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | rīche n.(1) Also rich, (chiefly N) rik(e & (early) rice, (early infl.) rices, richen; pl. (early) richen, ricen, ricu. |
| Etymology | OE rīce & ON: cp. OI rīki. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Sovereignty, dominion, authority; fongen (taken) to ~, to ascend the throne, take up royal power; (b) the territory over which authority extends, a kingdom, an earldom, a diocese, district, city, etc.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1102 : Se arce biscop Ansealm heold gehadodra manna sinoð, &..manige Frencisce & Englisce þær heora stafas & rice for luron.
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1106 : Se sunu feng to þam rice.
- a1126 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1124 : Dauid his broðer..feng to rice.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1140 : His sune Henri toc to þe rice.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)219 : He [Lucifer] wolde..bien his sceoppende ȝelic..and habbe anwealda and riche..he smeade hu he mihte delen rice wið god.
b
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1102 : Se eorl Rotbert..hæfde þone eorldom..& micel rice þær to.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)38/33 : Ic wylle þæt min folc on ealle minre rice..buge to Danieles Gode.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)24/9 : Ælc hæfde feorðen dæl þæs rices on Iudea londe.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)130/29 : Swa swa ricu beoð her on worlde; Hwær beoð þæ..caseres..þe we in cuþæn?
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6899 : Herode..wollde ȝifenn all Hiss aȝhenn sune hiss riche.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8470 : Ȝerrsalæm wass hæfedd burrh Off Issraæless riche.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3939 : Belin..& Brennes..biwunnen al þa richen þe læien in-to Rome.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9780 : Nu is muchel sellic isiȝen to þissere riche [Otho: londe].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10497 : To Baðe com þe kæisere & bilæi þene castel þere & þa men wið-innen..wereden þa riche.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14466 : Heo heom biþohte..hu heo mihten biswiknn Karic of his richen [Otho: rich].
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Bod 34)4/17 : He set a kineseotle i þe moder-burh of Alixandres riche.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)480 : Elpes arn in Inde riche, on bodi borlic, berges ilike.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)1401 : Niȝene and þritti winter he welde þe riche [Clg: heold þæs leoden].
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)290 : Sho was þe rithe eyr Of engelond, of al þe rike.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24821 : Til erls and baruns o þat rike [Phys-E: rik; Frf: cuntree] þan gaf he serekin giftes.
- a1400 Falseness and couetys (Mert 248)4 : Lewte and pouert ar peris, Haue þai no rithte in ys rike.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)919 : Þou tellez me of Jerusalem, þe ryche ryalle.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)3001 : For al þis rike A ded knyght wald I noght strike.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2238 : Þen sal þe bisschop of þat rike Swilk a priores sone depose.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)666 : I will kepe my Ryke.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)103/92 : Is none in this ryke a shepard farys wars.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)58 : Ryght was þat þis renk reigned hym after, To bee crouned a king in his right riche As maister of Macedoine.
2.
(a) God's sovereignty, God's rule; also, divine glory; (b) heaven; godes (hevenli, paradises) ~, ~ of heven; (c) the universe, usu. considered one of God's domains; also, this earth; also, the present life; (d) God's spiritual kingdom on earth: the body of Christians; also, the state of Christian virtue.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)108/4 : Summe..ne sceolden deaþæs onfon ær þam þe heo seȝen hine sylfen on his rice cumende.
- c1225 Nic.Creed (Jun 121)5 : His riche ne bið non ende.
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)59/75 : Adueniat regnum tuum; Cume þi riche.
- c1350 In þat time als (Bod 425)30 : Son of heighest be kald sal he..And in Iacob hous rike sal he, And of his rike no ende sal be.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)21.30 : Of lauerd es þe rike, And he sal lauerd ofe genge ilike.
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)2/8 : Nan mon ne sihð Godes rice æfre, buton he beo æft akenned.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)126/29 : Þa haliȝe men..siþiæð mid englæ werod to þam upplice rice.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)128/22 : Earniæþ eow þæt heofenlice rice, þær is ece eadiȝnesse.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)7548 : All þuss we muȝhenn cumenn efft Till Paradysess riche.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)231 : He haueð ȝerimed rihtwisan mannan infer to his rice, and þa þe his bebode allunge for-seoð beð an helle besencte.
- a1225 Seinte marie clane (Roy 5.F.7)4 : Sainte marie..help þin godric; onfang, bring heȝilich wið þe in godes riche.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Bod 34)94/653 : He haueð bihaten ham..blisse buten ende, i þe riche of heouene.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)74/12 : Ha [soul] is her in uncuððe iput in a prisun..ne nis nawt edscene..hwuch ha schal þunche ȝet in hire ahne riche.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)357 : Eurich mureȝþe maiagon..Bute..godes riche Þat eure is svete & eure iliche.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)594 : Hise loðe men sulen to helle faren, hise leue to his riche.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)160/34 : Þou sselt to morwe for my louesoffri deþ wel stronge And suþþe myne riche of heuene wiþoute ende auonge.
- c1330 St.Kath.(2) (Auch)3 : He þat made heuen & erþe..Bring ous into his riche & scheld ous fram helle pine.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)241/27 : Pouerte is þet menet huermide me bayþ þe riche of heuene.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25231 : Þou do us haf þi riche rike þat in þis wreche werld we wike..regn nu wit grace.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.179 : Conforte þi careful, cryst, in þi ryche.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)601 : Of more and lasse in Godez ryche..lys no joparde.
- a1425 Here begynnes a new (Roy 17.C.17)477 : Wyt Hys blode He gyf us grace In Hys ryche to se Hys face.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)17.31 : My myrknes, that i suffire here, light thaim, takand me out of this lif in til thi rike, whare ay is light.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)12127 : Goddes sone shal hise take..And lede hem to his fader riche, Þere euere is ioye.
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)102/25-6,27 : Þe deofel..sceawede him alles middæneardes rice & his blisse. Witerlice næs Criste nohte wurð þisses middeneardes rices..he alle ricen, æȝþer ȝe heofenlice ȝe eorþlicen, wissæð.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)132/23 : Ic sylle..for þisse læne rice, þa heofenlice ȝife.
- a1200(?c1175) PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)328 : Of þesse riche [vr. world] we þencheð to ofte, of þare alto selde.
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)59/77 : His riche is al þis middeleard, Eorðe and heofene.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)177 : No man schal wite in Godes riche Whar hit becomez, but þou and iche.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2278 : Worthi to his liche, To sechen al the worldes riche, Ther was no womman forto love.
d
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)17183 : Crist iss Godess riche Inn all þatt follc þatt follȝheþþ himm & inn himm sellfenn.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)87/34 : Arst secheð godes riche.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)89/7 : Godes riche nis naht mete and drench, ac is rihtwisnesse and sibsumnesse and blisse in ðe hali gaste.
- ?a1350 SLeg.Guth.(Corp-C 145)18 : A childe is ybore her..And word nouble in godes riche and ful of godes grace.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)307 : I beo-take þe her, Iosaphe, soules to kepe; ȝif eni þorw þi defaute falle fro my riche, At þe day of Iuggement þou beost ioyned harde.