Middle English Dictionary Entry
bassen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | bassen v. |
| Etymology | Cp. L bāsiāre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. basse n.
1.
To kiss.
Associated quotations
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)35/11 : Yef it be sistir, first sal þai anure to-gidir and siþin kis; bot bi-fore þe vre sal þai noht basse for þenticement of þe deuil.
- c1475 Fyrst a-rysse (Brm)p.14 : Goo to thy bed myrely..loffe thy wyffe dewly, And basse hy onys or tewyis.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)128/3831 : Yowre mouth hit saith, ‘Me bas, me bas, swet.’
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)162/4840 : And yondir sigh y hir this resoun write And here y baste hir fayre round pappis white.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)214/6371 : Lende me yowre praty mouth madame…I-wis dere hert to basse it swete A twise or thrise or that y die.
Note: Supplemental material
Note: New spelling
Note: Definition requires a bit of expansion as regards object: "[without object,] of two people, to kiss; [with object] to kiss (sb.); also, to kiss (the mouth of sb.)"