Middle English Dictionary Entry
rō n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | rō n.(1) Also roe, rou, (N) rae & (chiefly N or early) rā & (early) roa, (early, in place names) rache, raghe; pl. ros, roes, ron, (early) ran(e. |
| Etymology | OE rā, rāha. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. ræghe n.
1.
(a) A roe deer (Capreolus capreolus); -- also coll.; ~ der [OE rah-deor], a roebuck; bevey of ros; red as ~; (b) ~ broth, a broth made from the liver of a deer or from venison; ?also, a sauce for venison; ~ hunte, the hunting of roe deer; ~ (roes) lether, leather from a roe deer; ~ net, a net for catching roe deer; ~ venesoun, venison from roe deer; (c) the roe deer as a symbol of wildness, swiftness, agility, etc.; (d) the hide of or leather from a roe deer; (e) a heraldic representation of a roe deer; ~ hed; (f) in surnames; (g) in place names [see Smith PNElem.2.78].
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)411 : Caprea et capriolus: Ro, i. ceural.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543/36 : Capreolus: roadeor.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)8/9 : Ich iseo me, lauerd, bistepped..ase fisc a-hon on hoke, ase ra [Roy: þe roa] inumen i nette.
- a1300 Hwi ne serue (Jes-O 29)71 : Ne geyneþ vs..þe ronke racches þat ruskit þe ron.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)2800 : To her wille an hunting hij gos, To chace þe hert & þe ros.
- a1350 Opon a somer (LdMisc 108)7 : Ryfly on rugge roon & raches ronne.
- 1372 Water & blod (Adv 18.7.21)9 : Mi bodi is as red as ro..I haue so bled i may no more.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.311 : In þat londe beeþ many scheep and geet and fewe roos and hertes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)261b/b : Some bestes a-cordeþ to mannes complexioun, as..hertes & hyndes, bukkes and roes, among wilde bestes.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3596 : They sent out to forraye..and..with houndes slowe..The blak beer and þe wilde Roo.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)105/17 : Also er all maner of wylde bestez of wenery, as hertez and hyndez, bukk and da and rae, and many oþer.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)143/1 : In þat cuntree also er many cameliouns, þe whilk es a lytill beste of þe mykilnes of a raa.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)195 : Ferther al aboute I gan aspye The dredful ro, the buk, the hert, and hynde.
- c1450 Terms Assoc.(2) (Cmb Ll.1.18)231 : A beuy off Rooz.
- a1475 The boris hede (Brog 2.1)p.93 : Cappons ibake, with the pesys of the roow, Reysons of corrans, with odyre spysis moo.
- a1500 Bod.EMisc.Lapid.(BodEMisc e.558)33/299 : The begantoneles is spekelid as a roois skyn.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.157 : The riallhert, the conyng, and the ro.
b
- (1346) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.234 : [The hundred of] rolether [16 s.].
- (1354-5) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100555 : Will'o de Bruntoftes pro Rauecces [read: Ranettes] et cordulis pro eisdem..24 s. 6 d.
- 1381 Dc.257 Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)72.54/1 : For to make a roo broth: tak persile & ysop & sauge & hak yt smal; boil it in wyn & in water, & a lytyl powdre of peper.
- c1381(1183) Boldon Bk.(PRO SC 12/21/28)25 : Elzibrid..vadit in legationibus Episcopi, et in rahunt.
- ?c1382 Survey Hatfield in Sur.Soc.3230 : Alexander Colier..eat in rahunt ad summonitionem Episcopi.
- (1383-4) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103593 : In cordis emp. pro le Raanet, 4 s. 6 d.
- (1398) in Black Leathersellers20 : Que nulle manere de Shepeslether ne Calveslether soit ceyne en la manere de Rolether.
- (1398) in Black Leathersellers21 : Que nulle de dit Mistir envoie nulle manere des lanyers, ne poyntz, queux soient faitz de Roeslether.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.16 : Roo broth: Take the lire of the Deer oþer of the Roo, [etc.].
- c1400 Sln.468 Cook.Recipes (Sln 468)87.19/1 : Ro broþe wel to þe same seruyse: Tak venysoun & wasch it..& perboyle it, [etc.].
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7048 : Or but he wole do come in haste Roo-venysoun, bake in paste.
- (1444) in Black Leathersellers27 : [The leather vulgarly named] Roolether.
c
- a1275 Seinte Mari moder (Trin-C B.14.39)11 : Mi þonnc is wilde as is þe ro.
- ?a1300 Maximian (Dgb 86)227 : Ich wes..Wildere þen þe ro.
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bern.(Dgb 86)758/45 : Nou þou art heui, nou þou art liȝt, Þou skippest [Ld: lepest; Vrn: Sturtynde] alse a ro.
- a1350 Heȝe louerd (Hrl 2253)27 : Þar er wes wilde ase þe ro nou y swyke, y mei nout so.
- a1350 Of a mon (Hrl 2253)50 : Rooles ase þe roo, y sike for vnsete.
- c1330 *St.Marg.(2) (Auch)254 : Sum wer swifter þan þe winde & sum þan þe ro [Bod: as quik as eny ro].
- c1390 Mi word (Vrn)10 : Þouȝ I beo..liht to renne as is a Ro, Anoþur is boun to begge his bred.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.4086 : I is ful wight, god waat, as is a ra; By goddes hert, he sal nat scape vs bathe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2786 : The Ro which renneth on the Mor, Is thanne noght so lyht as I.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19080 : Þe propheci was þan fild sua, þat said þat halt suld scep as ra.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)9051 : I trowe ther was neuere wilde ro That ran faster then his stede tho.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)13770 : Another hors to Troyle was broght..He lepe vp sone as a roo.
- a1450(?c1350) Pride Life (ChrC-Dub)268 : Mirth and solas he can make And ren so þe ro.
- a1450(?1418) The herrere degre (Dgb 102)110 : Richesse..wylde, recheles as a roo.
- a1475(a1450) Tourn.Tott.(Hrl 5396)129 : Scho ys wele schapen and lyȝt as þe ro.
- a1475 Inf.Chr.(Hrl 3954)466 : Byd hem komyn hom..Reny[n]g as faste as ony roo.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)1347 : He ys swyftyr þan ony roo Vnder lynde.
- a1500(c1450) Idley Instr.(Arun 20)1.591 : So longe mysdoers might Riotusly renne..a[s] wilde as a herte or a Roo in the fenne.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)261 : Y schalle gyf the two greyhowndys, As wyght as any roo.
d
- (1398) in Black Leathersellers21 : Que nul du dit Mistier face pointz de Roo, ne de Dere, sils ne soient loialment clowez.
e
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.5 (Hrl 2169)185 : [Nine pieces gold and azure with four] roo hedys all gold [cut off at the neck].
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.9172 : Sylvyr iij roys of gowlys regardande.
f
- (1170) in Pipe R.Soc.1591 : Willelmus le Roe.
- (1242-3) Bk.of Fees1124 : Robertus Ra.
- (1274) Close R.Edw.I133 : William le Ra.
- (1277) Pleas Som.in Som.RS 4195 : John Rofot.
- (1296) Pat.R.Edw.I196 : Thomas Raheved.
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1085 : Robo. de la Rogate.
- (1301) Nickname in LuSE 55149 : Will. Rabayn.
- (1317) Nickname in LuSE 55149 : Ad. Rashank.
- (1332) Nickname in LuSE 5583 : Thom. Dreperaa.
- (1334) Pat.R.Edw.III570 : Adam Roswyft.
g
- (1086) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)26 : Raschel.
- (c1175) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)198 : Rahaga.
- (1203) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)38 : Rogate.
- (1227) in Kökeritz PNWight221 : Ranecumbe.
- (1269) EPNSoc.35 (West Riding Yks.)187 : Raheued.
- (a1272) EPNSoc.35 (West Riding Yks.)187 : Capite occidentali Raache, capud de Raaghe.
- (1292) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)24 : Raburn.
- (1346) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)198 : Roghagh.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)84a/a : Terra sig. of ro.
Note: This is a mystery - but doesn't seem to be handled under ro n.(1) or rie n.--per MG
Note: The same "terra sig" appears below in col. a. Perhaps more context will identify this ro.