Middle English Dictionary Entry
bẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bẹ̄ n. Also bee, beo, by. Pl. be(e)n, beon, be(e)s, beis. |
| Etymology | OE bēo, bīe. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A bee; esp., the honey bee (Apis mellifera); bike (gadering, swarm) of ben (bes), a swarm of bees; king of ben, king of the bees, i.e. the queen bee; bisi ~, as bisi as bes; (b) ~ drumbel, fals ~, long ~, male ~, a drone; common (smal, verrei) ~, a worker; feld ~, a wild bee of the fields; humbel ~, a bumble bee; tame ~, a tame bee; wod ~, a wild bee of the woods; (c) some bee-like insect.
Associated quotations
a
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1127 : Eall þat þa beon dragen toward, swa frett þa drane.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)135.137/2 : Wið þat beon ne atfleon.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543 : Apis: beo.
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)412 : Apes: Bes.
- ?a1300 11 Pains(1) (Dgb 86)403/40 : Þickore hy hongeþ..þen ben deþ in þe winter stal.
- ?c1335 Nou ihc for þi (Hrl 913)62 : As fariþ bi been in hiue..þe ȝung wol þe old ut driue.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)117.11 : Hij encumpassed me as ben [L apes].
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.195 : Lyk a bisy bee..Thee serueth ay thyn owene thral Cecile.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.117.12 : Thei enuyrounden me as bes [vr. been; WB(2): been; vr. bees].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.211 : Of calues i-rooted comeþ bees.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2422 : For ay as bisy as bees [vr. beis] Ben they.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.204 : They murmured as dooth a swarm of been [vr. bene].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)272a/a : If þe kyng of been his wynge were y kutte..þe swarme schulde nought passe out of þe hyue.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7113 : A bike o bees [Göt: A swarm of bes] þar-in be-bredd [Göt: war bred].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5218 : As a be þat stingeþ wiþ þe tonge.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.14.8 : A swarm [WB(2): gaderyng] of beese was in the mouth of the lioun.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.193 : Nevere yet so thikke a swarm of been Ne fleigh.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6359 : A swarm of been entred in his hed.
- a1450 Forest Laws (Dc 335)242 : If ther be ony man that hath oute of ony holow tree wex, hony, or swarm of been, [etc.].
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)14 : Þrow Pylat pyned he was..Blyndfelled hym as a be & boffetis hym raȝte. [Cp. note: a1450 in Add. 36523: I stomble as doth þe blynde be.]
- c1450 Metham Progn.CD (Gar 141(1))146/12 : That yere schuld be a kend wedyrryng..for ben [vr. beys].
- c1475 Lydg.FP (Hrl 2251:Halliwell)p.88 : A by myght close hem both two Under his wynges.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)727 : Dranes..drynkeþ vp þe huny Whan been..han brouȝt it.
b
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)816 : Ee hanatoun en ruche, Bee drumbil in hyue.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)272a/a : Certeyn false been þat hatten fuci in þe plurele..haueþ a gret wombe and eteth..hony, and verry been sleeþ þese false been..Som beþ feeld been and some beþ wode been..somme beþ tame been..þe Woode been gadereþ hony among trees.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)272b/a : Þe male been beþ more þan females..& smale been fighteþ wiþ longe been whanne þey worcheþ nouȝt.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)287b/b-288a/a : Fucus..is þe name of a maner drane þat is more þan a comyn bee & lasse þan an harnet..and suche dranes ben wiþoute stynge, as it were vnperfyte been, & ben seruauntes to þe verray been.
- a1475 Herkyn to my tale (Brog 2.1)86 : The humbul-be haundylt a horne-pype.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)272b/b : There is a manere kynde of been þat hatte labion and sleeþ been þat makeþ hony and destroyeþ here hous.
2.
~ bred, honeycomb with the honey; ~ herde, ~ man, a beekeeper; ~ hive, ben hive, a beehive; ~ honi, honey; ~ yerd, enclosure for bees, apiary.
Associated quotations
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)53/7 : Sile hym etan nywe beoblæd [?read: beobread].
- (1324) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms115 : Will. le Bemon.
- (1341) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms115 : Abel Beman.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)272a/a : Þe brood of been hyues multiplied, and if mete failleþ in þe bee huyues, Þanne þay..assayeþ here neighebours.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)302a/b : Þe bere..brekeþ bee huyues and eteþ hony.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)46b : A-noynte þe bene hyve wiþ þe juis, and þe swarme shall neuer fle.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)189b/a : Take..of wexe of þe drastes of bee hyves.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1009 : The be yerd be nor fer, but fair aside..Ther flouris..In busshis, treen & herbis they may fynde.
- (1444-6) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7843 : Item, rec' of an ermyȝte to the chirche, ys be hony..ix d.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2906 : He..comaundyd hys men..To brynge vp many a bee-hyue [vrr. a beo-hyue, ben-hyuys].
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)11b : A Beehyve [Monson: Behyve]: Apiarium. A Beehyrde [Monson: Beehyrd]: Apiastre.
3.
As a surname.
Associated quotations
- (1224) Abbrev.Plac.Hen.III104 : Nicholaus le Be.
- (1284) Pat.R.Edw.I141 : Adam le Bee.
- (1288) Rec.Norwich 210 : Mirielle le Be.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Liber Cophonis (Add 34111)33/189 : Tak þe biene..founden dede in þe hony and mak poudre and þe pouder of tartari and meng hem to gyder and strew vpon þe bare place.
Note: New spelling