Middle English Dictionary Entry
salve n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | salve n.(1) Also salwe, salf(e, salffe, salife, salft & selve & (early) s(c)ealfe, (early or K) sealve; pl. salves, etc. & salven & (error) salvisht. |
| Etymology | OE sealf, salf, self; cp. AL salva. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A medicinal ointment for external use; a medicine, remedy; also, an ointment taken internally [quot.: *Bk.Hawking, 2nd]; red ~, an ointment for fistulous wounds; shepes ~, ?an ointment made from sheep's tallow; (b) fig. of (a); also, an epithet of the Virgin Mary; (c) a spiritual or religious remedy; (d) fig. a person who relieves poverty; golden ~, money; (e) in proverbs.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)106.76/3 : Wiþ innoþes stirunga, nim þeos wyrt, wyrc to sealue, leȝe to þan innoþes sare.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)12/21 : Wið feallendum fexe, hara wamba seod..on gode ele; smere þat fex & þat heafod; þanne..seo sealfe ȝenydeð þat hit wexeð.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)11/19 : Smyriȝe þann þœt heafod mid þare scealfe.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)21/19-20 : Nim þanne se sealfe and gnid þa teþ mid, and þa sealfe aflymþ fram þa toþa eall þœt yfel.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9398 : Ȝiff þatt tin eȝhe iss all unnhal..& ȝiff þatt tu mihht hælenn itt Wiþþ aniȝ kinness sallfe, [etc.].
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)168/5 : Ure louerdes sonde..brouhte hire salue uorto helen hire tittes.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1835 : He sholde him..brisen so þat wit no salue Ne sholde him helen leche non.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1114 : Tristrem..is wounded..Leches wiþ salue and drink Him comeþ.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)1/18 : For þe goute, sealue Me makeþe.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2712 : To oothere woundes and to broken armes Somme hadden salues and somme hadden charmes.
- c1390 Disp.GM & Devil (Vrn)934 : Ȝif þow to muche salue Leyst to þi sar, Hit wol beo þi deþ.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)27383 : Flexs leche sal ded [read: dele] Wit serekyn salue to sares hele, For sere feuer and sere es wonde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.248 : I wolde caste hym [the pope] a bille, Þat he sent me vnder his seel a salue for þe pestilence.
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Sq.(Corp-O 198)F.639 : Now kan not Canace but herbes delue..and maken salues [Heng: Saues] newe Of herbes preciouses and fyn of hewe To helen wiþ þe hauk.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2704 : Troylus..woundeþ..vp-on euery halfe So mortally þat þer may no salue Her sores sounde.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)55b : Osmunde oþer diche verne will hele brokyn bonys and is gode to salvisht.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)73/39 : Sethe wele þe jewses of thiese herbis all samen & mak thi salfe wele þer-of & syne coyle it & do it in boystes.
- a1450 Chauliac(4) (Cai 336/725)6/27 : Þou schalt not leie alle saluys to alle soris, but certeyn saluys to certeyn soris.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)300/20 : Þis lyon lifte vp his sare fute & lete hym se it, and he..layd salvis & medcyns þerto.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)89 : Fulle þe wounde of þat salue twyes on a day & þat wolle hele þe festre; Men callen þis þe rede [vr. þridde] salue.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)59/15 marg. : For to make salwys for boches and bilys.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)136/19 : The salwe þat men clepyn gracia dei, or þe playster, is good for euery wounde.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)462/12 : Whan I am so hewyn, I woll aske you no salff to heale me withall.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)68 : Deth..Lyth in a-wayt..Ageyne whas stroke helpeth no medycyne, Salue, tryacle.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)28b : Fyll þe hole full of schepis salfe & so wyll sche be hole Anon.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)31b : Take A hoote harte of A chype, blode & all, & lat hyr [hawk] hete A gowde Salfe þerof and v of þe peletis in þe stede of castyng.
- a1500 Bevis (Chet 8009)35/605 : With drinke and salffe she helid hym softe.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)27/16 : A goud oynement for woundes..do vppon þy nayl a drope of selue with þe sclise and let hit keyle þer-on.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)55/3 : Saue ys a drynke þat wol hele al maner wounde with-oute plaistere or ani ouþer selue.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)95/9 : Þus is secnesse sawlene heale, Salue of hire wunden.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)100/16 : Flesches fondunge mei beon ieuenet to fot wunde..þe me feleð wel, secheð leche & salue.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2290 : O thou Cupide, god of loves lawe..do that wounde be withdrawe, Or yif me Salve such as I desire.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.169 : Lyf fleigh for fere to fysyke..and of his salue hadde.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.263 : The tarre is vntydy þat to þyne sheep by-longeþ; Hure salue ys of supersedeas in someneres boxes.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)53/16 : Her schrifte fader, as a singuler leche of twey lymes of oon body, may..ordeyne salue to hem þat beeþ gostlich seke.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.944 : If to this sore ther may be fonden salve, It shal nat lakke, certeyn, on my halve.
- a1425 Almiȝti God maker (Wht)13 : Thou hast ordeyned salue for elke a soore, And mercy soulis leche to be.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Say.Nightingale (Trin-C R.3.20)314 : Þis was..a gret serpent, Which to beholde, whoo were not necgligente, Receyued helthe, salue, and medecyne Of all þeyre hurtes.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)179/2 : Þi conscyens nedyth to be pourgyd wyth a drawyng salue of clene schryfte, & ellys þe wounde of dedly synne rotyth & festryth aȝen in þi soule.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3588 : They sawe no maner selve ffor soris of hir hert.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)2551 : Remedy [for cursing] may [noone] be had, Nouther salue That soor to sownde.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.774 : Contrarie by her contraries ofte haue cure; A better salve for soores can no man vse.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)64/9 : Holy chyrche..ordeyned þre maner of saluys to hele hur chyldryn wyth.
- a1500 Heil be þou marie þe (Dub 516)11 : Haile, swete salue for al maner sare.
- a1500 Thayr ys no myrth (SeldSup 52)41 : Yie are ths salyfe vnto my sore And medyscyne to myne infirmite.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)13489 : Jesumm, Mannkinne sawle sallfe..Himm hafe we nu fundenn.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)57/614 : Þu art rihtwises weole & sunfules salue.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)123/7 : Efter þe frouren þe beoð her iwritene aȝein alle fondunges, secheð þeose saluen [Tit: salues].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)142/27 : Prude salue [Pep: Remedie] is eadmodnesse.
- a1250 Orison Lord (Lamb 487)187 : Hwa derf beon un-sauuet þe haueþ se mihti salue, ase ofte as he þer to haueþ trewe bileue.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)888 : Ich helpe monne on eiþer halue; Mimuþ haueþ tweire kunne salue Þan gode ich fulste..An þan sunfulle.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)26643 : Sin..Wit-vten salft wil noght a wai.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.304 : Shrifte shope sharpe salue and made men do penaunce.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.370 : Contricioun..is þe souereynest salue for alkyn synnes.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)2.148 : Loue ys tryacle for synne, And most souereyne salue for saule and for body.
- a1425 This blessyd boke (LdMisc 286)9 : In this boke..he may fynde salue ful sete To the soul.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)53/1 : Good wille schal bridelid be..wiþ wysdam & skil, þat vertu ne turne into vice, ne salue into deeþ.
- a1450 Spaldyng Katereyn þe curteys (BodR 22)p.541 : Oure sauyour..shewd þe þe salf of his sokour.
- c1450 Lychefelde Comp.G.(Lamb 853)194 : Wiþ þi riȝt, lord, mercy mynge, And to my soule goosteli salue þou sende.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)12508 : Hys hooly passioun Ys salue and fful sauacioun To ffolk that haven..repentaunce.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)146/11 : God..hath sent salue to mannys synne.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)64/20 : Forto thenke on deth ynwardly..ys a pryncypall salue to ych man þat takeþe hit to hert.
- a1500 15c.Serm.Cycle(Hrl 2247:Powell)58/5 : Þat gode lorde..is verrey salve vnto þe soule.
d
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1245 : I am so drad of monyes scantnesse..Wisseth me how to gete a golden salue.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1834 : My lord, þe prince..If þat þou stonde in his beneuolence, He may be salue vn-to þin indigence.
e
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1802 : Nestor, which was old and hor, The salve sih tofore the sor.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)27392 : Þat salue þat es for þe fote, It es noght for þe een bote.
- (c1400) Gower PP (Eg 2862)122 : Leie to this olde sor a new salve, And do the werre awei.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3636 : Whan a beest is torned to carien..it is but veyn..To his ere for to leyn a salve.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Barlaam & J.(Hrl 4196)236/769 : A litell salue..May medcyn a full grete sekenes.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.2996 : To late kometh the salue and medecyne To festrid soris whan thei be incurable.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)317 : Who-so..wold be y-easid Moste shewe þe sore þere þe salue were.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)21 : They leyden on hande in euery halue; ther-at Dorinydale dovn glode, ther nedyd no salue.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)624 : Sir Gawein and his companye..smote hem so harde that thei metten, that thei neded no salve.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)22/45 : So may nat a man alwaye putte to his eye the salve that he healed with his hele.
2.
An aromatic ointment used for baptism, preserving dead bodies, etc.; also fig.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6477 : Þe þridde þatt teȝȝ gæfenn himm Wass an full deore sallfe..Myrra bi name.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6755 : Þa..offrest Godd þurrh haliz þæw Þatt derewurrþe sallfe Þatt mann doþ o þe dæde lic.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)13245 : Mann..smeredd iss & sallfedd..Nohht þurrh nan eorþliȝ smere, acc all Þurrh Haliȝ Gastess sallfe.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)130 : Min heued..with no-manere Oynement Ne..smeordest, with none salue, ne with no piement.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.194 : Haued nouȝt Magdeleigne more for a boxe of salue Þan zacheus?
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4976 : Þar trekild doun..bawme & mirre Of scence & of othire salue.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. salve.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. red salve.