Middle English Dictionary Entry
sauen v.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | sauen v.(1) Also sau(w)e, (N) sagh(e & (early) sagen, saui(e; p. saued(e, suwe, (early) sahede; pl. saued, suwe; ppl. i)saued, isauhe, saede, sauen(e, sau(e, (early) isahet. |
| Etymology | From sau(e n.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To saw; cut (sth.) with a saw; also, score (the earth), cut [quot.: a1398]; (b) to saw (sb.) as a method of torture or execution; ~ thurghout, cut (sb.) in two (at the neck); (c) fig. to separate (two people); divide (sth.); ~ awei, remove (sin); (d) ppl. saued, sawlike, serrated; also, cut with a saw, sawed; sau(e bordes, sawed boards, boards produced by sawing (as opposed to cloving and cutting); ppl. sauing, sawlike; also, cutting.
Associated quotations
a
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)516 : Ðe hunte..Sageð ðis tre & under set.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)452/112 : Ase he stod under a treo to prechi godes lawe, Þe luþere men..gunne sawie [Hrl: sawy] þat treo a-to to-ward þis holie Manne, Þat it scholde ouer-falle him.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)116 : Homme borde fende et table sye: M. cleuyth the borde and sawith.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)288a/b : Þis beste goþ bakward and saweþ and diggeþ þe erþe [L terram terebrat].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)3 Kings 7.9 : He made alle thingis of preciouse stoonys, that weren sawid at sum reule and mesure bothe with ynne and with outforth.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)57b/b : Sarrio: to cleue, cutte, or sawe, or wede.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)28a/b : When it is necessarie for to kut þe membre..be it kutted & sarrate, or sawed [L serretur], after þe doctrine to be said byneþefourth.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)119b/a : Be þe bone ysawed [Ch.(2): saw þe bone] with a subtile sawe.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)441 : Sawyn: Serro.
- (1442) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 7117 : ij men a dayy for to sawwe stone, vi d.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)26 : Þe stones wer sawen in dyuers formes and couchid in þe wall with cyment.
- (1465) Acc.Howard in RC 57309 : My mastyr made comenaunt wyth ij sawers of Donwyche; and thei schalle have, every werke day that thei saw, vj d.
- (a1467) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.lxxviii : The yatez and dorez of the seid manor they brake..the gret and principall tymber of the roofez, galeryz, and other necessaryez, sawed and kutt in two.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)108a : To Sawe [Monson: Saghe A tre]: Sarrare.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)35/360 : Ich [Belial] hit am þet makede þen muchele witti witege ysaie beon isahet þurh & þurh to deaðe.
- c1225 St.Marg.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)51/29 : Tet scharpe sweord..scher hire bi þe schuldren & sahede hire þurhut.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Kings 12.31 : Ful myche prey of þe cite he bar out, & bryngynge forth, sawede þe puple of it.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.77 : Þe Hebrewes telleþ þat Isayas, while he was i-sawed wiþ oute Ierusalem [Higd.(2): putte furthe of the cite to be saede]..axed water.
- (c1395) WBible(2) Prol.Is.(Roy 1.C.8)3.225 : Manasses ordeynede and demyde Isaye to be sawid with ynne a cedre tree.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Heb.11.37 : Þei..ar stonyd, ar sawyd [L secti sunt], ar temptyd thurgh byhestus, and ar deade þurgh slawȝte of þe swerd.
- (1433) ?Phillip Serm.GF (BodLTh d.1)250 : Ysaias..dixit..'ego was doo to deth and sawyn a sondir with a sawe of tre.'
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)348/35 : Ysaie was sawene with treene sawe.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)60 : His wyffe & his childire three By-fore his eghne..Be in sondre sawenn.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.10 : Some were dismenbred with knyves, and some with sawes he suwe [rime: druwe].
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.82 : Thai suwe ysay and stoned Jeremye.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)27375 : Þe preist bi-gin..Away to sagh þam ilk crote Wit þe sagh o penance treu.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)135 : The sawe is cleped hayne, Bi which disioynct is ysawed the onhede of bretherhede..In Iacob and Esau thou hast seyn the figure; I sawede hem and vnioyned hem.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)15724 : Thys sharp sawe..callyd ys Hatrede; And wyth thys sawe..Ys I-sawhe and kut a two Parfyt loue and vnyte.
d
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)51.2 : Þou dost treccherie as a rasour sharp sauaand.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)278b/b : Hound whelpes ben whelped wiþ sawynge [L serratis] teeþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)281a/b : A certein fisshe wiþ a sawyng creste rendeþ his [crocodile's] tendre wombe and sleeþ him.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)282a/b : The Dragoun..haþ sawynge [L acutos et serratos] teeþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)292a/b : Wolues hauen sawed [L serratos] teeþ and eteþ fleissh and nouȝt grasse.
- (1405-10) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 185 : In iij c ped' de Sawebord' emptis de Willelmo Randolf.
- (1419-22) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 148 : In diuersis bord' grossis vocatis Sawbord'.
- (1422-3) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 152 : Idem computat in diuersis bord' vocatis Shipbord', Englysshbord', Sawbord'.
- (1425) Paston (EETS)1.2 : Þo brode, sawed stones shulde euere stonde in þe werk betwen þe seid weel beddes stonys.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)36/31 : Some bones..haþ sawyng addiciouns..and some bones haþ knotty addiciouns in eyþer hede, as vlna..and coxa.
- (1428) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)189 : At þe end of our acompt and ȝer bylenez [read: bylevez] for store iiij ml tyllez, vc xl waynescottes sawyn and hole, wt oder smale stoffe of stone.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)287 : Put not youre handes in youre hosen youre codware for to clawe, nor pikynge, nor trifelynge, ne shrukkynge as þauȝ ye wold sawe.
Note: Appears to belong to this word (presumably in sense (a)).