Middle English Dictionary Entry
savāǧe adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | savāǧe adj. Also saveage, sauvage, salvage & (in surnames) sawage, suvage. |
| Etymology | OF sauvage, salvage, savage, AF sawage. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of a person: wild, barbarous, uncivilized; of one's manner: rude; also as epithet; (b) of an animal or its nature: wild, not domesticated; untamed; (c) of land: wild, uncultivated; of a forest: dense, wild; (d) of a plant: uncultivated, wild; (e) of movement: uncontrolled, unrestrained; (f) of a tower: rugged, rough-hewn.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1699 : If ye wiste what I am And out of what lignage I cam, Ye wolde noght be so salvage.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)1344 : He was callid Ismaell the Savage, For he was wild in all his demening.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)427 : Thei rode forth..and Grisandolus by the sauage mannes side, and whan thei hadde a-while riden, he asked the wilde man wherfore he lough.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)428 : Than com a sauage [F saluages] man oute of the foreste and by hir lay.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)436 : The sauage man that..expounded his dreme..was Merlin of Northumberlande.
b
- c1330 Roland & V.(Auch)92 : Bifor sir charls he brouȝt Sauage bestes..Gold & siluer & riche stones.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)766 : Þou has a colt sauage; Who so may þere-on skippe..He shall of Corinthe toun After þee bere coroun.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3594 : They..with houndes slowe al that was sauage, Hert and ynde, bothe buk and doo, The blak beer and þe wilde Roo.
- c1450 *Bk.Marchalsi (Hrl 6398)13b : It is no merwayle þow hors han dyuers maladijs..For her nature wold, þat were sauage as wylde bestis.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)13091 : I sawh a-noon wher that Venus Kam rydynge on a swyn savage.
c
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5433 : Þe sext kniȝt..was Bretel..Þe xii, Drians of þe forest sauage, A strong kniȝt of heiȝe parage.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5700 : Men gaf þe kyng Marius to red..Deliuere hem a party of Catenesse To tyle & haue in heritage, ffor hit was bot wast & sauage.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17134 : I ffyl a-noon in my passage In-to a woode ful savage.
d
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)244/6 : Hit is good to ette temporate mettes, as chykenes, betus [read: letus] sauage [Lambeth: wylde; Abbrev.Trip.: egre; L agrestes], that is y-callid scariole, and mylke of a goote.
e
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)114 : I haue not lerned here-a-forne to daunce No daunce in sothe of fotynge so sauage.
f
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21483 : A Tour I sawh, wylde and savage And squar abouten.
2.
(a) Of a person: fierce; bold, valiant; also, cruel; also as epithet; (b) of an animal: ferocious, fierce; enraged; (c) of the sea, a stream, the world: violent; (d) of a sickness: severe, violent.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8270 : Þe first was Ywain wiþ þe white hond..Þe v was Dedinet þe saueage.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4022 : But sone sauage men þat seten in þe halle henten hastili in honde what þei haue miȝt summe axes..some speres long, to wende him after wiȝtli to quelle.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)3044 : Þou ismael be noght of sposage Of him sal cum men kene and sauage.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.114 : Thurstan sent his sond tille a bissh sauuage, Rauf of Orkeney, noble of lynage, þat he suld tak þei wey..& do þe Scottis deie.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)868 : Alisaundre..mette þe kyng of þe londe, Þat hiȝ Nicholas of Cartage, Hardy man, stout and sauage.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7704 : Of þis lond þe peple is ful sauage, Hardy knyȝtes, furious & wood.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)485 : An hardy knyȝt, stout and sauage, Hente a schafft wiþ gret rage.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)616 : Amadase and Edoyne, in erthe are thay bothe..And Sir Sampsone hym-selfe, full sauage of his dedys.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)40/10 : Hir namys, Balyne le Saveage and Balan hys brothir, that were merveylous knyghtes.
- a1500(a1400) Libeaus (Lamb 306)19 : He was full savage [alt. to: sawge] And gladly wold do [alt. to: not] oute-rage To his ffellaves in fere.
b
- a1275 *Body & S.(4) (Trin-C B.14.39)30 : Bodi þu ne mait nout lepen to plaien ne to rage, Wilde beres to beten ne biden leuns sauage [vr. sauuage].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.2470 : In her fiȝt þei fare Like wode tigres, or bores in her rage, Or sterne bolis, whan þei ben sauage.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3833 : A Tigre..Is most swift as of his nature And of kynd also most sauage.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3870 : Grekys wenyng..That this Tygre hadde be sauage, And Cruelly besettyng al the place..gan hym to enchace.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)8861 : Tweyn hors of hys wex ful sauage And gunne to nehyn in here fers rage.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)25.295 : He that was ful Of Coruptioun as Ony tigre, Other wilde lyown, Owther Ony Other Savage [F sauvage] beste..On him Avenged wolde he be.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2262 : Vertu set in the corage, Ther mai no world be so salvage Which mihte it take and don aweie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4112 : The wilde wode rage Of wyndes makth the See salvage.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4084 : Darrie hete alle his men Remuen his tentes of þe fen And setten hem bisides Estrage, A colde water and a sauage.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)4223 : Þeo water..was brod..Deope stremes and sauage [Ld: swift orage].
d
- a1605(c1422) Hoccl.Compl.(Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)86 : All-thowghe from hym his siknesse savage with-drawne and passyd..for a tyme be, Resorte it wole.
3.
(a) Reckless, rash, foolish; (b) frenzied; demented, mad.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)36b/b : Lasciuus: iolif & Sauage.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)4759 : I praye the, my moder dere..That thow be wyse and not sauage, Ȝif the not to outrage!
b
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Consulo (Hrl 2255)54 : He shal..With wachmen wake; with sloggy folkes sleepe; With wood men wood; with frentyk folk savage.
- a1450 SLeg.Suppl.Bod.(Bod 779)339/165 : Ic wene his wit makeþ him al sauage, for he by-ginneþ to oure goddus speken gret outrage & I not what wondir he haueþ I-þouȝt nouȝ.
- a1500(a1400) Libeaus (Lamb 306)850 : Thow doste a savage dede, For any man j-borne..But faryst with thi madd-hede As lorde that will be lorne.
- a1500 Amis (Dc 326)1946 : Ful sauage [Auch: Þe gode man wende he hadde ben rage, Or he hadde ben a fole-sage Þat hadde his witt forlorn].
4.
In surnames; savages in, an inn prob. owned by a person with this surname.
Associated quotations
- (c1180) Chart.Cumbwell in Archaeol.Cant.6191 : Arnulfus Salvage.
- (1200) Feet Fines Sus.in Sus.RS 210 : Sibill la Sauuage.
- (1224) Cart.Ramsey in RS 79.1187 : Gaufrido le Sauvage.
- (1246) Select Pleas Manor.in Seld.Soc.28 : Alicia, relicta Salvage.
- (1259) Inquis.PM Hen.III125 : William le Suvage alias le Salvage, le Sauvage, le Savage.
- (1267) Feet Fines Sus.in Sus.RS 763 : Johannes le Sawage.
- (1281-2) Expense R.Edw.I in Archaeol.1650 : Waltero Sauvage.
- (1315) Pat.R.Edw.II283 : John le Sauvage.
- (1315) Pat.R.Edw.II285 : John Savage.
- (1332) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10255 : Rico le Sauage.
- (1399) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)8.79 : Ricardus Savage, Armiger.
- (1453) Bell-Savage Inn in Archaeol.18198 : Sciatis me dedisse..Johanne Frenssh vidue, matri mee, totum tenementum sive hospicium..vocatum Savagesynne, alias vocatum le Belle on the hope.
- a1500(1311) Cart.Boarstall in OHS 88159 : Rogero Savage.