Middle English Dictionary Entry
bei n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bei n. Also bī, bē; beg, beȝ, begh, beh, bæȝ, beah, baiȝ, beiȝ, beigh, bigh, biȝ. |
| Etymology | OE bēag, bēah, bēg. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An arm ring, armlet, bracelet; also, a finger ring; ~ of the arm, bracelet; (b) an ornamental collar, a torque, a necklace; also, a chain or collar about the neck of an animal; (c) a crown; beren the ~, to wear the crown; (d) a chain or collar of servitude; (e) a nose ring.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)540 : [Ar]milla: beah.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21640 : Ælc mon beere an honde behȝes [Otho: beȝes] of golde.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)24520 : Ælc bar on luft honde enne beh of rede gold.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1390 : He was hire hold, Wið beges [L armillas; cp. Gen. 24.22] and ringes, boðen of gold.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)466 : On arme oþer fynger þaȝ þou ber byȝe.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.24.47 : Y puttide bies of the arm [WB(1): arm serclis] in hir hondis.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.38.18 : Thi ryng, and thi bie of the arm, and the staaf which thou holdist in the hond.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.179v : The clothyng of Englysshmen was thulke tyme of lenthe to the mydde legge .., vsyng in hure armes beghes of golde and of siluer.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)10b : A Bee: Armilla, Brachiale, Dextrale, dextrariolum, dextraliolum.
- a1500 Hal.Gloss.(Eg 829)9 : Dextrotirium: a by of golde anornyng the ryght arme.
b
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)540 : Monile: mune uel sweorbeah.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2140 : He bitagte iosep his ring And his bege of gold [L torquem aureum; cp. Gen. 41.42].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.1.9 : That ther be added..a beȝe [WB(2): bie; L torques] to thi necke.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.331 : Lucius..took a bye [vrr. byȝe, by; Higd.(2): coler] of golde of his nekke..a bye is torques in Latyn.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)280b/a : Hertes..were y take an C ȝere after Alisaundres deþ, þe whiche he hadde y marked wiþ byes [L torquibus] of golde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.161,165 : I haue ysein segges..Beren biȝes [vrr. beiȝes, behes, byes, beȝes] ful briȝte abouten here nekkes..Were þere a belle on here beiȝ [vrr. bye, bighes]..Men myȝte wite where þei went.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1638 : Þe byȝe of bryȝt golde abowt þyn nekke.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.41.42 : He clothide hym..and putte aboute his necke a goldun beeȝe [WB(2): wrethe].
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.8.26 : The wieȝt..was a thousand and seuenti siclis of gold, with outen..the goldun beeȝis [L torques] of chamels.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.244-5 : He..took from hym a riche bie of gold. Torques in Latin in Inglissh is a bie.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)53/26 : And abowte his nekke in maner of a Cercle schulde environe abye [vr. aby] made of golde.
- a1475 Asneth (Hnt EL 26.A.13)124 : A bie of bright burned goold aboute here nekke was bent.
c
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Dom.Quadr.(Bod 343)44/27 : Drihten behæt þone heofenlice beah þam waciȝendum.
- a1250 Cristes milde moder (Nero A.14)34 : Alle þine ureondes þu makest riche kinges; þu ham ȝiuest kinescrud, beies, & gold ringes.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)106/218 : Ase þere in bataylle O kyng bereþ þe beeȝ.
d
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.6.25 : Set in thi foot in to the stockis [of wisdom]..and thi necke in to the bies therof.
e
- a1400 *Suo sit fairhed (Cmb Gg.4.32)2 : Svo sit fairhed in womman sot Suo þe geldene begh in suynes Wrot.
2.
(a) A band or hoop of metal; (b) ?a ring of a corselet; pl. ring mail.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)261,264 : With a beiȝ of seoluer he bond eche ȝeres schute þere..hit ne wax þo none more and he wust wel bi þe seluerne beiȝ.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.1249 : The fort was maad of porfirie stoon..With a round bie that dide aboute gon Of gold & perle & stonis.
b
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)117 : Thei hurtelid to-geder..with sheldes and with her beyes and her helmes.
3.
A piece of jewelry, a gem, a jewel, a treasure; delen beies, to deal out treasures, distribute gifts; maiden ~, maidenhead.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5927 : Heo unbunde þa locun, drowen ut þa baiȝes, þa palles, & þa purpres.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7425 : Belan he wes ihaten, bæȝes he dælde.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)38 : He com and fond þane beiȝ of gold.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)3020 : So weneþ he..To make hir his leman, Wiþ broche and riche beiȝe.
- c1390 Off a trewe loue (Vrn)110 : Ne lerne þou neuere þat ilke lore Wher-þorw þou leose Mayden Beiȝe.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1570 : He ȝaf þe bisshoppe..Riche beiȝes, besauntz, and pans.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)572 : I wille nothyng of þaire, broche ne no bey.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1548 : Þai [the vestments] were bret-full of bees all þe body ouire.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5274 : Þe benkis & þe bordis..Smeten full of smaragdins..& oþir clere bees.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.774 : Some were yove Mantyllis..On whiche were many a broche and many a beye.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1238/2 : Robbers were com into the fylde to pylle and to robbe many a full noble knyght of brochys and bees.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)3419 : They Reste [read: Refte] theym besaunt, broche, and bee.
4.
In phrases: bright so ~, bright as a ring, bright as a jewel; bright as golden ~.
Associated quotations
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2171 : Þre ȝere he playd stille Wiþ ysonde, briȝt so beiȝe.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)921 : That maydene [Cmb: byrde] brighte als goldene bey [Cmb: bye].
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)2625 : She saughe there many comly telde Wythe pomelles bryghte as goldis beghe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1485) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 214 : Stroppes of Russewale, ij; Stroppes for the tyes otherwise cald Bees, ij.
Note: New subsense for sense 1.
Note: Gloss: Naut., a metal ring or loop around the yard by means of which the tie was attached to the yard.--notes per MLL