Middle English Dictionary Entry
beien v.
Entry Info
| Forms | beien v. Forms: inf. beien, beiȝen, bīen, buien; ipv. bei, beih; ppl. bīgend; p. sg. beide, bei(ȝ)ed, bīde, buiede; pl. beiden, bēȝdon, buide; ppl. ibēȝede, ibuied, ibud. |
| Etymology | A ge)bēgan, gi)bēga; WS ge)bīegan, bȳgan. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. bǒuen.
1.
(a) To bend (sth.), bow (the head), bend or flex (the back, knees, legs); refl. to bend, stoop, fall; (b) to turn or incline (one's ear, oneself) attentively; (c) to bend, give way, weaken.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)69/742 : Ha beide hire ant beah duuelunge adun, bihefdet to þer eorðe.
- a1250 Cristes milde moder (Nero A.14)3 : To þe ich buwe and mine kneon ich beie.
- a1250 Orison Lord (Nero A.14)203 : He stont o rode and beieð adun toward þe his deorewurðe heaued.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)178 : Vnneþ[e] he miȝhte bieȝe [Hrl: bye] is rug.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(Hrl 2277)168 : Whan he byde him [Ld: stoupede] enie þyng, his flesch was..ignawe.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)724,726,728 : Al I-buyd [Corp-C 145: ibud] þe leggues beoz..þat heued is ibuid adoneward þe Armes al with-Inne..Al i-buyd is þe rug so þat neiȝ round it is.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9768 : Þis godeman sat adoun akne & is heued buyede adoun.
b
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)4/11 : Bei þin eare, þet is, beo buhsum to mi lare.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)23a : Muchel me mei dreden to swucche muðes sumcheare þet ha beie hire eare.
- a1250 Lofsong Louerde (Nero A.14)211 : Heie helinde, beih þe to me.
- c1300 Evang.(Dlw 22)463 : He neuere sauh wiht eye, [Þ]at scho hire gan to folye beye [vr. beyȝe].
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)308 : Þine holie ere beiȝ adoun to me.
c
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)50/29 : He..smat..adun, þet te dunt defde in & þet bodi beide.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)14/204 : Þe scheld is ihal..þet hit ne breoke ne beie.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4366 : Þe spere was styf and nouȝth ne beyed [LinI: beyȝed].
2.
(a) To humble (one's heart, mind, etc.); ~ (one's) herte, submit; (b) to obey (sb., sth.); ~ to, be obedient to, submit to, be attentive to.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)140/1 : Nu sceole we biddan mid ibeȝede mode.
- a1250 Cristes milde moder (Nero A.14)18 : Wel owen we uor þine luue ure heorte beien.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)119/10 : Þeo buhð hire ðet to his fondunde beieð hire heorte.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)22/26 : Þe windes, þe wederes..& te weattres buheð þe & beið [Roy: beieð].
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)46/26 : Buh þine earen, healent godd, & bei to mine benen.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)23/218 : Ȝef þu nult to ure wil buhen & beien.
- c1225 St.Marg.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)15/24 : For ow nullich iheren, ne beien nane of ower godes.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1751 : Ȝif hii buyde to him & to hor king him nome..he wolde hom al out bringe.
3.
To convert (sb. to a different faith); to change (one's mind, someone's heart).
Associated quotations
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)14/24 : Heo þa hæðene leodæ to his ileafæn beȝdon.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5068 : Bei þi starke þonc: leie adun þin hære scrud & þinne rede sceld.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1495 : I-ne may in þis manere is heorte buye [rime: anuye].
4.
(a) To send (sth. to sb.), send (sb. somewhere); ~ of, turn (sth.) away, cast off; ~ tosamen, draw (people) together, assemble; (b) to come, go; ~ awei, pass away, depart; ~ togeder, come together, meet.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)221 : God hi ȝeworhte..and hi nefre ne bide nane niede to þan yfele rede.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25529 : Þe king þat folc beide Ȝeond þa scipen longe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29089 : Caric his Bruttes gadere [read: gaderede] and beide heom tosomne.
- a1275 Þene latemeste dai (Trin-C B.14.39)104 : Make us freo for to bein þer of þe fendes nette.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5178 : Scottes & Bruttes beiden [Otho: droȝe] to-gaderes.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5682 : Forð heo biȝen [Otho: forþ iwende].
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)2065 : Þe day is now y-buyed awey.
- ?c1450 Nicod.(1) (Sion Arc.L.40.2/E.25)671 : My saule to þe mote be bygend [Glb: my saul now sall I send].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1325 SLeg.Mich.(Corp-C 145)717 : A smal web biclippeþ it [the fetus] al aboute..in þe wombe, and ibud as an hare wanne he in forme liþ, for .. [hit] is somdel nare.
Note: Note spelling of p. ppl. (ibud), and make perhaps a slight addition to gloss of sense 1.(a), ppl. ibeȝede, ibuied, etc., 'curled up'.