Middle English Dictionary Entry
serve n.
Entry Info
| Forms | serve n. Also serbe, cerve, cirve, (early infl.) sirfan & (errors) cirne, cyrne; pl. serves, cerves, (errors) cernes, cirnes. |
| Etymology | LOE syrf(e; the form serbe perh. influenced by L sorbus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The service tree (Sorbus domestica); also, the fruit of this tree; ~ tre [LOE syrf-trēow].
Associated quotations
- c1250(OE) Chart.in Birch Cart.Sax.2.490 : Of cawel dene to þære syrfan; þonne of þær syrfan to heal wicum.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)677 : Ly alier [glossed:] cirne [vrr. cerve, cyrne] tre port les alies [glossed:] cirnes [vrr. cerves, cernes].
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)680 : Cernes in gold [glossing AF: allies en oor].
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)681 : Creke, prune, et alie: Bolas, plumbe, and cirue.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.227 : In Iane, in ffeueryeer and Marche in coold Erthe, October and November in hoot Erthe, is settyng of seruys [vr. serues] nobul hold.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.877 : In pertre, thorn, in plomme & apultre, In serue & peche..may this melis graffid be.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.1044 : Now serbe [L sorbus] is sette.