Middle English Dictionary Entry
serven v.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | serven v.(2) Also serve, servi, (N) sarven; sg.3 serveth, etc. & (error) serenes; p. served(e, etc. & servet, (error) seued; ppl. i)served, servede, serveth, (N) serfede & (early SWM) isareved. |
| Etymology | Shortened form of dē̆serven v.; cp. OF servir to merit. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To deserve (thanks, reward, punishment, injury, etc.), be worthy of; (b) to deserve (to be loved or cursed by God, go to hell, etc.), be worthy; ~ for, be worthy (to be dead or damned) for (sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.19 : I seche þe reynes & þe hertes & ȝelde mede after þat þai seruen [F solunc lur deserte].
- c1390 Frenschipe faileþ (Vrn)46 : Ȝif þou weore in daunger brouȝt, Hose helpeþ þe þenne is worþi meede..He serueþ þonk with-outen ende.
- a1400 SMChron.(Add 19677)640 : He birefte a goude man His wif for hure fairhede..& þou he was his owe cosyn; Þerfore he seruyd þe more pyn.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1315 : Thow morthires his men, þat no mysse serues.
- a1450(1410) This holy tyme make (Dgb 102)122 : Þouȝ þou take ordre or religeoun, Wiþ-oute charite þou seruest no mede.
- a1450(1411) Many man (Dgb 102)82 : Þou wost þou seruest so gret blame.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)614 : We suld..were vs euer with al our mayn Fro filth of sin, þat sarues payn.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1470 : If scho so rewle al hir dede, Þan may scho serue ful mykil mede.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4389 : We na writh serue.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)4.59 : Good frendis..bablid for þe best and no blame serued.
- a1500(a1400) Wycl.FHC (NC 95)351 : Fallen men in despeyre..for þei..seyn her synne is more þan her dissert is to serue blis or ellis goddis mercy.
b
- c1300 SLeg.(Hrl 2277)476/373 : Þis false man wel sone Deide & wende adeuelewey as he seruede to done.
- c1430 Chaucer CT.Kn.(Cmb Gg.4.27)A.1726 : He is þyn dedly enemy arcyte That fro þyn lond is banysschid on his hed, ffor which he hath seruyd [vr. Iserued; Heng: deserued] to ben ded.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)20/17 : More he kyndeliþ in þe loue of God & more serenes [read: sereues] to be loued of God.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)44/3 : Þou hast liggen in synne..and for þe lest of hem alle þou hast serued to be dampned.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)3474 : Hys armys was strekyn of with a stone; he serued to haue no bettur hyre.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)14620 : Yf þou had neuer done yll or now, þou seruys [vr. deserves] to suffer sorows strang.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)26 : In þis maner of curse þat men curse man iustli for his misdede was Crist not cursid, for he seruid not to be cursid.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)4.5 : That ȝe serue to be herd, wrethis at ȝoure self, doand penaunce, & pynand ȝow for ȝoure synnes.
2.
(a) To earn, merit, incur; -- usu. in as clause; (b) to earn (reward, recompense, thanks, etc.), act in a way so as to merit or deserve (punishment, God's wrath, etc.), incur; also iron.; ~ after, to earn (sth.); (c) to act so as to deserve (to have thanks or dishonor, to be condemned, etc.); act in a way that (someone should do sth. in response).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)12053 : He þare eche cnihtes ȝef alle hire rihtes; ech one he ȝaf heahte ase hii i-sareued [Clg: iærned] hadde.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)1578 : Delyuer vn-to vs Barabas, And do him als he serued has.
- (1387) Will in Bk.Lond.E.210/28 : I ordeine watkyn, my sone, secutour & Bartilmewe, neue, þat oþer, & vp-on this y will þat Bartilmewe..haue for hys traueal after þat he seruit.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1068 : Because that þow killide has þise cresmede childyre..I sall merke þe thy mede as þou has myche serfede.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)8/8 : Sen þai wrange haue wroght, my likes to lat þam go, To suffir sorowe on soght, syne þai haue seruid so.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)570 : Sir Merchill..he dide to the dethe, als he had wele seruede.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)866 : Gif we haue done þis ill dede, As we haue serued, gif vs our mede.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)275 : He þat rewardes vche a renke as he has riȝt seruyd Myȝt euel forgo the to gyfe of His grace summe brawnche.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)162 : Yf enye man bynde him by his owne free wille, he shal Resseyve as he servithe.
b
- ?a1300 Sirith (Dgb 86)197 : Þou seruest affter godes grome Wen þou seist on me silk blame.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1686 : Serf me seuene oðer ger, If ðu salt rachel seruen her.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)38/841 : Þou hast iserued wikked mede; Þou schalt hit haue.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15849 : Quar-for haf yee taken me And als a theif vm-soght..Forsoth, i neuer serued [Göt: seued] it in dede ne yeitt in sau.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)6.89 : He shal haue my soule þat best hath yserued it.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1380 : How payez yow þis play? haf I prys wonnen? Haue I þryuandely þonk þurȝ my craft serued?
- a1450(c1409) Man haue hit (Dgb 102)5 : Wheþer hast þou serued pyne or blisse, Seche þy werkis, and assaye.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)902 : Who so of þer wil here misses Serues þe croun of endles blisses.
- a1450 SLeg.Fran.(2) (Bod 779)8 : Swyþe ȝong he by-gan to seruy goddus ore.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3426 : Þe worthe wage..þai haue wele serued.
- c1450 NPass.(Add 31042)2045 : With force haues he takyne vp þe stane, and whedir he walde he es gane; he haues seruede aftir grete myghte.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)17/3 : I thonke you of the grete worshipp that ye offre to me..Gode yeve me grace to serve itt.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.185 : Þey myȝte not aschonne þe sorowe þey had serued.
- c1450(a1400) Chev.Assigne (Clg A.2)194 : For þe sauynge of hem, þanke þou haste serueth.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)260 : What sorowe wer I worthi to have..yf my synnys wer weyde, bi the whiche I have servid thi wrethe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12177 : Þat gyfte is to grete of þat god nobill; And my-seluyn for-sothe haue seruyt hit bettur, And more worthi to weld for my wale dedis.
c
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)951 : Þei sche haue serued to be spilt, Þe child þerof haþ no gilt.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9089 : I haf serued to haue þe scam.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9628 : Þis thral þat þou fra þe has flemed Wel has serued for to be demed.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)4900 : My self he wolde exile & chace & slo..Y serued neuere he scholde so dö
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)25/26 : Of hem he serued þank for to haue.
- 1451-1500 Tundale (Wagner)258 : Goddis mercy schalle þe save Þagh þou servedest none to have.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)289/111 : This man hase served to be dead.