Middle English Dictionary Entry
sē̆venth(e num.
Entry Info
| Forms | sē̆venth(e num. Also seveneth(e, sefnthe, sevent(e, sevet(e, (K) zevende, (SEM) sevenete, (N, NM, SEM) sevend(e, (chiefly N, NM) seivend(e, sevened, seved, seivent, sevint(e, sewnte, sefnte, (chiefly WM, SW) seveth(e, sef(e)the & sefte, sefth, senfte, senthe & (early) seofeða, -eðe, -aþe, -oðe, seveþe, (Orm.) sefennde, seffnde, seoffnde, (SEM) seoveðende, (SWM) seoveþe, (SW) seovenþe, soveþe & (early infl.) seofeðen, -eðan, -oðen & (error) sevenest. |
| Etymology | From sē̆ven num.; for forms sē̆veth(e, etc. & sē̆vende, etc. cp. OE (WS) seofoþa, (Nhb.) seofunda, (LWS in Hat.Gosp.) seofende. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Ordinal number as adj.: seventh; (b) in combs. & phrases: ~ dai, a commemorative service performed seven days after a person's death; in-to the ~ folde, seven times as much; the ~ time of the dai, the seventh hour of the day; (c) in compound number.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Ðes writ wæs gewriton æfter ure Drihtnes acennednesse dclxiiii, þes kyningas Wulhferes seoueðende gear.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.VA (Vsp D.14)17/18 : Se seofoðe lehter is 'Jactantia', þæt is 'idel-gelp' on Engliscre spæce.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.VA (Vsp D.14)90/20 : On þan seofeðen dæige wurðeð geemnode denen & dunen.
- c1175(OE) Bod.Aelfric OT (Bod 343)23/184 : Enohc wæs isæd þe seofeða mon from Adame.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)28/8 : On ðare seofoðen tide wearð his sune ihæled.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)ded.245 : Þe seffnde god uss shall ȝet don Þe Laferrd Crist.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4168 : Þe sefennde..daȝȝ He sette þeȝȝm to resste.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)5598 : Þe seoffnde ȝife Godess Gast Her ȝifeþþ Godess þeowwess.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)223 : On þan seofeðan deȝ he ȝeendode his wurc.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)39/13 : Þe seofaþe eadmodnysse stæpe ys..hy sylue ȝeadmede.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)167/15 : Þe seoueðe þing is uuel wune.
- a1275 *Body & S.(4) (Trin-C B.14.39)93 : Þe seueþe day sul we rise.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)638 : Þe seuenþe [Hrl:Wright: sovethe] dai to þis yle ore louerd me hydere sende.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)657 : Þare nis bote þat seouenþe del.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)445 : Lamech is..Ðe seuende man after adam.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of ihu (Hrl 913)97 : Þe sefþe dai hit sal grow aȝe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)7/10 : Þou sselt þe resti..to servi þine ssepere þet him restede þane zeuende day of workes.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Kings 20.29 : Þe seueneþe..dai þe bataile is don.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1462 : It fil..in the seuenthe [vrr. seuynte, seuent] yeer of [read: in] May.
- c1390(a1325) Ipotis (Vrn)83 : Þe seuenþe [vr. sewnte] heuene..Is paradys aftur purgatorie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1363 : The sefnthe sterre..is Arial.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6017 : Þe seuend [Frf: seuened] on-sand þat siþen fell Was a weder ful selcut snell.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6844 : Yee sal rest þe seuend [Frf: seyuent; Göt: seuint] dai.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22545 : Sorful sal be þe signe seuend [Frf: seyuend].
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)prol.15/5 : Þe sefeþe ȝer he schulde lete his broþer gon.
- a1425 Cursor (Glb E.9)25377 : Þis es þe seuynd and þe last asking.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)191 : The seuenete day euene of Septembre..I gan inwardly to remembre.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1771 : Thoo come the seventh route anoon, And fel on knees everychoon.
- c1450 Dives & P.(Lchf 35)1.34 : It is but þe seuynth day in obseruance.
- (1470) Paston (EETS)1.431 : This endenture made at London the vijthe day of August in þe xthe yere of the regne of Kyng Edward þe iiijthe.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.9 : Why God bad þat þe seuete day schulde ben halwyd.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)17/103 : Tomorrowe, the seaventh day, I will..take my rest.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)18/20 : Hit were þe seoueðe time of þe dei.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.7.3 : Sowe þou not euelis in foorewis of vnriȝtwisnesse & þou shalt not gederen þem in to þe seuenþe fold.
- (?1462) Will York in Sur.Soc.30256 : I wille that I be brought forthe at the day of beriall..withouten any seventday.
c
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9068 : In þe seueþe & tuenti ȝer..þis spousinge was ydo.
2.
Ordinal number as noun: the seventh man, abbey, hour, astrological sign, etc.
Associated quotations
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)40/28 : Sixte is æfest; seofoðe yrre.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)39 : Þet seofeðe is cherite.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)32/306 : Þe imeane blisse is seouenfald..sikernesse is þe seoueðe.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1825 : Þe seuenþe brayd ut his swerd.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)733 : Þe seueþe is to burye men þat dede beoþ.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.405 : Hardynge Stevene..bulde þere sixe abbayes and bygan þe sevenþe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)109b/a : Þe firste signe hath aspecte to þe seuenthe as aries to libra.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7427 : Þe seuenest ys foulest leccherye.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.306 : Þe seueneth is welle of wisdome.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)6567 : Þe seved es þe horribel sight.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)57/6 : The sext was of fyn golde, And the seuennt was of clay.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.12.29 : The firste houre inequal of every Saturday is to Saturne and..the seventhe to the mone.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)143 : Þe sixte Symond was caled, & þe seueþ eke Bertholomewe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)75/108 : The sefte is vndowteful hope of immortalyte.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)79/220 : Lord, sefne petycions I be-seche ȝow..The sefnte, lord, I haske with grett ffere.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)77 : Þe seuynt: God biddiþ þu schalt not do þeft.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)696 : Þe sevente am I, Mayntennance.
- c1450(a1400) Chev.Assigne (Clg A.2)42 : Browȝte she..Sex semelye sonnes and a dowȝter, þe seueneth.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)59/31 : He londyt the yere of the kynge-dome, the Senfte [Dub: senthe].
- a1500 Partenay (Trin-C R.3.17)4427 : Grymold is the fifte Geant found, The sixte, or the sefth.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6215 : The Seuynt þat assignet was the souerain before Was auntrus Eneas.