Middle English Dictionary Entry
shaft(e n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | shaft(e n.(1) Also shapte, shapthe, shef, (N) scaf(t, (SEM) safte, (K) ssefthe, ssepthe & (early) sceaft, scafte & (error) schat; pl. shaftes, etc. & shaftus, (N) chaftes & (early) shafte, sceafte, sceaftæ, (early SWM) sheaftes, shaften, shefte, scefte, (early SEM) safte, seftes, (early K) seafte. |
| Etymology | OE sceaft, scæft creature, creation & (for -e- forms) gesceft, var. of gesceaft. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) All creation, the universe; also, the act of creating; (b) a thing created by God, creature; a living person or animal; also, something made by man [quot.: Gen.& Ex.]; (c) a species; ~ of man, the human race; (d) appearance, likeness; guise; a shape, form; an idol; also, an image in a mirror; turnen the shaftes, to change appearances or shapes; (e) an element, a substance; also, nature, essence [last quot.]; (f) the genitals; -- used fig.: nakedness.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)18759-60 : All þatt æfre Crist sellf shop, All iss itt god wiþþ alle; Acc i þe shaffte iss sinne & woh, All þurrh þe sellfe shaffte.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)127 : God sag his safte fair and good, And bliscede it wid milde mood.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)13/19 : He..steaȝ into heuene þet is aboue alle ssepþe.
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)94/3,4 : Swa swa God Almihtiȝ oferstihð alle sceaftæ, swa oferstihð þeo sawle alle lichamlice sceaftæ..& nan lichamlic sceaft ne mæȝ beon wið hyre imeten.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)100/10 : Þe ylce Drihten..alle sceafte iscop & iwrohtæ; þenne he walde þæt heo weren, þenne weron heo sonæ.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)10402 : Þatt ne maȝȝ nan shaffte don Wiþþutenn Goddcunndnesse.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15469 : He wirrkeþþ illke ȝer Swa fele kinne wasstmess Off gresess & off tres & ec Off alle cwike shafftess.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)19459 : I fir þeȝȝ sæȝhenn Godess Gast I shafftess onnlicnesse.
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)84 : He wit and waldeð alle þing and scop alle scefte [vrr. safte, seafte, schafte].
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)15/2 : Non scafte ðe is scadwis, al swo bieð angles and menn, ne aȝeð te hauen here aȝen-will.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)5/20 : Heo..bigon to luuien..þe lufsume lauerd, þet schupte alle scheaftes.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)21/165 : Heo beoð to him as schat [Bod: schafte] to his schuppent.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)26/25 : Ah þe ich þonki þrof, þe kingene king art echeliche icrunet..of alle seheliche [Roy adds: þing] & unseheliche ba..alre schefte schuppent.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)788 : Þe mon mid his crafte Overkumeþ al orþliche shafte.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)356 : Seftes sop ure seppande.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3628 : For swilc hus was ear neuere wrogt, Ne swilc safte her on werlde brogt.
- ?c1335 Lollai lollai (Hrl 913)8 : Euch schef aliues, imakid of bone and blode..doþ ham silf sum gode.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)84/33 : Þe man wes ymad..ine zuyche lhordssipe þet he wes lhord of alle ssepþes [Vices & V.(2): creatures] þet were onder heuene.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)143 : Alle þe schaftes of water and lond Scholden ben vnder his hond.
- c1390 Cum lord (Vrn)3 : Cum, lord..Þe hertes þat þou þi schaftus wost, fful hem of þi grace by-dene.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)8282 : Ȝyf þou be of clene lyfe, Þar þe noght drede no wycchecrafte, Noþer temptyng of þe deuylys shafte [vr. shaft].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23640 : Wit alkin scaf [Göt: schaft] þai sal discord.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)22674 : Þat sorful grisli dau, þat crist sal till his chaftes schau..all þe stanis..Sal smite to-gider.
- c1400 PPl.C (Vsp B.16)11.159 : Shaftes [Hnt HM 137: þe sonne som tyme..May nat shyne ne shewe on shawes on erthe].
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14560 : Þeȝȝ alle samenn ȝedenn inn..inntill þatt arrke..Þatt erþliȝ shaffte mihhte ben Þurrh hemm efftsone stoffnedd.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)15/107 : Ne nis na þing hwar þurh monnes muchele medschipe wreððeð him wið mare þen þe schaft of mon..schal wurðen forð ut of his witte.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)739 : Þe nedder..es of a scaft þat mast kan bath on crok and craft.
d
- c1225 St.Juliana (Roy 17.A.27)18/161 : Ȝef þu cneowe..þe king..lutel waldestu leoten of ower lahelese lahen þet leareð ow to luten dedliche schaften.
- c1225 St.Juliana (Roy 17.A.27)20/175 : Þu dredest so muchel an dedlich mon þe..leneð al his luue in liflese schaften.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)7168 : It is a dragoun: Gret wenges he haþ wiþ to fle; His schaft to telle alle ne mow we.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)5/23 : Þe ilke þet deþ his hope heȝliche ine ssepþe zeneȝeþ dyadliche.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)62/29 : Þe dyeuel him sseweþ ine uele ssefþes [Vices & V.(2): wise and liknesse] and him chongeþ in uele wysen þet uolk uor to gyly.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)81/24-5 : Þet uayreste þing þet ys onder god is þe zaule þet heþ parfitliche his riȝte ssepþe [Vices & V.(2): forme] and his riȝte briȝtnesse: colour of flour, briȝtnesse os [read: of] zonne, ssepþe [Vices & V.(2): figure] of man.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)158/11 : Nim þanne ane mirour and zete hine to-ayens an oþren: an haste alle þe ssepþes þet byeþ ine þe onen þou sselt yzy ine þe oþren.
- c1390 Þe mon þat is (Vrn)147 : Deþ hit haþ hem al by-raft..And al þat bereþ monnes schaft, Schal go þat ilke selue wey.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.785 : He seth hire schapþe forth withal, Hire bodi round, hire middel smal, So wel begon with good array.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)9.31 : Gret god..gynnynge had neuere..Ac man is hym moste lyke, of marke and of schafte [vr. schape].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.387 : Be a man faire or foule, it falleth nouȝte for to lakke Þe shappe ne þe shafte þat god shope hym-selue.
- a1425 Arth.& M.(LinI 150)1581 : His body was vnruyde wiþal; His schaft may no mon telle.
- a1425 Body & S.(5) (Add 37787)297 : God þe schope aftur hys schafte And ȝaf þe boþe wyt & skylle.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9386 : Merlyn..can ynow of swylke craftes, Of alle vigures he turnes þe schaftes.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)43 : The kynge..supposid that Merlin myght not take noon other shapte but his owne.
e
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)17537 : Off þise fowwre shaffte iss all Þiss middell werelld timmbredd, Off heffness whel & off þe lifft, Off waterr & off erþe.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)17606 : Manness bodiȝ feȝedd iss & wrohht off fowwre shafftess.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)112/31 : Ziker bread substanciel..ouergeþ alle substances and alle ssepþes be ver ine uirtue.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)102.13 : Als rewed es fadre of sones, Rewed es lauerd..Fore our schaft [Vulg. figmentum] wele knawes he..duste ere we, and worth noghte.
f
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)349 : Flesses fremeðe and safte same Boðen he felten on here lichame.