Middle English Dictionary Entry
shaft(e n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | shaft(e n.(2) Also ssaft(e, chaft(e, saft, shaf(e, sheft(e, (early) scaft, scæft, sceaft & (in place names) shatp-, s(h)ieft-, seft-, sheb-; pl. shaftes, etc. & shaft(e & (errors) shaffetes, schaftetes. |
| Etymology | OE sceaft, scaft, sceft staff, pole; for sense 3.(b) cp. MLG schaft, var. of schacht mine shaft. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The shaft of a spear; spere ~; honde ~, a piece of wood resembling such a shaft for use in learning how to throw a spear; (b) a spear, lance; also, ?a splinter [quot.: ?a1450]; (c) the shaft of an arrow; also, an arrow; (d) ~ man, a soldier armed with a lance, spear, dart, or an arrow, etc.; (e) the handle of an axe; also, ?a plow beam [1st quot.]; shovele ~, the shaft or handle of a shovel; (f) pike ~, a linear unit of land measure.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11867 : Me salde him an honde enne scaft [Otho: saft] stronge; þer wes a þan ænde a spærere [read: spære] swiðe hende.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15020 : Heore armes weore stronge, heo breken scaftes longe.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5736 : Þer was din, þer was cri, Mani schaft broken.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)1034 : Þe sschaft brak to peces al, And in þe sscheld lat þe coronal.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1594 : So harde þay acoupede on hur scheldes, þat broke buþ boþe hure schafte.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Kings 17.7 : Þe schafte [L Hastile] of his spere was as þe bem of websteris.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2605 : Ther shyueren shaftes vpon sheeldes thikke.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)149a/b : Locusta þat worme..haþ longe legges as a spere schaft.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3190 : Paris..Caste at hym..Þat hed & shafte þoruȝ þe body ran.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)7/21 : Þe schaft of þe spere with whilk Criste was stanged to þe hert hase þe emperour of Almayne; bot þe heued þerof es at Parisch.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)443 : Schafte [Win: Schafe], of a spere or oþer lyke: Hastile.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)17a : Þey moste ben tauȝt to caste & þrowe wiþ hand schaftes of double weyȝte þat here verray spere schaftes schul ben aftirwarde..and here owe þey þat ben ouerseers and techers of this to take good hede þat he..schal caste þe schaft to þe pale.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)38b : Þei hadde double dartes, oon of þe more assise, anoþer of þe lasse; Þe more had an heued of yren þre square þe weiȝte of ix ounces and þe schaft of fyue foot & half.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)789 : Sone in scheuerand schidis schaftis ere brosten.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)188/1121b : The shafte it shevered al in his hande.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)734 : Hys had schall of be raft And sette vp-on a sper schaft.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)922 : Har saftes breke asonder.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)930 : Breng..A schaft [Naples: schefte] wyth a cornall!
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4053 : Heo ferden ȝeond þa feldes mid scæftes [Otho: sceaftes] & mid sceldes.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)549/38 : Asta, uel quiris: scæft.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1304 : Þai riden to-gider wiþ schaftes long.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)496 : His gode stede he gan bistride; His squier bar his sschaft biside.
- (1385-6) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99133 : In diversis armis empt..iij gonnys, ij palets, j brestplat..v shafte, [etc.].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.449 : He..draweþ out þe schaft [vr. scheft; L telum] and profreþ to stike hym self þerwiþ.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)205 : Hade he..no schafte ne no schelde.
- (1412) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.243 : [2 other lances called] shafftis.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8335 : On her stedis eche at oþer flee With stif swerdis, schaftis gret & rounde.
- a1425 WBible(1) (CC 145)Ezek.38.4 : I shal leden..out..a gret multitude of men takende shafte [WB(2): spere; L hastam] & sheeld.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)60 : Make of sotherenwode by it-self an emplastre or medle it with grece and it wole drawe out shaft or þorn stykyd in þe body.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)7 : Qwyryn in þe sabynes tonge is called a schaft, and he rood neuyr with oute a spere; yerfor þei approrid to him þat name.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)2109 : With her shafftis men ham sloon For othir wepenes drede thei noon.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)23b : A Chafte, vbi spere.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)790 : The launce brast in the felde; that was a wel gode schaft.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)864 : Hys squyer gan lede..Þre schaftes good and sure.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)1589 : Lybeauus rood to hym þare Wyth a schaft all square.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1133 : Agayn Vyce he roode with hys gret shaft.
c
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8659 : He sset þe king in atte breste..Bote þe ssafte [vr. ssaft] þat was wiþoute grisliche he to brek.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)9.351 : Thre shupes and a shaft, with an vm [vr. viij] folwyng, Shal brynge bane and bataile on bothe half þe mone.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1458 : Þe schauen schaft schyndered in pecez.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.723 : Þer wer..fleccheris, And swyche as koude make schaftes pleyn.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1905 : The shaft I drowe out of the arwe..But the heed..Lefte bihynde in myn herte.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)88b/b : Make an hole in þe middewarde of þre oþer foure of hem þat þe plumasoles mowe gone euene doun a midwarde apon þe schafte riȝt doun to þe wounde.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)180 : For overal..Were trees..The shetere ew, the asp for shaftes pleyne.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)14.319 : With An Arwe they him tho smot..That the schaft thorwgh him gan go.
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57219 : Item, payd the same day to a flescher ffor schafys ffor quarellys, and ffor federys ffor the same, xij d.
- (1468-9) Stonor1.103 : I wulle that ye bespeke..a doseyn Brode arovys..let the shaftys be no bygger than Edmond sletyth.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)75b/a : Þou schalt take þe stalke of þe schaft wiþ þin hond & drawe it out softly wiþouten violence.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)23b : A Chafte, ub[i] Arowe.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)550 : This is bettur þen any bowe, For alle þe fedurt schafte.
d
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)21a : The secounde warde were cleped schaft [vr. staf] men: for þey schotten wiþ arwe and spere and darte.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)39a : Þe first scheltrun is of princes, þe secounde of schaftmen [vr. hastymen] þat wiþ iusting speres, castyng speres & dartes ben tauȝt and lerned to fiȝte.
e
- (1383-4) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100390 : In factura unius aratri et unius shaff, 5 d.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2332 : The haþel..on his ax rested, Sette þe schaft vpon schore & to þe scharp lened.
- (1417) J.Dernell in Nrf.Archaeol.15136 : Item, a schovell schafte, j d. ob.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5801 : He brouȝt an ax, The schafft was bounden, long was the bit.
f
- (1460) Office of Augment.Misc.Book XLIII [OD col.]No.106 : Certam porcionem carbonum subterraneorum in campo de Newfelde prout iacent in longitudine ad mensuram xxx pikshaft et in latitudine ad mensuram octo selionum.
2.
(a) A rod; a pole for carrying a banner, cross, etc.; (b) the shaft of a candlestick or candelabrum; also, the paschal candle [quot.: ?c1450]; also, a shaft supporting a spice dish [quot.: 1459]; (c) the trunk of a tree; the shaft or main body of a pillar; also, a Maypole [quot.: 1428]; (d) pl. a grating, latticework (used in fortifying a city); (e) gret ~ of corneille, ?the trunk of the cornel tree; ?the banner of Cornhill, a ward in London.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3899 : Moyses ðor made a wirme of bras, And henget hege up-on a saft.
- (1423) Will York in Sur.Soc.4574 : Pro viiij lanciis..cum sex capitibus..et ij schaftetes pro baneriis.
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)125 : Men suld hald in þaire hand þaire armes [vr. Men heuedes] set on schaftes schene.
- (1448) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 1215 : A croce of sylv'r & gold and a shaft yr to sylv'yt & gylt wt a baner of grene Sylk wt Armys & schochons.
- a1450(1419) Loke how Flaundres (Dgb 102)64 : Of here banere of grace, god broken haþ þe shaft.
- (1466) in Cox Churches Derb.4.87 : Item, vj bannar clothes, ij pendants or straymers, and vj shaffetes or banar polles to them.
- a1486(a1460) Coron.Kings Eng.in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)51 : The barones of the v portis schall bere the clooth over the kynge with the foure shaftis.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)219/7 : He commawndyt forto bryng byfore Laurence al maner of turment: gynnys, ȝerdus..brennyng schaftys of eyron, [etc.].
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)57 : The kynge dide do make this dragon..Than he lete sette it on a shafte in-stede of a baner.
- 1618(1440) Invent.Cumberworth in Peacock EChurch Furniture184 : Item, a Crosse with a crucifix & 3 popis & 3 knoppes to the shaft all coper and guilt.
b
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ex.25.31 : Thou schalt make a candilstike..of clenneste gold, and thou schalt make the schaft [WB(1): staf; L hastile] therof.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ex.25.33 : This schal be the werk of sixe ȝerdis, that schulen be brouȝt forth of the schaft [WB(1): candelstaf].
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.351,352 : The holy water schal go before, the schafte after with ij tapers unlyght..aftyr the sensyng of the fyre the schafte schal be lyght only..after the dekon hath done, the schafte schal be sette on the sowth syde of the hyghe autyr.
- (1459) Doc.in Macray Reg.Magd.Oxf.14 : A spice plate wyth a foote and a sheft of syluer and gilt.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)208b/a : Also þe schaft of þe tree þat streccheþ fro þe roote vp to þe coppe is propreliche y-cleped lignum.
- (1428) Acc.St.Mary Stamford (Vsp A.24)179,180 : Et Thomas harpmaker pro emendacione de le schafte, xj d..Et panno empto pro le schafte, xj d.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)28 : Tho braunchis grewen out of the bowis..and tho bowis grewen out of slockis or tronchons, and the tronchons or schaftis grewen out of the roote.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)111b : The Schafte of a pylare: stilus.
- a1500 Gloss Dict.Garland (Hrl 1002)137 : Columnas, cujus partes sunt basis, stilus ([glossed:] schefte) et epistilium.
d
- a1500 Gloss Dict.Garland (Hrl 1002)130 : In civitate Tholose..vidi..tabula, et craticula ([glossed:] schafftys) ex trabibus erecta, cestus..et perareas sive tormenta.
e
- c1450 Dice(1) (Frf 16)61 : Tho loke ye when that youre wombe doth fille As ye wolde bere the grete shafte of Corneylle.
3.
(a) A chimney; (b) a mine shaft.
Associated quotations
a
- a1500 *Hrl.1002 Nominale [OD col.] (Hrl 1002)lf.146b : Caminus: a chymney; epicausterium: þe chaft þer of.
b
- (1433-4) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103711 : Pro factura unius shaft infra campum de Heworth pro carbonibus ibidem lucrandis, 20 s.
- (1443) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103713 : Item, alloc. eidem pro operariis laborantibus in aqueductu et le dright, cum thirlyng unius shafte, ut patet per bill, 10 li.
4.
A sunbeam, shaft of light.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)455 : Þe schyre sunne hit vmbe-schon, þaȝ no schafte myȝt..vpon þat man schyne.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)982 : Þe brok fro me warde keued, Þat schyrrer þen sunne wyth schaftez schon.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1544 : He..had on a Mitre..Stiȝt staffull of stanes þat straȝt out bemes, As it ware shemerand shaftis of þe shire son.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4816 : Þe schaftis of þe schire son schirkind þe cloudis.
5.
A kind of balance or scales, an auncel.
Associated quotations
- (1429) in Wilkins Concilia 3516 : Dicto pondere le Auncell, scheft, seu pounder..doloso quodam stateræ genere.
- (1439) RParl.5.30a : There was take on branche of disceit awey that hurte many man sore, the whiche was called a Schafte, othere wise called a Pondre, othere wise called an Hauncere, whiche greved many a trewe man.
6.
In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem.2.99.
Associated quotations
- (1167) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Seftbia.
- (1177) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Scheaftberia.
- (1180) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Schafbera.
- (1219) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Seftesberg.
- (1230) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.175 : Shatpho.
- (1255) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.175 : Shafhou, Schafthowe, Shaftho.
- (1262) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Syeftbere.
- (1291) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Sheftbeare.
- (1321) Deed Yks.in YASRS 50187 : Le Schaftes.
- (1332) Name in LuSE 35152 : Shakeshaft.
- (1345) EPNSoc.30 (West Riding Yks.)272 : Shafton.
- (c1346) Name in LuSE 35152 : Shaftholme.
- (1358) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Shieftbeare.
- (1425) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)107 : Schebbeare.