Middle English Dictionary Entry
sive n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sive n. Also sife, sif(fe, siwe, cive, cif(fe & seve, sefe, sewe, ceve, seive, seove & suve & (errors) sine, sene, skeiue, fys; pl. sives, etc. & (error) scyvys. |
| Etymology | OE sife; also cp. MDu. seve & AL siva. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A strainer, sieve; also, a fishing net [cp. sein(e n.(a)]; (b) in cpds. & combs.: ~ makere; clensing ~; here ~, q.v.; heren ~; malt ~; mele ~; (c) in prov. expressions; (d) a dry measure; ~ ful; (e) in surnames and place name.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)549/2 : Crib[ra]: sife.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1946 : Of snowe was fallen aschour..A siue he fond tite And bond vnder his fete.
- a1333 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Add 46919)519 : Sayn vel sive [glossing AF (Cmb): nace].
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)138 : F. vse nase et criuere: W. weruth seue and riddell.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)529 : Van corbel et nace: Fan berelep and syue.
- 1381 Dc.257 Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)77.77/3 : Tak chiryes..frot hem wel in a seue so þat þe ius be wel comyn owt.
- (1381) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.5 : Jtem, viii maces and a moche suue.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.27.5 : As in þe smytinge of a syue shal abide stille poudre, so þe porenesse of a man in þe thenking of hym.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.940 : The mullok on an heep ysweped was..And al this mullok in a syve ythrowe And sifted and ypiked many a throwe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)226b/a : Mele is y-grounde at mylle and sifted wiþ a syfe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)330b/b : Cribrum is a syue, rounde wiþ many holes..in a syue corne is y-clensed of stones and of smal chaffe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)334b/a : Tympanum..is y-schape as a seoue.
- a1425 Gloss.Bibbesw.(AS 182)521 : Sife [vrr. szine, nett; glossing AF (Cmb): nace].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)13b/a : Cerunda: þe tree þat bereþ sine [Cnt: Cernida: lignum quod portat cribrum siue taratantra; a temsyng staff, et ipsa taratantara, And a seve].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)41b/b : Recipe þe swalwez nest & make yt long to boile in water & after with a ciffe cole it.
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)14 : Ȝe wemen takethe ȝe heed, for þer been many of ȝow þat..maken supersticions..As for to lay it [baby] in a syf bifore any oþer þinge because of wicked wiȝthes.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)78 : Cyve, for mele: Furfuraculum.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)488 : Temze, sive: Setarium.
- (1442-3) Fabric R.Yk.Min.in Sur.Soc.3558 : In j seve facto pro querrera.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)20 : Take Appelys an sethe hem, an Serge hem þorwe a Sefe in-to a potte.
- (1454) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)355 : Item, j Seve for lyme.
- (1463-4) Reg.Chanc.Oxf.in OHS 94129 : Item, a skeiue [re ad: seiue] & a newe hors combe.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57212 : My mastyr paid to the smythe of Herewyche for iij syves of brasse for the kervelle, xij d.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)114a : A Syffe: Cribrum, terratanterum.
b
- (1362) Invent.Monk-Wear.in Sur.Soc.29159 : In bracina..j melsyf.
- (1381) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.4 : Jtem, a melsuue and a renge and iv ouþer siues and a Riddern.
- (1388-9) Acc.Abingdon in Camd.n.s.5157 : ij maltsyues.
- (1446) Doc.Coldingham in Sur.Soc.12p.lxxxiv : In pistrino..twa melsywys.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)134/6 : Lete it renne thorow an heryn sewe in-to a fayre panne.
- (c1453) Rec.Norwich 2312 : The order of the procession of occupations..to the seid Hall..In primis..sawers, sevemakers, bowers.
- (1457-8) *Plea & Mem.R.Lond.GildhA 81.8 : In þe Brew hous..An alegiste leded, j paire tonges, j Clensyng seve.
- ?c1460 Medulla (Add 33534)79 fn. : Colum: a mylke syhe, or a clansynge syfe.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)121 : Tak appelles and sethe them..then fret them throughe an heryn syff.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)686/11 : Cribrarius: fysmaker [read: syfmaker].
- a1500 PParv.(KC 8)457 : Seve makere [Hrl 221: maker of syvys: Cribrarius].
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.433 : For as a Sive kepeth Ale, Riht so can Cheste kepe a tale.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)226 : As smylt mele under smal sive smokez forþikke, So fro heven to helle þat hatel schor laste.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.423 : But lete it passe lightlie, as water thorow a seve [rime: forgeve], Thy soule therof shall haue no smerte.
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.124 : He that lurnyth with-out buckys drayt whater with a seyue [L cribris].
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)314 : Alle trew sechers..Most be ful lerned..Els al her labour shal hem lett and greve As he that fecchith watir in a seve.
d
- c1225 Chron.Evesham in RS 29 (Rwl A.287)219 : Habere debent monachi ad octo [vr. septem] festivitates principales..singulos siffuls [vr. septem cyffoles] de frumento ad wastellos de granario.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.26/10 : Sche answerd that she hadde but oonly vii Ceves ful of malte.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.26/16 : She mesurid one cevefull And yaue it to the mynystris.
- (1464) Acc.Howard in RC 57272 : Item, the same day payd for di. a tymbre and iij scyvys of letuse, iiij s.
e
- (1209) Pipe R.Winch58/28 : De Ada Siveken.
- (c1250) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)216 : Syvehill.
- (1298) in Fransson Surn.172 : Rich. le Syveman.
- (1301) in Fransson Surn.172 : Laur. Syffewrythe.
- (1301) in Fransson Surn.172 : Joh. le Syvewryct.
- (1466) Paston2.556 : Johannis Seyve.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 58/20 : Take a splyt sefe and seften alle þe clene aissches from þe roche.
Note: Need date, sense (a).
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 65/3 : Whanne hit is clene molten and skomyd, take hit adown of þe fire and poure hit into an here sefe, and clense hit.
Note: Need date, sense (b).