Middle English Dictionary Entry
berie n.
Entry Info
| Forms | berie n. Also byry. Pl. beri(e)s, buries, berien, ber(i)ȝean. |
| Etymology | OE |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A berry; any small fruit; (b) a grape; ?also, a bunch of grapes.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)69.7/3 : Ȝenim þisse wyrte [savin] berȝean.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)99.62/4 : Cnuca þisse wyrt [gladdon] beriȝean.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)7/23 : Beȝyte man..laurtreowes leaf..oððer þæra beriȝa nigon.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)124/5 : Breres bereð rosen & berien & blostmen.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)258 : He lieuþ bi wild frut And berien.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)687 : Murs de rounce et coudre-noys, Berie and hasul-note.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.121 : Þe juse of grapes and buries [vr. beryes; L mori].
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.24vb : Bacus is a manere of busch þat bereth beries [Alphita: Batus est rubus ferens mora]; bacum þe berie; bacetum þe place.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)223b/a : Yvy..haþ bowes wiþ spray and berijs.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)237b/a : Oyle is þe Ius of beryes of olyue.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)83/16 : It es all grene lyke þe berys of wodbind.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)32 : Bery, frute: Morum.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)898 : The breris with þaire beries bent ouer þe wayes.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)46/30 : Take þe leeuys of mulberytre or þe beriys.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)65/22 : Take þe berys of gret morell.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)29 : Bery: bacca cuiuslibet fructus siluestris.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)201 : Grene leves thereon he fonde, And rovnd beryse in fere.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2062 : Ic stod at a win-tre..Orest it blomede and siðen bar; ðe beries ripe wurð ic ware.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)188/48 : Her grape is grape of galle & her berye [L botri] hys bitterest.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4469 : And o þe berys [Göt: grapis] þat þar-on hang, In a cupe..i wrang.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)3.28 : For shal neuere brere bere beries as a vyne.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1349 : Quen he broken had þe bery..þar folowis out of fresshe wyne.
2.
(a) blak ~, broun ~, wild ~ [See also brembel ~, ellern ~, hound ~, ivi ~, laurer ~, mul ~, oil ~, strau ~, win ~.]; (b) blak as ~, very black; broun as a ~, having a very dark complexion, very brown; (c) ~ bobbe, a cluster of berries, bunch of grapes; ~ broun, brown as a berry; ~ busk, a berry bush; ~ tre, a tree bearing berries; esp., a mulberry.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1125(?OE) Dur-C.Gloss.(Dur-C Hunter 100:Cockayne)300 : Bacinia: Blace bergan.
- ?a1300 Wor.F.157.Gloss.(Wor F.157)184 : Labrusca: wilde berien.
- a1400 PPl.C (Corp-C 293)11.207 fn. : Noþur an a bytur brom wex broune beryus.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)34a : Ivy ys an erbe that berryth black beryes.
- a1500 Þe most worthye (BodPoet e.1)95 : Ivy beryth berys black.
b
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.207 : His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4368 : Gaillard he was as goldfynch in the shawe, Broun as a berye.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)928 : Ful crokid was that foule stikke..And blak as bery or ony slo.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)962/28 : He overtoke a man..on a stronge blacke horse, blacker than a byry.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)234b/a : Þerof is double kynde of suche berye trees, tame and wilde, And hierdes..eteþ þe fruyte of þe wilde bery tree.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)91 : Bery-brown was his berde.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4809 : Bery-bobis on þe braes brethand as mirre.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5239 : Þare fand þai bery-buskis & braunches with grapis.