Middle English Dictionary Entry
sǒue n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | sǒue n.(2) Also sou(we, souȝe, soughe, souhe, seu(e, (NEM) sogh, (K) zoȝe & (chiefly early) suwe, (early) sohghe, suwa, suge, suȝe, suhe, suhge, sue & (in place name) so-; gen. soues, etc. & (early) suhe & (?error) swoues. |
| Etymology | OE sugu, sū. Sense 3. is a semantic loan from the ML sense 'siege engine' of L sūs and scrōfa; sense 4. is prob. a semantic loan from MDu. soge block of lead. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A female swine, sow; ~ swin, swin ~; ~ blod (flesh, milk, pappe, tail); (b) a representation of a sow in sculpture; (c) fig. as a symbol of gluttony; (d) soues thistel, = soue-thistel n.; (e) in proverbs and comparisons.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)411 : Sus: Suhge, i. Truie.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543/45 : Scroffa: suwa.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)305 : A-mong alle bestes..A-corsed þou beo, luþere souwe..Þat þi lijf beo schort and strong and þi dethþ beo strong al-so, And þat no þing ete of þi flesch.
- a1325 SLeg.Blase (Corp-C 145)49-51 : A pouere womman þer was also þat bote o sowe nadde; A wolf awey to wode hure drou; on sein Blase loude heo gradde Þat he helpe hure of hure sowe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)61/29 : Hi yerneþ op to þe guode..hy byeþ anlicned to þe zoȝe; huanne hi heþ yuarȝed, wel bleþeliche byt men ycloþed mid huyt.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)731 : Sengler, troie, et suel: Bor, sowe, and gilte.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.14.8 : Asowe [vr. a suwe; WB(2): a swyn; L Sus] forsoþe for she diuideþ þe cle & choweþ no code, she shal be vnclene.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.65.4 : I spradde out myn hondis al dai to a puple..þat eten soouwe flesh [L carnem suillam].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.66.3 : Þat offreþ an oxe, as þat sleþ a man..þat offreþ offringe, as þat soouwe blood he offre.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4020 : Thre large sowes [vr. sewes] hadde she and namo, Thre kyn and eek a sheep.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)299a/b : The sowe hatte Sus and haþ þat name of subigendo..ffor sche wroteþ and diggeþ þe eorþe to gete hire mete &..þe ȝonge sowe conceyueþ aȝeins euenesse of þe day and night in springyng tyme.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)319b/b : Sowe melk..is þynne & watery.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.333 : Þere ne was cow ne cowkynde þat conceyued hadde, Þat wolde belwe after boles, ne bore after sowe.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)31b/a : Grunino: crie as sewe.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.3.136 : If he be ploungid in fowle and unclene luxuris, he is withholden in the foule delices of the fowle sowe [vr. soowe].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)32b/b : Scrophula to þe maner of scrophe porcium, i. swyn sowe, plurified or made many, hard, noȝt vtterly seperate, is most founden in þe necke.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)42b/a : With þe forsaid þingez he commaundeþ forto put to milke of a sowe swyne giffyng to souke her first birth.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)466 : Sowe [Win: Sowwe], swyne: Sus, porca, scrofa.
- ?a1450 Ion Clerke of (Stan 3)p.233 : No man may hym benyme ne lett The messe of the sow tayle.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)437/14 : He garte caste it [a child] emang swyne at þai mott devowr it, and þer it was nurisshid on a sew papp.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)43/15 : The same night the knight and the lady dremed that thei were become horned swyne and sow.
- (1465) Acc.Howard in RC 57296 : Item, the same day my mastyr paid her ffor a sowe, ij s.
- a1475(a1450) Tourn.Tott.(Hrl 5396)54 : He schal haue my gray mare And my spottyd sowe.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)257 : Men shuld nat put a precious margarite..To fore rude swyn, that love draff of kynde; For a sowe delitith..Moore in fowle draff hir pyggis for to glade Than in all the perre that cometh of Garnade.
- a1500 Lystyne lordys verament (Lin-O Lat.141)20 : He bequeythyd to hys sone How All þe brystyllys of a sowe With pyrdowy.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.237 : In þat stoon is i-corue a white sowe wiþ þritty pigges.
c
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)101/23 : I þis wildernesse beoð uuele beastes..Beore of dead slawðe, Vox of ȝisceunge, Suhe [Cleo: Suȝe; Nero: Suwe] of ȝiuernesse.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)106/10 : Þe Suhe of ȝiuernesse haueð gris.
d
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)171/6 : Labrum is an herbe men clepe sowesthystyl; þis herbe haȝt lewys as þe thystyl but it is noȝt so scharp, and quanne it is brokyn it droppyȝt mylk; and it beryth a ȝelwȝ flour and þe seed is clepyd seynt marie seed.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)173/23 : Lactuca leporica is an herbe þat men clepe harys thystle; þis herbe haȝt lewys lyk to þe sowysthystle.
- a1500 Agnus Castus (Hrl 3840)163/15 : Hennbelle..is a grete herbe and he haþe lefes somdele whyte an-vnder and, þe lefes beþe slyte a lyte with-owte as þey hit were swouespystel [Stockh: thouthystyl; vr. sowysþistel].
e
- c1230 Ancr.(Corp-C 402)101/3 : Hwet is wlite wurð her? gold ring i suhe nease.
- a1300 Þi stille suge (Rwl C.641)16 : Si stille suge fret, there grunninde, mete.
- a1300 Þe stille sue (Dgb 53)15 : Þe stille sue æt, gruniende, hire mete.
- a1300 Trin-C.Prov.(Trin-C O.2.45)6 : Þe stille sohghe het, þare gruniende, mete.
- c1300 11 Pains(2) (LdMisc 108)p.36 : Þulke þat stondez to heore browes, Adronken ase it were souwes In þat foule flod, Heore Joye was more to seon and heore Of þeire neyȝhebores teone þane of heore oþur guod.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.552,556 : His berd as any sowe or fox was reed And..Vpon..his nose he hade A werte and ther on stood a tuft of herys Reed as the bristles of a sowes erys.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.156 : Salomon..seith, likneth a fair womman that is a fool of hire body lyk to a ryng of gold that were in the groyn of a sowe [vr. soughe].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.347 : Glotoun had y-globbed a galoun an a Iille; His guttis gunne to godly as two gredy sowes.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)92/19 : Þei ben as houndes þat turnen aȝein and eten þat þei haue spowen, and as sowes þat walewen hemself in þer owne drit.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)80/31 : Þo ben liknyd to siche men þat lyuen vnclenly, whiche doon with her body and soule as a sowe þat walowiþ in a foule sloo.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)6992 : He lay stille as a sowe.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)101/25 : Glotons shuld take hede how þei haue filled þer sowles with dedely synnes and flesshly lustes, nyȝthe and daye gulpande in as a gredy sowe in þe draffe stoke.
- c1450 Bi west (Add 31042)326 : We doue [Vrn: loue] Slouthe and Harlotyre, To slepe als a sowe dose in a lake.
- c1450 Ryl.Prov.& R.(Ryl Lat 394)107 : The stylle sowȝe etus alle þe draffe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)13358 : As a sowhe, in donge and clay, Ther ys my lust most to dwelle.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1198 : Slombre not in foule synne as a sowe doith in a sloughe, But arise vp lightlie and shewe the to a priest.
- a1500(a1400) Libeaus (Lamb 306)1312 : He berreth on euery browe As it were brystillus of a sowe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)109/274 : And it were for a sogh Ther is drynk enogh.
2.
A wood louse, sow bug.
Associated quotations
- a1500 Diet Nightingale (Lamb 306)204 : Fyrst take and geve hym yelow antes..Also geve hym of these sowes that crepe with many fete and falle oute of howce rovys.
3.
A mobile siege engine used to shelter besiegers while they advance toward and mine the walls of a town or castle.
Associated quotations
- [ (a1140) Malmesbury De Gestis in RS 90426 : Unum fuit machinamentum quod nostri suem, veteres vineam vocant; quod machina..protegit in se subsidentes, qui, quasi more suis, ad murorum suffodienda penetrant fundamenta. ]
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8480 : Hii lete hom ginnes make as verst of þe toure Of tre imad strong inou vpe weoles foure, A gyn þat me sowe clupeþ..Muche folc Inne vor to be boþe wid & long.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6436 : Þe Grekis..an ordinaunce haþ founde, What with gynnys deuised for þe nonys, And gonnys grete for to cast stonys..And large sowis lowe for to myne.
- a1425 Titus & V.(Add 10036)2947 : Sowis to myne men made sleie.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3033 : The kynge þan to assawte he sembles his knyghtez With somercastell and sowe.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)30/17 : He ordeynde..foure hundreth men for to bett doun þe walles wit Sewes of werre, Engynes and Gonnes.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)35a : He moote also ordeyne..ffor tymber..þat nediþ to makynge of engynes, wetheres, sowes, and oþer gynnes to assaile wiþ walled townes and castelles.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1206 : Tytus on þe same side setteþ an engyne, A sowe [vr. sewe] wroȝt for þe werr, & to þe wal dryueþ, Þat alle ouerwalte, þer he went.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)382/22 : Þere was alle his Naueye..with his ordynaunce..þat is to say, armure, Gonnez, tripgettis, Engynez, sowez.
4.
In phrase: ~ (of) led, a mass or bar of lead.
Associated quotations
- (1461) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.20 : John Sewarby..hath solde to the same Agneys..xxjti fothers of lede in sowes of lede.
- (1482) Acc.Howard in RC 61311 : Item, the xij day of Novembre my Lord paied to Geffrey Blower for ij sowes lede..weying..xvj c. iij quarters and xiiij lb., at iij li. xiij s. and iiij d. the fether.
5.
In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem.2. 167].
Associated quotations
- (1311) Court R.Colchester 151 : Adam le Sowehaler.
- (1327) Name in LuSE 35100 : Sowe.
- (1333) Sub.R.Wor.in Wor.HS (1899)19 : Henricus Geldesowe.
- (1337) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms113 : Will. le Sowehaler.
- (1343) Pat.R.Edw.III98 : Adam Sowehalere.
- (1366) Nickname in LuSE 5595 : Rob. Geldsowe.
- (1398) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.234 : [A meadow..at] Sowebrigge.
- (1416) in Sundby Dial.Wor.247 : Sougeldersmarleput.
- (1463) in Ekwall PNLan.93 : Soclogh.