Middle English Dictionary Entry
berking ger.
Entry Info
| Forms | berking ger. Also barking. |
| Etymology |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The barking of a dog or a fox; (b) harsh speech, opprobrious words, scoffing.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)55 : Þe cherl..chastised his dogge, bad him blinne of his berking.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.369 : Scylla was a womman byclipped aboute..wiþ..berkynge of houndes [L latratibus; Higd.(2): berkenge].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4576 : Ran cow and calf..So fered for berkyng of the dogges.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)286a/b : Þey han hedes as houndes and semeþ, by þe berkynge [L latratus], bestes bettre þan men.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4957 : Berkyng of houndis hij habbe.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)11/13 : Þey..stonyen for barkyng of þise houndis.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)32 : Berkynge: Latratus.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)310/14 : He harde..huge barkyng of hundis.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)70/15 : Berkynge of houndes..plesez more gode than prayer of lechours.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)9a : A Barking: latratus, latramen.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)269 : A certayne hund..wolde..with his berkinge make him to knowe þe comyng of his enmeys.
- a1500 *MS Hrl.1002 [OD col.] (Hrl 1002)lf.72 : He can barkyng as a foxe.
b
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Corp-O 4)p.75 : Certeyn a perylous werk, open to the berkyngis of backbyters.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Cock (Hrl 2255)39 : Vndir fals pees ther may be covert ffraude..Berkyng behynde, ffawnyng in presence.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.1117 : Berke now no more ageyn that hooly name, ffor..Ye shal for þis berkyng [vr. barkyng] be put on-to blame.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.4ra (Prologue) : Þou haste put me to an harde wark and opne to the barking & to the scornyng of detractours.
Note: Antedates sense (b). Editor's gloss: 'barking (fig.), harsh words'.