Middle English Dictionary Entry
spar-hauk n.
Entry Info
| Forms | spar-hauk n. Also sparhauke, sparauk, sparehauk, sparhake, sparrehauk, -houke, sperhauk(e, sperehauke & (in surnames) sparhauec, -hauek, -heuec, -heuk, sperhauec, -hefeoc, -heuk. |
| Etymology | OE spear-hafoc, spear-hafuc, spær-habuc; ?also cp. ON: cp. OI sparr-haukr. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. sparwe n. (d), sperver n.(1).
1.
(a) The European sparrow hawk (Accipiter nisus); --often used in prov. expressions; also coll. [quot. a1387 vr.]; ?also, a falcon or similar bird of prey [quot. ?c1475]; (b) her. an image of a sparrow hawk; (c) in combination spar-hauk(es)-fot, the name of a plant; (d) in surnames.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2680 : Þe oþere..floȝe þanne out of is way..So doþ þe larke on someres day þe sperhauk þat is in fliȝte.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.335 : Þere is grete plente..of egles, of cranes, of pekokes, of corlewes, of sperhaukes [Higd.(2): sparrehowke; L niso], of goshaukes, and of gentil faucouns.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4647 : This gentil preest..looketh as a sparhauk with hise eyen.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)143b/a : Alietus and a litil sparhauk is al one, þat is I-clepid muskete in frensche, or ellis hit hiȝte þe sparhauk.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1789 : Þe leon suam beside þe hert..þe sparhauk flough be þe sterling.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1192 : What myghte or may the sely larke seye, Whan that the sperhauk [vr. sparhake] hath it in his foot?
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4033 : This haue I herd ofte in seiyng That man may, for no davntyng, Make a sperhauke of a Bosarde.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)97/8,12 : In þat contree is an old castell þat stont vpon a roche, the whiche is cleped the castell of the Sparrehawk [Man.(2): Sperhawke; F Esperuier]..Where men fynden a Sparehauk vpon a perche right fair..& a faire lady of fayrye þat kepeth it.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)14/11 : A sparhauke, be he neuer so ramageus, ye may ouercome hym with goodly and curteys demening, ye may make hym come from the tre to your honde.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)828/3 : Than were they ware on the othir syde where stoode a lady wyth a sparhawke on her honde.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)256/23 : Alisaundir of Swereford..yaf..all his lond..yeldyng therof euery yere..a spere-hawke sowryng at lammas.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)118a : A Sparhawke: Nisus, Alietus, Asperuarius.
- 1486 ?Berners Bk.St.Albans (Blades 1881)leaf c viii/b : Ther is a question axyd whether a man shall call a sparehawke Or a spere hawke Or an aspere hawke.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)704 : God wold, þat sperhauk wer myn!
- a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16509 : A Cely Dowe, whan she hath espyed the Sparawk, ffleth hom to hyr Colverhows.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)487 : He smote his hors with the spores and spronge forth as sperhauke after partriches or quayles.
- c1500 Melusine (Roy 18.B.2)175/5 : His enemyes fled byfore hym as the partrych doth byfore the sperehauke.
b
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.4 (Hrl 2169)241 : [Sable] iij sparehawkys of sylvyr [with their bells].
c
- a1500(?a1400) MS Sln.282 in Alphita (Sln 282)p.140 fn. : Pes nisi: pulmonaria, pollitricum, sperhaukesfote.
- a1500 MS Cmb.Dd.11.45(1) in Hunt Plant Names (Cmb Dd.11.45)205 : [Pes nisi]: sperhaukefote.
d
- (c1153) in Madox Form.Angl.(1702)1 : Earnaldo filio Sperhefeoc.
- (1172) in Pipe R.Soc.1836 : Idem vicem reddum Comptum de xiiii s. de Catallis Sparhauec vtlagati.
- (1202) Assize R.Lin.in Lin.RS 2266 : Reginaldum Sperhauec.
- (1205) CRR(2) 3310 : Petrus filius Sparheuec.
- (1227) Close R.Tower 2212 : Willielmus Sparhauek.
- (1275) Hundred R.Tower 1273 : Thom' Sperheuk.
- (1287) Nickname in LuSE 55166 : Thom. Sparhauke.
- (c1311) Rec.Norwich 1375 : Rob. Sparheuk.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3125 : Gilbertus Sperhauk.
- (1343) Court R.Ramsey135 : Willelmus Sperhawk.
- (1402) Feudal Aids 599 : Johannes Sparhauk.
- -?-(1472) Will in Som.RS 16222 : John Sperhauke.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: For attempts to identify the plant or plants in sense (c), cp. Alphita (ed. Mowat), p. 140, "Pes nisi secundum aliquos est genus narstucii aquatici," which is glossed in Sloane MS 3217 as "after sum men it is the kynde of a water kerse." The two Latin terms bracketed with it in Sloane 282, pulmonaria and politricum, are not, however, associated with water cress, but take the identification in different directions, since 'pulmonaria' is usually associated with the lungworts (genus Pulmonaria), and politricum with the maidenhair ferns Adiantum capillam. (so García González, Alphita) . Tony Hunt, Plant Names of Medieval England ventures three suggestions, maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), and black spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum).