Middle English Dictionary Entry
sparre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sparre n. Also spar(e, sperre, sper(e; pl. sparres, etc. & spar. |
| Etymology | OE (in place names) spear-, spær- & MDu. spar(re, sper(re or MLGspar(re (vars. of spāre) & ON: cp. OI sparri & sperra; also cp. OF esparre & ML sparra, AL sparrum, sperra. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. spire n.
1.
(a) A piece of timber used in building; a rafter, beam; a board; -- also coll.; firre ~; hilinge of sparres, a roof; joininge of sparres, a roof or building; maister ~, a main beam or timber; (b) a piece of timber used in building or repairing a ship; a pole or spar used on board a ship; ~ bord; (c) a tree; also, a length of wood or timber [1st quot.]; (d) a pole or post used as a weapon; firre ~, a pole used in a mystery play; (e) her. a bar in a chevron; (f) in surnames; (g) in place names.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)443 : Cumble, heez, et cheueroun: Roof, firstre, and sparre.
- (1378) Rec.Norwich 2234 : c de paruis sperres, j d. c de magnis sperres, ij d.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Eccl.10.18 : In slouthes shal ben meked þe ioynyng of sparris [L contignatio] & in infirmyte of hondis þe hous shal droppen þurȝ.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.29.29 : Betere is þe lijflode of þe pore vndir þe roof of stoodis or sparris [WB(2): hilyng of sparris; L tegmine asserum] þan plenteuous shynyng metis in pilgrimaginge withoute hous.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.990 : By assaut he wan the citee after And rente adoun bothe wal and sparre [vr. spere] and rafter.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1076 : Thurgh a wyndow thikke of many a barre Of iren greet and square as any sparre, He caste his eye vpon Emelya.
- (1396-7) Mem.Ripon in Sur.Soc.81124 : In j arbore emp. de domino Johanne de Dene pro j sparr et aliis necessariis pro magno clocher 6 s. 8 d.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8796 : We haf soght forest bath ner and ferr, For to sek a maister sparr [Göt: sperr] For to fest..Vr warc to-geder.
- (1421) Fabric R.Yk.Min.in Sur.Soc.3544 : In iij fyrsperres emptis pro j scala facienda pro candelis illuminandis in choro de Willelmo Brerton, 18 d.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)65b/b : Tignum: a sparre of an house [Cnt: a sparre, a rafter].
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)668/7 : Tignum: spere.
- (1439) Agree.Build.St.John in BAAJ 25118 : The whiche roof shal be wrought of vj pryncepal couplys archebounden, wherof eche sparre shal bere the brede of x unches, & the thyknes of viij unches, havyng atwix eche two princepals a purloyne, a iope, and iiij sparrys, havyng a rof tre abovyn.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)467 : Sparre [Win: Spare], of a roof: Tignum.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)16786 : Þan gart he grath men gang and sone sett vp a sperre [vr. spare] Of L cublettes [read: cubbettes] lang Merdochius on to marre.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)7647 : Sparres and tymbyr þai þaim gett, Abouen þe ald kirk walles þai sett And thekyd it with hay and thak.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)118a : A Sparre: tignum, tigillum, tignosus.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)732/1 : Tignuus, vel tegimen: a sparre.
b
- (1336-7) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 3140 : In xxiiij speres emptis pro xxiiij Skaltres inde faciendis, precium cuiuslibet iij d., vj s.
- (1337-8) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 191 : In..meremio pro hord' railes et halkessinges, j keliswyn ad imponendum mast' ac sparbord', et vinculis ad eundem emptis pro dicta constructione.
- (1356) *Pipe Roll (PRO) 30 Edw.III m.2d [OD col.] : j keliswin ad imponend' mast ac sparbord, cum vinculis adennd'.
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52157/30-31 : Per manus Baron pro ij c x bordez..pro iiij xx ij sparrez, xxiij s..pro xiij oken sparrez, iiij s. x d.
- (1400) Comp.R.in Frost Hullapp.12 : Navis Johannis Hogee..pro ij m sparr de fyrr ij c plank' xj mast'.
- 1409(1338) Doc.in Nicolas Navy 2476 : xx sparres de keyne, xiiii plankes & shelles de keynes.
c
- (1392) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.6 : [She cut 40] sparres [worth half a mark in a hedge called] Hausexheg.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)127 : In a forest longe and brode..Hey sperrys ther he fonde, And gret olyvys growonde.
d
- (1391) Doc.Beverley in Seld.Soc.1437 : Johannes de Erghes..manucepit..ludere quemdam ludum vocatum Paradise..aceciam [read: ac eciam] manucepit reliberare..omnes res..pertinentes ludo predicto..viz. j karre..ij wenges angeli, j fir-sparr, j worme, [etc.].
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)460 : Than he caught a sparre of Oke with bothe hondes..and..he smote a knyght on the helme.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)461 : Gawein dide moche harme with the sparre that was so harde, and thei hem diffended full vigerously.
e
- 1486 ?Berners Bk.St.Albans (Blades 1881)her.leaf f i/b : We haue sotheli in armys certan signys the wich ar calde Cheuerons in french..and in english a cowpull of sparris.
f
- (1263) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames195 : Will. de la Sparre.
- (1279) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames195 : Will. de la Sparre.
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1073 : Johanne atte Sparre.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10120 : Thom. Wydesparre.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10151 : Walto Lotemansparre.
- a1400(1362) Court R.Ambree in Archaeol.Cant.29144 : Robertus Sparre.
g
- (1191) in Ekwall Dict.EPN412 : Sparham.
- (c1195) in Ekwall Dict.EPN414 : Sperly.
- (1219) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)232 : Rusparre.
- (1238) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)232 : Rugesparre.
- (1261) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)232 : Rusparre.
- (1264) in Ekwall Dict.EPN412 : Sperham.
- (1304) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)232 : La Rusparre.
- (1352) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)232 : Rowspar.
- (1386) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)232 : Rusparr.
- (c1422) Paston2.6 : I..thank ȝow of ȝowre grete labure that ȝe hade to me att Sparham the laste tyme that we spakun to-gydure.