Middle English Dictionary Entry
bicche n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bicche n. Also biche, becche, buche, bikk. |
| Etymology | OE bicce; cp. OI bikkja. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The female of the dog, a bitch; also, cur; ~ whelp, a female puppy; (b) the female of the wolf; wolf ~.
Associated quotations
a
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)132/616 : Þe bicche bitit ille, þau he berke stille.
- ?a1300 Sirith (Dgb 86)354 : Þenne bigon þe clerc to wiche And shop mi douter til a biche.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.141 : Þe herde..fonde a bicche ȝeue þe childe souke.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)5.197 : He hedde no strengþe to stonde..þenne gon he..for to go lyk A gleomonnes bicche, Sum tyme asyde and sum tyme arere.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)277a/b : Ofte þe yndes techeþ bicches and leueþ hem in woodes by night for tigris schulden..gendre wiþ hem; and þer of comeþ most scharpe houndes & swifte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)277b/b : The bicche hatte Canicula and is y cleped mooder of houndes.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)500 : A tale of a wycche Þat leued no better þa[n] a bycche.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)13 : Þei likken her kyndels as a biche doothe here whelpes.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)14 : As houndes folowyn after a biche or a brach.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)31 : As houndes do after a byches, whan she is Joly.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1974 : When þou sittes þe for to warm, Þe byche wil lig hir in þi barm.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)35 : Bycche, hownde, or bylke [read: bycke]: Licista.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)361/12,23 : Sho had a little bykk whelpe..becauce sho wolde not consent vnto a yong man þat luffid hur to be his luff, þus sho was shapen to be a biche whelpe.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)184/577 : He will forsake the biche.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)22770 : Off good I haue no maner thyng, But, as the bycche, ay groynyng Wel worse..I seme.
- a1525(?1421) Cov.Leet Bk.27 : Þat no man hold no grett houndes ne byches goyng in the hyȝe way, up the payn of xl d. at euery trespas.
b
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)31 : Whan þe buche of hem is most hoote..þei goon alle aftir hur, as houndes do..Men seyn..when eny woman doþ amys, that she is like to þe wolf bicche..it is soth that þe biche of þe wolf takeþ hure to þe foulest.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)32 : Whan a becch and a wolf of her kynde han take felowship togidre, þei abide comonly euermore togidre.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)36 : Þe foxen of the fox bereþ as longe as the bicche of þe wolf bereþ.
2.
Used contemptuously or profanely: (a) of a woman: bitch; ~ clout; ~ doughter, nightmare; (b) of a man: cur, dog; ~ sone, son of a bitch; of bicches lines, of (heathen) dogs' descent; (c) ~ bones, cursed bones, i.e. dice.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1889 : Schape we schance & schonde! I [World] schal brynge with me þo bycchys bane; Þer schal no vertus dwellyn in my londe.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2117 : Dame Pacyens..þou bycche blak as kole!
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)205/147 : Com forth, þou hore and stynkynge bych Clowte! how longe hast þou such harlotry holde?
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)13b : Þe Bychdowȝhter: Epialtis, Epialta, Noxa.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8477 : He grad aloude to king Taurus; 'Abide..þou þef malicious! Biche sone, þou drawest amis; þou schalt abigge it ywis!'
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8725 : Fele hundred Sarrazins He haþ wiþ him, of biches lins.
- a1475 Friar & B.(Brog 2.1)p.54 : Be God, he ys a schrewd byche; In fayth, y trow he be a wyche.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)355/2 : Pes now youre blaberyng..what lousy begchis mow ye not se!
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)197/297 : Whom callest thou quean, scabd bitch?
c
- c1405 Chaucer CT.Pard.(Heng)C.656 : This frut cometh of the bicche [vr. bicched] bones two; fforsweryng, Ire, falsnesse, homycide.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1150 Aelfric Gloss.(Trin-C B.15.34)436/379 : Fulan horan and byccan [alt. from: fracodan myltestran].
Note: Antedates word
Note: New spelling
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: ?a1475 Ludus C. quot., sense 2.(b): add 'begchis' to form section.