Middle English Dictionary Entry
swē̆ven n.
Entry Info
| Forms | swē̆ven n. Also swevene, swevon, swevn, swefen, swefne, squeven, swiven, (SW) swene, (early SWM) sweoven & (?errors) seven, sevyn; pl. sweven(e)s, etc. & swefennis, swhevenis, swennes, (NEM) sweineis & (early infl.) suefene, swefnen, (dat.) swefenum & (errors) swemes, swendes. |
| Etymology | OE swefen, swefn; for forms seven, sevyn cp. OI söfn, var. of svefn. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A dream experienced in sleep; a dream-vision, prophetic dream; also, a supernatural vision appearing to one in a waking state; -- freq. without article; in (on) ~, in a dream; (b) with selected verbs: abreiden oute of ~, swengen oute of swevenes, to wake up suddenly; dremen (haven, isen, meten, sen, taken) ~, dream a dream, have a dream or vision; also, impers. me (him) mete ~, him thought (tok) ~, etc.; expounen (jugen, recchen, reden, undon) ~, interpret a dream; heren ~, hear an account of a dream; seien ~, give an account of a dream, tell a dream; sheuen a ~, reveal a dream; tellen ~, describe or relate a dream; also, interpret a dream [quot. c1440(?a1400), 1st]; turnen ~, reverse the events predicted by a dream; waiten swevenes, consider the import of dreams, mark or take note of dreams; (c) in comparisons, as a symbol of ephemerality or insubstantiality; (d) a literary account of a dream, a dream or vision told in literary terms; (e) sleep [1st quot. could also be construed as (a)].
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)27/1 : Petrus þa him folgede, & þuhte him swylce hit swefen wære.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)133/2 : Heo com to him anes nihtes on swefne swyðe brihte scinende.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)31/5 : Heo hyne scyldeð wið unhyrum nihtgengum & wyð eȝeslice ȝesihþum & swefenum.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)581 : Þa kingen [read: þingen] þa weren to kumen heo heom wolde cuðen mid tacnen & mid swefnen [Otho: suefene] þonne heo weren on slæpe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12753 : Feorlic wes þat sweouen.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)138/4 : Hit bringeð to noht al þes deofles wiheles, Nawt ane his strengðes..ah..alle his ȝulunges, ase lease swefnes, false schawunges, [etc.].
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)190 : Alto soth is sweuene was.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1753 : God in sweuene spac him to.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)86/1701 : He..felle aslepe..in is sweuene Him þouȝte Brademond & kinges seuen Stod ouer him.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2294 : Þurth þat sorwful swevene, swiþe sche awaked.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4361 : I am so ful of ioye and of solas That I deffye bothe sweuene [vr. swene] and dreem.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)62 : My body on balke þer bod in sweuen.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4912 : She [Andromache] þat nyȝt..Hadde in hir slepe a wonder visioun; I not, in soth, what I may it nevene, Ouþer a dreme or verraily a sweuene, Or fro a-boue a reuelacioun.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.358 : Thy swevenes [vrr. swennes, swyuenes] ek and al swich fantasie Drif out and lat hem faren to meschaunce..Ther woot no man aright what dremes mene.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.3329 : Considreth..How dremys shewed binfluence dyuyne Be nat lik sweuenys, but lik auysiouns, Or resemblable to reuoluciouns [read: reuelaciouns].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)9 : Hyt is wonder..To my wyt..Why that is an avisioun And this a revelacioun, Why this a drem, why that a sweven.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)215/6412 : Y In pevisshe synne myght happe me in a seven [?read: sweven].
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)43/25 : He tolde hem his auicyon, and the preest his, of the whiche thei were gretly meruailed, and thaire swemes [read: swenes] were lyche.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)26/35 : The Kynge..mette a wondir dreme two nyghtes before the batayle..And all that herde of that swevyn seyde hit was a tokyn of grete batayle.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)3226 : In stronge sweyneys I haue bene stad.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)199/18 : He..beleuyd swenys and sorsrie.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)45/23 : The blessid moder of God apperyd to the archebusshop in his sweven.
- a1500 Bod.EMisc.Lapid.(BodEMisc e.558)23/24 : She [diamond]..lettith dremys and grevous swheuenys and fantasyes and all venomys.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.67 : Ne evel swendes [?read: swevnes] schall hant him.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12752 : Alse þe king slepte, a sweuen him imette.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)13983 : Þer ich læi on bure me imætte a sweuen.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)83/726 : Þe cwen..cleopede to hire porfirie..ant seide him a sweuen þet hire wes ischawet.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)35 : His fader he tolde a swefne aniȝt þat him mette.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)39/666 : Crist & seint steuene Turne þine sweuene!
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)281/116 : A wonder sweuene seint Domenic In his slep i-seiȝ.
- a1350 Dream Bk.(1) (Hrl 2253)314 : Of alle sweuenes þat men meteþt day oþer nyþt when hue slepeþt, nomon ne con þat soþ þynge telle bote þe heuene-kyng.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)192/4045 : Þo he abraide out of is sweuene, To his wif a tolde hit..Al to gedres how him met.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3930 : A sweuene vp on a nyght he mette.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.7.13 : I sawgh a sweuene and it semede to me as a loif of barlich, [etc.].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.7.15 : Whan Gedeon hadde herd þe sweuene & þe remenyng of it, he heriede.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.33.6 : He waitide swefnes & he folewede deuynyng in briddes.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 2.17 : Ȝoure ȝonge schulen se visyouns, and ȝoure eldris schulen dreme..sweuens.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.111 : Nabugodonosor..mette þe sweuene [vr. sweuon; Higd.(2): hade a dreame; L vidit somnium] of þe ymage of foure manere þinges i-made, and was ful sore aferde.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.596 : A swevene him tok, the which he kepte Til on the morwe he was arise.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.663 : Thus expondeþ Daniel The kynges swevene.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)35b/a : He metiþ & haþ sweuenes [L somniat] of grete watris & snowe & reyne & of seilynge of coolde watir.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4461 : Tua sueuens [Frf: squeuenis] we sagh in sight, Aiþer of him-self, to night.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4474 : I sal vn-do þe wel þi sueuen [Frf: squeuyn].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8151 : Suilk was þe sueuen þat him thoght.
- c1400(?c1308) Davy Dreams (LdMisc 622)11/2 : Ich to-day shewe myne sweuene þat ich mette in one niȝth.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)7.161 : Þanne Iacob iugged iosephes sweuene.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1756 : He keuered his wyttes, Swenges out of þe sweuenes & swarez with hast.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.3042 : He sent..For alle þe clerkis soget to his crowne Tassemble in oon his sweuene to expowne.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)813 : Ȝe tell me my swefen ore I mon swelte as swythe.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3228 : Rede me my swefennys.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1668 : A merueylle swene he dude þo mete.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)79 : To this god..Prey I that he wol me spede My sweven for to telle aryght.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)111 : Als kyng Charls in his bedde laye, A Sweun þan gan he mete.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1354 : Þe kyng callis him a clerke..to reche him his sweuyn.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)77/2265 : Half in slepe, in slombir half wakyng, Me mette this sweuene in spryngyng of þe day.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)170/5073 : I trowe that ye haue spide a mase Or ye haue tane sum sodeyne sweuene.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)100 : As wold to God yee couth as wele vndo my sweven.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)81b/b : He haþ dredeful sweuenes & gasteful in his slepe.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)38/26 : Then on þe morow, scho ȝode to hur scheryft-fadyr and told hym hur swyuen.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)430 : Now haue ye herde youre sweuene in the same forme as ye it saugh in your slepinge.
- 1607 Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)479/382 : Then shold our childer prophesie, ould men meet sweens wytterly.
c
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)67/723 : Þis worlt went awei as þe weater þe eorneð & ase sweuen imet aswint hire murhðe.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)72.20 : As sweuen [WBible(2): dreem; L somnium] of men risand oȝains þyn heuen, þou shalt bringen her ymage to nouȝt.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)157/14 : Swift thoghtes that lyke byth to Swevnes, ne rescewe thow not.
d
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)118 : Cytherea! thow blysful lady swete..Be thow myn helpe..As wisly as I sey the north-north-west Whan I began my sweven for to write.
e
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.1.20 : The angel of the Lord aperide in sleepe, or sweuen [WB(2): in sleep; L in somnis], to hym.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)159/4741 : Oon may mete the dreme wel yn his sevyn [?read: swevyn].