Middle English Dictionary Entry
tachen v.(1)
Entry Info
Forms | tachen v.(1) Also tache, tacche(n; p.ppl. i)tached, tacched, tachched, tatched, tasshed, tassed, (early SWM) itachet. |
Etymology | From OF tachier, AF tacher to fasten & ME attachen v.; cp. AL tachiāre. Forms in -ss(h)- perh. influenced by ME tasselen v. or tassen v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. takken v.
1.
(a) To fasten (sth. to sth.), attach; also fig.;—also without obj.; nail (sb. to a cross or tree); also, sew (sth. to a garment); ppl. tachinge, sticking together, gluey; (b) to tie (a horse to sth.); secure (a book with a chain, a purse with a silk cord); wel tached, of a grate or window: well secured, locked; (c) to place (sth. in sth.), fix, implant; ben tached ful of teth, have firmly implanted teeth; (d) ~ up, to set (sth.) up, erect; (e) to append (a bill to a document); (f) of a fish: to collect together or shoal with (its own species); (g) ben tached in, of a morbid condition or an ailment: to be found in (a hawk), occur.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)82/101 : Þy chyld was an-honge, Itached to þe harde tre Wyþ nayles gret and longe.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)464 : Loke what hate oþer any gawle Is tached oþer tyȝed þy lymmez bytwyste.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)24 : Put on þe hoth, keuere þe hed, Tache ȝour botnes fram on ende to oþer.
- a1425 Shrewsbury Frag.(Shrw 6)3/16 : Allas, þat we..schuld..see Þe best techer in world wide With nayles be tacched to a tre!
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.61 : Þes philacteries weren scrowis, writun wiþ Goddis heestis, and tatchid on þer left arm.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)12056 : Ropes to righte, lynes to leye, By banke & brymme to tache & teye, Cables to knytte aboute þe mast, Þe sail on ȝerde þey feste ful fast.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)353/119 : I schall tacche hym too, Full nemely with a nayle.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)53 : Seyth me..of these belles so litele why thei ben thus tacched and stiked in the skrippe.
- 1466 Challenge Warw.in PMLA 22 (Lnsd 285)601 : He let hong vp in the same pavylone a noothir table of his devise, portreied with a lady wirchyng perles with a Glove of plate of Golde tacchid on hir Sleve.
- a1475 Limn.Bks.(Brog 2.1)73 : Take chalke and a lytylle saffrone and gleyre, and grynd hem togedyre..tylle hit be somdele tacchynge.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)615 : He hadde a litill cheyne of siluer tacched to his arme.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)30/13 : Lokið þet te parlures beo on eauer euch half feaste & wel itachet.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2176 : Þe knyȝt kachez his caple & com to þe lawe, Liȝtez doun luflyly & at a lynde tachez..his riche with a roȝe braunche.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.Mil.(Hrl 7334)A.3251 : By hir gurdil hyng a purs of leþir Tassid [vrr. Tasshed, Tassed; Heng: Tasseled] wiþ silk and perled wiþ latoun.
- ?c1450 This present (Nott Me.LM1)2 : This present book legeble in scripture, Here in this place thus tacched with a cheyn, Purposed of entent for to endure.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)569 : He drough a litill a-side and sette foot to grounde and tacched his horse to his spere.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)593 : He..fonde his horse that he hadde tacched to a tre.
c
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)348 : In me weore tacched sorwes two; [I]n þe fader mihte non abyde, ffor he was euere in reste and Ro..Mi pyne was not departed.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2512 : Non may hyden his harme, bot vnhap ne may hit, For þer hit onez is tachched, twynne wil hit neuer.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)67 : I seghe ane hert..he..crouschede to þe erthe; Dede als a dore-nayle doun was he fallen; And I hym hent by þe hede..Turned his troches & tachede thaym in-to the erthe, Kest vp that keuduart and kutt of his tonge.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)319 : How he is merkid & made is mervaile to neuyn, With—tachid in his for-top—twa tufe hornes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5573 : Þai ware of figour & of fourme as fendis of hell..And þai ware tacchid full of tethe as tyndis ere of harows.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)124 : Tweyne speres she had ficched and tacched in hire tweyne eyen.
d
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4970 : Þare ware tacchid vp trees, þe triest of þe werd, A hundreth fote to þe hede þe hiȝt was & mare.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5065 : He mas twa pylars..all of playn marble, And tacchis vp of treid gold a pelare in þe myddis.
e
- (1415) Reg.Chichele in Cant.Yk.S.42 (Lamb 69)48 : Y wul and ordeine þat my dettes þat ben writen and declared with inne a bille tachid and annexed to þis my forsaid wil be paied all or parcel of þe rentes of my lond.
f
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10980 : Þer-inne is feower kunnes fisc and ælc fisc an his ende þer he his cun findeð, ne mai þer nan to oðere buten al swa tacheð his icunde.
g
- a1475 Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)22 : Be wele war yf ony of þes iij euyllis be tachyd in þi hawk and þer apon þt sche be anosyld and flyyng, sche wyll dye wt in shorte tyme.
2.
(a) To reserve (property) for one's own use, claim; (b) law to take (sb.) into custody, arrest; legally bind (sb.) to appear in court; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 *PPl.C (Trin-C R.3.14)[19.279] f.53b : 'Þis is a present of muche pris; what prince shal it haue?' 'It is a precious present,' quod he, 'but þe pouke it haþ ytachid.'
b
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)95 : Ȝif he have no catell in the same toun be which he may ben iustified..thanne be it awarded after lawe and usage of the same toun that he be tached be his body.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)485 : Tachyn, or a-tachyn and arestyn: Aresto.
- (1444) Case King Council in Seld.Soc.35107 : We..charge you..that..ye doo take..the said misdoers..and thaim so arrested and tached do bring sauely in alle possible hast before us and oure counsail.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)89/2648 : This man that in my slepe did calle him age Had seid me..That elde had out a writt tane of dotage To tache me with yn maugre my visage.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)128/3826 : Wite ye y haue a writ out for þe same To tache yow with; y rede yow pay hem [kisses] here lest ye be restid with an officere Of loue.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)24/15 : We schewyn acursed..alle þat malycyously tachyn, arestyn, or endyten..men of holy cherch.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.197/16 : Þe fforesaide John of Chelleworth whas i-tachid By John atehulle and Adam at Gate.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 188/27 : Take chalke and a lytell saferon and glayre, and grynde þem togeder long upon a ston to it be sumwhat tachyng.
Note: Postdates sense 1.(a).