Middle English Dictionary Entry
tavern(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tavern(e n. Also taverin, taveron, tavarn(e, tawern(e & (error) tavarde; pl. tavern(e)s, (error) thevernys. |
| Etymology | OF taverne, AF tavern. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. tabirn n.
1.
(a) An establishment that sells and serves drink and food, a tavern; also fig.; open ~, a tavern open to the public; (b) in cpds.: ~ dore (hous); ~ ganger (goer), someone who frequents taverns; ~ gate, tavern-going; (c) in proverbs and prov. expressions; ~ dore.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)430/342 : Ȝwane sire Gileberd i-massed hath his lif he wole so diȝhte Atþe tauerne to beon a-day and bi is quene bi nyȝhte.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)247/27 : Huanne me ssel come in-to þe greate tauerne huer þe tonne is be-take, þet is ine þe liue eurelestinde..alle ssolle by uolle.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.279 : Knyȝtes of Rome after sixty ȝere lefte dedes of armes and were i-cleped knyȝtes of þe chyvalrie emeritoria and spende what þey hadde in a taverne byȝonde Tybre, and þerfore þat tavarn was i-cleped Taberna emeritoria.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.240 : A Frere there was, a wantowne and a merye..He knew the tauernes [vr. thevernys] wel in euery toun.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.663 : Thise riotours thre..Were set hem in a tauerne [vr. tavarde] to drynke.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3098 : Envie..Is of the Court the comun wenche, And halt taverne forto schenche That drink which..doth the wit aboute renne.
- a1400 12 PTrib.(1) (Roy 17.B.17)56 : A lord when he wil selle hys wyne defendis þat no mon open hore tauarne til he haue solde his wyne.
- a1400 12 PTrib.(1) (Roy 17.B.17)56 : I am not sorye þat þo tauerne of worldly solace is not open to me, but of þat þat þo tauerne of gostly solace is stoken to me, for nouþer aboue ne be-nethe fynde I solace.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.55 : Thomas Cuddemour openly seide in the town of Dertemouth in open taverne be fore certein men, [etc.].
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5681 : They laugh and daunce, trippe and synge, And ley not vp for her lyuyng, But in the tauerne all dispendith The wynnyng that god hem sendith.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)278/2 : Thei schuld stonde at þe table of myn holy crosse, þere for to be fed wiþ holy desier and to be norischid with þe mete of soulis..But..now..For þe table of þe crosse þei entren to þe tablis of tauernes.
- (a1432) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xxii : The seid Richard be hoote to oon Sire John Person preest, that if he wolde recorde afore a jugge..that the seid Katerine were founden in taverne with the seid John Westowe, he wolde yeve the seid sire John for his record a noble.
- (1433) RParl.4.447a : The said suspecte poeple enhabyte hem in comune Hostries and Tavernys in the high strete of the said Burgh, there recettyng Theves, commune women, and other mysdoers.
- c1440 HBk.GDei (Thrn)10/8 : Thou commes fra þe fendis tauerne of helle.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)234/26 : A tauerner settes owt a wyne garlond to draw men to is taveron.
- c1450 My ladyes (Frf 16)50 : To the temple of Bachus, the tauerne, To moysten ther your appetitys drey, Ful spedful ye rennyn and ful yerne.
- (1474-5) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.44 : Item, paid at þe Tavarn for owre brekfast wt þe Recordare, xj d.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)11618 : I teche hem..To pleye on sondry Instrumentys..And to revelle at taverne.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.189 : Þe peple þise dayys..han leuer gon to þe tauerne þan to holy chirche.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)33/153a : Taberna: tawerne.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28462 : Til tauerne huse my-seluen was wont.
- a1400 Epist.SSacerd.(Roy 17.B.17)62 : Not iche occupacion is pertinent to prestis, as tauerne-gate & hunting and playing at þo tables, but lernyng of gods lawe.
- c1425 Mirror LM&W (Hrl 45)206/23 : Ofte suche bycomeþ tauerne goers and afterward dys pleyers, and sithen þey beþ comen wrecches and harlottes.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)47/34 : Þis vice bryngeþ a man to schame, for first he bigynneþ to be a tauerne-goer..and after he is a dees-pleiere.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)125a : A Tavernganger [Monson: Tawern ganger]: Attabernio, Attabernalis.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.400 : Yf he sell any fectiff wyn, his Tauerne durre to be sealed Inne, and he to make a fyne at the kynges wyll.
c
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4024 : Wanne men beþ al ydel..Hor ydelnesse hom ssal bringe to sunne of lecherye, To tauerne & to sleuþe & to hasardrie.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)57/4 : Þe tauerne is a dich to þieues.
- c1350 How GWife(1) (Em 106)160/50 : Þat tauerne hantet Is þrift forsaket.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1025 : Tauerne ys þe deuylys knyfe: Hyt sleþ þe, oþer soule or lyfe..Hyt shortyþ þy lyfe, overmoche drynkynge, And sleþ þy soule with bakbytyngge.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)599 : What nedeth a garlande whyche is made of ivye Shewe a taverne wynelesse?
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)53/30 : Þe tauerne is þe deueles scole hous, for..þere lerneþ his scolers, and þere is his owne chapel, þere men and wommen redeþ and syngeþ and serueþ hym.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)147/26 : Þe tauerne is welle of glotonye.
- a1475 How GWife Pilgr.(Brog 2.1)173/18 : Be wyne hope men mey se wher þe tawern ys.
- c1475 Why Nun (Vsp D.9)359 : A fayre garlond of yve grene Whyche hangeth at a taverne dore, Hyt ys a false token as I wene But yf there be wyne gode and sewer.
2.
A social event or festival at which ale is sold for the benefit of a parish, a church ale [cp. ale n. 3.]; ~ ale, ?a church ale held in a tavern; ?the ale used at such a festival.
Associated quotations
- (1446) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 482 : Item, reseyvyd with owr tavern ale, lvj s. viij d.
- (1448) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 489 : In primo for a taverne that ys ymade of ye Church ale, v marcs xj d.
- (1451) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 493 : Yn the Wendisdaye of Wytsondaye tyme of our taverne we payede xl s.
- (1457-8) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 499 : For the lytemen of Cleve, Recharde Hayman and John Coukar for the taveryn yrecevede iiij marke ij s.
- (1484-5) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 4115 : For vij tavernys made at the church howse, ix s. iiij d.
3.
A storeroom; ?also, a cellar.
Associated quotations
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)149 : Of merchauntz vynteres that sellyn her vynes out of celeres..ne of merchauntz woderes that sellyn her woode out of taverne or out of gerner, her hostes moun no thyng takyn, chalangyn, ne cleymyn in the ferthe partie of her merchaundise..by resoun of her host.
- (1457-8) Doc.in Gilbert Cal.Dublin 1298 : Yf they come in to anny hallys, porchys, sellerys, othyr tavernys, and do any harme..the owenarys to hold ham to har lostys becawys of har myskepyng of har sayd swyne.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4940 : I wil that myn executours..make a sale of..my place with taverne next Willam Clyntonys that I bough of Robert Barbours wiff.
4.
In names.
Associated quotations
- (1311) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)1.224 : [His house called] la Tavernehous.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 28.15 : Whanne bretheren hadden herd, thei runnen to vs til to the cleping [WB(2): cheping] of Appius, and to a place that is clepid Thre tauernes.