Middle English Dictionary Entry
terven v.
Entry Info
| Forms | terven v. Also terve, tirven, (error) tirne; p. (error) terned; pl. (error) tirnyt; ppl. trived, (errors) tirnyt, tyrnyt, tuyred. |
| Etymology | ?OE *tierfan (cp. OE tearflian to wallow, roll over & OHG zerben to turn); some forms may belong to ME turnen v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. overterven v.
1.
(a) To throw (sb.) down; level (a town); also, fig. of the world: toss (sb.) about; ~ to ground; (b) to resort (to deceit), have recourse, turn; (c) to move, go, turn; (d) to fall, collapse; (e) ~ up so doun, to reverse the position of (musical notes), turn upside down.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 Þe siker soþe (Auch)43 : Now nouȝt, now y-nouȝ, Now fals, now frouȝ—Þe warld tirueþ ous touȝ Fram wawe to wawe, Til we be broyden in a brayd.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1234 : Ȝet nolde never Nabugo þis ilke note leve, Er he hade tuyred [read: tyrued] þis toun and torne hit to grounde; He joyned unto Jerusalem a gentyle duc þenne, His name watz Nabuzardan, to noye þe Jues.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1327 : The Troiens full tyte were tyrnyt [read: tyruyt] to þe grounde With batell on bothe halfes, blody beronyn.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1512 : He was enformyt..How his towne was takon and tirnyt [read: tiruyt] to grounde.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4763 : The grete toures þai toke, tirnyt [read: tiruyt] the pepull, Was no lede opon lyfe, þat a lofte stode.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5855 : Mony Troiens with tene were tyrnyt [read: tyruyt] to ground, Sum ded of þo dynttes, sum depe woundit.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)10197 : Hit shall hap you to haue in a hond while, ffyfty thowsaund fell folke out of Troy, To take you with tene & tirne [read: tirue] you to ground.
b
- c1440 Maidstone PPs.(Mrg M 99)p.45 : The wey of treuthe scholde we gon, To trecherie schulde we noght terve [Wht: cerue], for yef we dede thus euerychon, Ther schulde no care oure confort kerve.
c
- a1450 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Roy 18.A.10)311 : I schal crye riȝtful kyng, Ilk man haue as þe serue, Þe riȝt schul ryse to ryche reynynge, Truyt and treget to helle schal terve.
d
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)430 : Whan Criste on the crosse for our care deghit..Erthe dymmed by dene, ded men Roose, The gret tempull top terned [read: terued] to ground.
e
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)261 : Nou attentli is for to procede ferþir to þe sightis & þe a-cordis of counter, the whech sight was contriuid out of þe syght of þe mene degre of descant & triuyd vpsodoun.