Middle English Dictionary Entry
tinder n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tinder n. Also tindir, -dre, tender(e, -dre, tēndare, tonder, -dre, tunder(e, -dir, -dur, -dre, thunder, dundir; pl. tendern. |
| Etymology | OE tynder, -dir, tunder, -dre, pl. tyndren & tender. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Any flammable dry material, such as rags or fungal matter, used to start a fire, tinder; also, flammable oil or liquid; (b) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14606 : Bi-sohte he nute-scalen ..& tinder nom and lette i þan scalen don &..fur þer-on brohte.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)419 : Alle up gangen Of ston mid stel in ðe tunder wel to brennen one ðis wunder.
- c1330 Þe siker soþe (Auch)52 : When derne deþ ous haþ ydiȝt, Is non so war..Þat he no felles him in fiȝt, As fire dos in tunder.
- (1347-8) Acc.in EMisc.Furnivall426 : Item..sulphure cum tyndre.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)258 : Ou la gurget ne troue queche: in the poke but tundre.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1274 : Forth thei wente..lich the fyr which tunder hente.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)564/17 : Of tyndir comeþ sodeinly a greet fire.
- a1400(a1325) Glo.Chron.B (Trin-C R.4.26)819/7 : Þo let he nime tynder [vr. tendern] &..sette afure rek & hous & barnde al þane toun.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.245 : Bot þow haue towe to take it with, tondre [C vr. tendere] or broches, Al þi laboure is loste..For may no fyre flaumbe make.
- a1425(?c1400) Wycl.PN(2) (Hrl 2398)102 : Þanne maist þou wiþ tendre gete fuyre of þat ston.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)10a/b : Boletus: tundur & old cloþ [Cnt: Tundre or old cloth et genus fungi; StJ-C: tunder et fungus].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)506 : Tundyr, to take wythe fyyr: Fungus.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)14691 : Þe fir, þe tonder..Kyndled on lowe.
- a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)164/23 : Oyle þat men clepen þe teendare..þou most haue redy to brenne.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)568/26 : Boletus: tender, old cloth.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)142 : As fier wasteth tundir [vr. dundir], So Sathanas his flok.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)131a : Tundyr: Incentinum, Araula, Napta, receptaculum ignis, Ignicipium.
- a1500 *Medulla (Cnt D.2)87a/a : Napta est genus fomitis, a manere of a thunder [StJ-C: tundere].
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)406/284 : Water..shall burne agaynst kinde..tynder as though yt were.
b
- (1262) Close R.Hen.III31 : Hugo le Tundur.
- (1289) Rec.Norwich 212 : Petro le Tundur.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)40/176 : Myn hert is on sondyr With a brod arwe I am ded and sclayn..Myn hert is all to tundyr; With þis brod arwe it is clovyn on twayn.
Note: New spelling
Note: Modify gloss
Note: This supplement slip may be a better semantic fit under tender adj. Although there are no other forms under this adj. with -u-, tundyr is meant to rhyme with sondyr. In any case, the gloss ought to be queried.--per MLL