Middle English Dictionary Entry
tō̆nge n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | tō̆nge n.(1) Also tongge, toenge, tang(e, tangge, (N) taing & (in place names) tanga-, tanghe-; pl. tonges, etc. & tongus, tong(g)en, tounges, tunges & (early) tangen, (infl.) tongene & (?error) tangees, (error) togen. |
| Etymology | OE tang, tong & tange. For senses 2. and 3. also cp. ON (cp. OI tangi spit of land, tang of a blade) & LOE (in place name) tange-; some quots. in 2.(b) could also be construed as ME tǒng(e n.(2). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A double-armed instrument, usually hinged, for manipulating objects too hot or too difficult to hold; a pincers, pliers, pair of tongs;—often pl.; also fig. and in fig. context; fir tonges; paire (of) tonges; (b) surg. & med. a forceps; a forceps shaped for specific uses: a pierced forceps for setting a drainage thread; a forceps for dilating an opening; also, a narrow forceps, ?tweezers; (c) a clipper, scissors; (d) a candle-snuffer; snitinge tonges; (e) tongs or pincers as an instrument of torture;—usu. the tongs or pincers used by the devils in hell or purgatory; also fig.; (f) the grasping apparatus of a type of block and tackle, a crampon; (g) ?a weeding tool, ?a bifurcated hoe.
Associated quotations
a
- (1100-1101) *Acc.R.Witham : Unum par de ffeer tonges.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)156 : Þu hauest cliuers suþe stronge, Þu tuengst þar mid so doþ a tonge.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)563 : Mes tenailles, [glossed:] tonges [vrr. tonggen, tangees], servent des carbuns En yver quant au fu seoms, E au fevre sert de custume Qant du martel fert sur l'enclume.
- (1352-3) Sacrist R.Ely 2155 : In j pari de Tongys pro plumbario.
- (1374) Will York in Sur.Soc.492 : Lego Willielmo..unum magnum stythy, unum planyssch stythy, unum tayng.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1308 : Hure chamberlayn þanne sche sente stille, & het to brynge wiþ him anon anuylt, tange, & slegge.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.6.6 : Ther fleiȝ to me oon of the serafyn, and in his hond a cole that with the toenge he toc fro the auter.
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52158/14 : Super officio scutellarie..pro tunges et aliis necessariis..vi s. viij d.
- (1419) *Will Bury155 : Also..a fryyng panne of eryn, & a gredyle, & a lytyl peyr tongys.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)657/11 : Nomina Instrumentorum Aule..forceps: tangges.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)53/98 : Ihesu..fore þe tongis and fore hamyr Þat laust þe fro þe tre, Þou graunt me contemplacion.
- (1446) Invent.Lytham in Chet.n.s.6080 : j brandereth, j pare tangez.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)13 : He had nothyng wherwith he myght socoure and defend hymselfe, bot oonly a paire of tanges that studyn yn the chymneth.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2411 : A wulf, this ram to fonge..is, as a payre of smythis tongys, Toothed.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)15874 : I..Forge the crownys off paradys; For with myn hamer..I batre the metal..And in A ffurneys..With my Toongys I yt holde.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)4512 : He bad him take yren..And þerof firste he made a stith And hamers and tonges to worche with.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)163b/b : In þe necke bene made cauteriez ad cetonem with tenaculez, i. tongez, and acuale cetonate.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)20/11 : Straunge þyngez..be remoued or drawen out softly wiþ-out akyng wiþ þi fyngerez or wiþ paricecarolez, i. tuyches, or wiþ tenaclez, i. tongez [Ch.(2): smale pynsons], or wiþ som ingenie fonden bi þi-selfe.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)35/1 : Be þe pacient putte vpon a bedde..and þe legges y-raised up..whiche y-do, be þe lure y-opned wiþ tonges so y-shape þat when þe vtward endes bene streyned togidre þe inner endes be opned & agaynward.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)75b/a : If..þe heed of þe arowe alone..stike in þe boon, þanne þou schalt take sich a peire of tongis..wiþ which þou schalt taken þat oon side of þe vale of þat ilke heed, þrustynge wel þat oþir ende of þat tenaclis wiþ þin hand so þat þeir teeþ holde þe stidefastloker..or ellis bynde þe two stelis of þe same tenaclis faste togideris wiþ a strong þwong, so þt þei lose not þeir hold.
- c1500(1446) Morstede Surgery (Hrl 1736)117 : John Bradmor..had owt the arow hed wyth swyche an Instrument, the Wych Instrument was mad in the maner of a tonges and was Rownde and holowysche & be the myddes ther of entryd a lytyll wyse.
c
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)92/18 : Take þe skyn fro aboue & with tongez, after þe quantite of þe excrescence in þe fourme of a mirte lefe þat is aboue of þe skyn, I kit it.
d
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)547/5 : Munctorium: irene tonge.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ex.37.23 : He made also seuene lanternes, with her snytyng tongis [WB(1): candelquenchers; L emunctoriis], and the vessels where tho thingis that ben snytid out ben quenchid, of clennest gold.
e
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)117/16 : Þa awergode gastes..wolden me gelæccen mid heora beornenden tangen.
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Elucid.(Vsp D.14)141/29 : Se deofol..he is smið & his heorð is..seo tyntrega: Þa hameres & þa beliges synden þa costninga, þa tangen [L forcipes] synden ehteres, þa fielen.. þæra manna tungen, þe wyrceð hatunge.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)480 : Þo come þare out swuche schrewes mo..With tongene [Corp-C: tongen; Ashm: togen] and with hameres brenninde mani on.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.555 : In this forseyde deueles fourneys..stant Enuye and holdeth the hoote iren vp on the herte of man with a peire of longe toonges [vr. tongges] of long rancour.
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)64 : Y saw many sowles of men..and fendes among hem..drayng of þe nayles of here fingers with brynning tonges of yren and settyng hem on aȝen with..metall molten.
- a1450 SLeg.Brendan (Bod 779)483 : Tongus [Ld: Heore hameres..after þis men huy casten].
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)22 : The hongman..havyng in his handis a paire sharpe tangis..twitched and all to tare thare skynne and flessh, that the blode yn full grete quantite ranne downe from hem.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)16144 : Travaylle..Atte the herte do hem sorwe and wo; And with thy Toonges pynche hem so On euery halff that thow nat Fayle To Rende out Bovel and Entraylle.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)69/4 : On the ryght syde of the same kynge stode an angell..And on his lefte syde stoode a fende þat had a peyr of tounges and an hommer.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)69/29 : The fende draweth the sowle to him with the tonges of wykked delyte & brekyth it asonder with þe hammer.
- a1500 Tundale (Adv 19.3.1)1074 : The turmentowres come rennande Wyth furgus & tonges in her honde.
f
- a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)173/26 : Aȝenst þe gyn þat is cleped þe ram..Some haþ an yren imade, as a peyre tonges igymewed as tonges in þe myddes, and eyþer blade scharpe toþed as a sawe, bot þe teeth beeþ moche lenger & strenger; Eyþer blade of þis tonges is rynged and in either ryng a roop. Þis iren is lete doun..þenne in þe comynge of þe raam þei cacche þe hede bytwene þese blades..þis gyn is cleped þe wolf.
g
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.109 : Cipur tongis [L bidentes] with gootis blood wette And colis from the furneys..Bispreynt with gootis blood—the grassis rowe With these yf me fordo, thei shal not growe.
2.
(a) The portion of a knife blade that extends into the handle, the tang; (b) the fang of a serpent; the stinger of a bee or scorpion; also, the tongue of a demon conceived of as pronglike [quot. a1450]; (c) the pungency of a flavor; (d) ?a projection on an instrument; ?a fastener, prong; (e) a strip or thong on a cloth [may belong to, or be confused with, thong n.; cp. tong(e n.(2) 6.(e)].
Associated quotations
a
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)496 : Tongge of a knyfe: Pirasmus.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)125a : A Tange of a knyfe: piramus [Monson: parasinus].
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)84/318b : Sindula: blade; epirasinus: a tonge; cultellus: knyfe.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)735/19-20 : Tenaculum, spirasmus: a tang.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.51.27 : Bringeþ to vp on it hors as bruke hauende tonge.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5218 : A be..stingeþ wiþ þe tonge.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)132/58 : Men þat þai [serpents] bifore had bitten And with þaire tanges ful sare smetyn, Þe appostell..Made þam hale.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)496 : Tongge of a bee: Aculeus.
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)61 : Þo spirites..maden to me an hudious noyse with creyes and with bleryng owt of here brennyng tanges and other many noyses mo.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)2379 : Wylde wormes wex þam a mang..Qwylke, sume with toth and sume with tang, bott and brent þem bone and lyre.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)125a : A tange of a nedyr: acus; aculeus; pugio.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)703/27 : Partes animalium brutorum..pugio: a tange.
c
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)496 : Tongge [Win: Toonge], or scharpnesse of lycure yn tastynge: Acumen.
d
- a1400 LShip Venice (Trin-C O.5.26)404 : Thou schalt make faste a rule vppon the plate without the bowe of b.c. with twey tanges [L forpicibus].
- a1400 LShip Venice (Trin-C O.5.26)405 : Take thou the instrument made for gouernaunce of the threde & the knott..so that centre acorde with centre..And I schal holde thus the threde with twey tanges til thou haue outdrawen truly with the rule toward the centre of the schippe the figure of signes from oon plate into another.
e
- a1450 SLeg.Brendan (Bod 779)575 : Tangen [Ld: Þe tonguene..þat ȝe so heiȝe i-seoth, tweye preostes ich ȝaf on eorþe].
3.
In surname and place names [see Smith PNElem.2.176-7].
Associated quotations
- [ (1086) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)97 : Tangemere. ]
- (1121) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)97 : Tangamera.
- (1174) in Coates PNHmp.161 : Tangelea.
- (1204) CRR(2) 3225 : Simon Tangge.
- (1212) in Coates PNHmp.161 : Tangelie.
- (1219) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)10 : Tange.
- (1272) EPNSoc.11 (Sur.)256 : Tangelye.
- (1294) EPNSoc.11 (Sur.)256 : Tangheley.
- (1314) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)97 : Tanghemere.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. tongs (pl.).