tup and tuppe - Middle English Compendium

Middle English Dictionary Entry

tup(pe n.

Forms	tup(pe n. Also tupe, top(pe, tope, (Northern) toupe & (?error) tufe.
Etymology	Perh. OE: cp. LOE (gen. in prob. place name) topes-; cp. AL tuppus & AF tup, toup, both of which are prob. from ME.

(a) A male sheep, ram; also, a ram's skin [quot. c1450]; ~ hed; ~ horn; (b) mil. a battering ram; (c) in surnames and place name.

?c1350 Ballad Sc.Wars (Jul A.5)89 : Ay Toupe..es redy þare, Agayn him yitt es nane þat dou; On yonde-alf Humbre es ay Bare, Be he sped, sal side ssou.
a1425(c1300) NHom.(1) Peter & P.(Ashm 42)248 : When þe heuede was smiten awaie, A tope-heued on þe erde laie.
c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)107/3 : Þare ware many grete nedders wit hornnes on þaire hedes lyke tuppe hornes, wit þe whilke þay smate Alexander knyghtis riȝt felly.
c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)17/22 : Tak playntayn, id est waybred, & þe taughe of a tupe, & stampe þam wele to-gedir & anoynte this cheke þer-with.
(?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.71,76 : Now putte among [sheep] their tuppis whyte..Columelle, he seith of tuppis blake White sheep nature is neuer forto make.
c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)319 : He is merkid..With—tachid in his for-top—twa tufe [?read: tupe] hornes.
c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5566 : Þai [serpents] ware hedously hoge & horned as Tupis.
c1450 Siege Troy(1) (ArmsAr 22)5/38 : Þe kyng of troye had in hys honde The fayryst þyng abowe molde, A toppe schyny[n]g ryȝt as golde [Suth: a shepes skyn of golde].
1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)396 : A Tuppe: Aries, veruex.
a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)104/117 : ijus pastor..'Tup, I say, whyr!' primus pastor..'wyll thou not yit, I say, let the shepe go?'

a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)168/14 : Somtyme þe forhed of þis beem is ischod wiþ yren square; and þan is he cleped þe ram or þe tope, for right as þe ram renneth bakward to fecche þe strenger strook wiþ his heed aȝenst hym þat wiþstondeþ hym, so feccheþ þis beem his strook aȝenst þe wal þat stant byfore hym.