Middle English Dictionary Entry
twīe adv.
Entry Info
Forms | twīe adv. Also twi, twiȝe, tuie, (early) twigge, twigea, t(u)wa & twei(e, tweiȝe, tuei(e. |
Etymology | OE twiwa, twiga, twigea, twige, twie, tweowa, tua, tuwa; forms in -ei- prob. influenced by ME twein num. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Two times, on two occasions, twice; also, for a second time, again; ne ones ne ~, not merely a few times; (b) in phrases denoting frequency: ~ a dai (month), twice a day (month); ~ on lif (yer), twice in a lifetime (year); everi dai ~; (c) in multiplicative expressions: twice (as long); two times (a number of days); (d) in combs. [could also be construed as twein num. or perh. twi- pref.]: ~ bitinge sword, a sword cutting on both sides, a two-edged sword; ~ wivinge, bigamy [cp. twinne-wivinge, s.v. twin(ne num. 1b.(a)]; (e) as noun: a second time; a ~.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)4/17 : Ne gehat þu nan þing twygge.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.Nicod.(Vsp D.14)85/26 : Þa geherde seo helle þæt hit wæs twygge geclyped, þa cleopode heo ongean.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)149/12 : Leȝe tuwa odðer ðrywa to þan nafolan; hit cwelð þa wyrmas.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)99 : Þe halȝa gast bicom twa [OE tuwa] ofer þa apostlas: Crist ableow þana halȝa gast ofer þa apostlas er his upst[i]ȝe..eft..sende þe almihtin feder and þe sune heore beire gast to þam apostli.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 115)23 : Tuwa: twiȝe.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)14/22 : Siggeð þeos uers stondinde..and so al þene psalm vt..twie.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)85/1452 : Ne schal iþe lie, He haþ giled þe twie.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)3942 : Iulius Cesar..twie his icome her.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)808 : In mirie dale hise bigginge he ches, Ðat he siðen twie for-les.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1301 : Þe noble folc..al is ost ouercome twie [vr. tuey; B vr. tweye].
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6646 : Emme..quene adde ybe tueie [B: twyȝe] Of engelond.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9018 : Willam crispin þat hatede vr king..smot vpe þe heued tuye [B: tweiȝe].
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)13627 : Twy or thry I talde ȝou are.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5951 : Þe god..seide 'Achilles' twye.
- a1450(?c1405) Mannys soule (Dgb 102)94 : Þouȝ þou do mys, god nyl not flyte, Ne þrete þe ones ne twyȝe; Body and soule he can smyte.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2)119 : Folowe thow not þe chylde twye, Lest afterwarde hyt do the nuye.
- ?a1425 My dere sone wher (Lamb 491)150 : Þou shalt sey 'sohow..vaillant, sohow, sohow!' þan twy [vr. twey].
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4173 : Now haue y trauellede twey in feynne..now nylle y not burye hit nomore.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)231/4 : Ys sæd be þisse wyrt þæt heo on ȝeare twigea boge.
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Nicod.(Bod 343)4/28 : Heo ne mod na beon ȝeedlæht on þam men þæt he twiȝe underfo fulluhtes on life.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)188/19 : Ȝe schulen eten..eueriche deie twie.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.336 : Twye a monyth keste on hem this broth.
- c1450 Chaucer CT.Pri.(ChU 564)B.1738 : Twey [Heng: Twyes a day it passed thurgh his throte].
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1566 : Twye a day the contrey was escured By horsmen, in the morn and aftir noon.
c
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)10a/a : Bis longus: twi as long [Pep: twyes so long; Hrl 1738: twyes long].
- c1450 Chaucer TC (Hrl 2280)5.397 : Langour of þis twye dayes fyue we shal..forȝete oure oppresse.
d
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)450 : Bigamie is unkinde ðing, On engleis tale twie-wifing.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.5.4 : Forsoþe an honycomb droppynge, þe lippis of a strumpet, &..þe tunge of hir sharp as a twei-bitynge swerd [WB(2): a swerd keruynge on ech side].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.39.36 : Alle þese to veniaunce ben formed: teeþ of bestis & scorpiouns & serpentis & twei bitinge swerd.
e
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.959 : Sle hem there A twye or thrie, and they ne shal thee dere.