Middle English Dictionary Entry
undern n.
Entry Info
| Forms | undern n. Also underne, undirn(e, undarne, undorne, undurn(e, ondern(e, ondarne, hondern & underin, underon, undiren, unduren, onderen & undren(e, undrin(g, undron(e, undrun, ondren, ondrin, oundron, ondroun, hundren, hondren & under, undir, undor, undur, undre, ondre. |
| Etymology | OE undern, under. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. terce n.
1a.
(a) The third hour of the day, 9 a.m.; mid-morning; ~ dai (daies, sele), ~ of the dai; ~ tide (time), q.v.; ringen ~ (belle, to announce the hour of undern;
(b) half ~, the third hour after sunrise; ~ heigh, heigh ~, heigh ~ of the dai (morn), the time between 9 and 10 a.m.; also, later in the forenoon, close to noon [see also heigh adj. 6.(c)]; hole ~, the fourth hour after sunrise.
Associated quotations
a
- 1122 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1122 : Þa wearð swiðe mycel wind fram þa undern dæies to þa swarte nihte.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)117 : Riht to-genes þe undrene alse þe holi songere seið on his loft songe, þus queðinde, Dum hora cuntis tercia, [etc.].
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)221/231 : At undren and at midday i herede he werkmen into his winyarde.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)546 : Aungles comen euer-eche day riȝht a-bouten ondern.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)2467 : At hondern a wytsonday…hit gan to þondri grete.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)81/72 : ‘Crucyfige! crucifige!’ Gredden hy at ondre.
- ?c1350 Swete ihu cryst (BodLtrg 104)15 : At hondren, ‘day on rode!’ þe giwes gonne grede.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 15.25 : It was the thridde our, that men clepen vndrun [vrr. vnduren, vndur, vndirne], and thei crucifieden him.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4412 : In a bed of wortes stille he lay Til it was passed vndren [vrr. onderen, vndir] of the day.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.260 : The tyme of vndren [vrr. hundren, vndring] of the same day Approcheth, that this weddyng sholde be.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.56 : No ffysshere ne no pulter ne schal bygge ffysch ne pultrye for to a-ȝen selle er þat vndren be y-ronge.
- c1400(1375) Canticum Creat.(Trin-O 57)1125 : Betwixe ondren & non, God sente eche day an angel briȝt…he…Þe water þanne sterede.
- a1425 Here begynnes a new (Roy 17.C.17)272 : It es not…That this men drunkyn be may, It es bot undron of the day.
- c1425 Yk.Hours Cross (Yk-M 16.K.6)40 : At þe tyme of oundron þai gun cry & call.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)102/28 : At vndor þai drovn Him to His deþ.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)2594 : Or it was vnderne seel, There cam a wolf and at his feet gan kneel.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)462 : For be þow founden a fute withowte þe flode merkes, Aftyr þe aughtende day when vndroun es rungen, Þou sall be heuedede in hye.
- a1450(a1400) Athelston (Cai 175/96)351 : Whenne þey runggen vndernbelle, He rod in Londone.
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)87/18 : In Ethiope men and wemen in tyme of somyr gon comounly to wateris and lyn therinne from vnderyn til it be noon of the day.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)934 : He come thydyr aboute undiren To ete the fruyte.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1193/4 : On the morne by undirn they made them redy to do batayle.
- a1475 As y gan wandre (Brog 2.1)33 : At vnder-day to skole I was I-sete, To lerne good as chyldern dothe.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)66/3 : A husband-man ȝede yn þe morow at pryme, and eftsones at vndyr, and efte at mydday…and hyryd men to his vyneȝorde for labour!
- c1500 Orfeo (Ashm 61)17/181 : On þe morow, when þys ondryn cam, Kyng Orfeo hys armys nam.
b
- a1300 I-hereþ nv one (Jes-O 29)657 : At þon heye vndarne a wit-suneday…Þe holy gost heom com vp-on in fury tunge.
- a1325 SLeg.John (Corp-C 145)464 : Atte uerste cokken crowe he gan to prechi faste, And forte hei vndern of þe daye is prechinge ilaste.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3669 : He…lay…Til it was undren hih and more.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)32/26 : Fra þe paskis til þe Mihelmesse, when matins es done til heze vndirn sal ye wirke.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)6.226 : Half vndron [L Hora iii] hath but ix [feet on the sundial].
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)7.254 : Half prime on xxijti feet, hool prime On xij; half vndern viij, hool vndern v; Midday on iiij, and noon on ij feet by me Stont fast ynough.
- c1440 Bonav.Medit.(3) (Thrn)198 : To hye vndrone of þe morne when he was don on þe rode.
1b.
Eccl. (a) The third canonical hour, 9 a.m.; ~ daies;
(b) the service of undern, tierce; ~ song [OE undern-sang], tierce.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)16/22 : Seoue salmes & þus þeose fiftene seggeð abuten under [Nero: vndern deies].
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)362 : Þis holie man…prechede a day at Oxenford…at onderne.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)p.1462 head. : Atte vndorne: Squete ihesus atte vnder-time for our synne…suffered a-boute þine hert.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)33/3 : Fra vndern til noon salle ye wirke suilke as ye haue at do.
- ?a1450 Mem.Cred.(Tan 201)224/5 : By fore vnderne þu shalt thenk of þe passioun and pentacost.
b
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)53/2 : Þæt hæliȝe seofenfealde ȝetell byð þus þurh us ȝefillod, ȝif dæȝredsang, primsang, undernsant [read: undernsang], middæȝsang, nonsang, æfensang, nihtsang beod ȝefillod þurh ures deowdomes þenunge.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Horst.)225 : Þe foweles sunge ek here matyns…& vnderne siþþe, & middai.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)24.277/37 : Bi þat tyme he mihte wel wende þat vndurne schulde rynge in þat abbey, whon þe foul fleih a wey.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)17/25 : Ilke sunday wid-uten lentin sal þe cantikils be said wid ‘alleluia,’ Matins, Prime, Vndrin, Midday, Noon.
- a1450(a1400) SLeg.Corp.Chr.(Bod 779)39 : Þey schold an hondrid dayis at matinus habbe &…to mydmorw, vndrin & mydday, non & complin.
2.
(a) Midday, noon; ~ heigh, ~ of (on) the dai; ~ belle, the bell rung for the noon hour; ~ mel [see under-mel(e n.]; ~ mete [OE undern-mete], a meal eaten about midday; ~ tide (time), q.v.; er ~, before noon; mid-over (over) ~, q.v.;
(b) eccl. the service for the canonical hour of sext.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230 Ancr.(Corp-C 402)221/13 : Cumeð to ham to þe þurl earunder & ouerunder eanes oðer twien.
- c1330(c1250) Floris (Auch)171 : Bi þat his [read: hit] was vndren [vrr. ondarne; middai] heghȝ.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))John 4.6 : Sothli the our was, as the sixte, or vndurn [vr. mydday].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)16741 : Bi þis was vndren on [Göt: of] þe dai, þat mirckend al þe light.
- a1400 Bevis (Eg 2862)110/2250 : Vndern [Auch: So stod Beues in þat þring, Til noun belle be-gan to ring].
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)19830 : Þen was hit vndorne of þe day, þat is þat ilk time to say þat peter went him forþ to pray.
- c1400 WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)Mark 15.33 : Or vndurne [Dc 369(2): And the sixte our, or mydday, maad, derknessis ben maad vpon al the erthe til in to the nynthe our that is, noon].
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)657 : At vnderon was þis done, omang þam wex it mirk.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)511 : Vnderne [Phil: vndyrne]: Submeridianum, submesimbria.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)72 : Faste by-fore vndrone [Dc: vndre; Ir: Euyn atte the mydday] this ferly gune falle, And this mekille mervelle þat I of mene.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)138 : Loke þat ȝe be þere betyme…For we schul be onward be vnderne of þe day.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)2029 : Till it were vnder of the Day, She went in that wilsom way, In to a lond playn.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)739/20 : Imranda [?read: miranda]: a myddyner, undermete.
- c1500 Orfeo (Ashm 61)13/130 : My meydens…lete me…slepe take, Tyll þat þe tyme ouer-passyd so That þe vndryn was ouer-go.
b
- ?c1430(c1400) Rule & T.St.Francis(1) (Corp-C 296)41 : Late lewid freris seie four & twenti pater nostris for matynes, for laudis fyue, for prime, tierce, vndren [St.F.(2): sext], & noon, for eche of hem seuene pater nostris.
3.
Late afternoon or early evening.
Associated quotations
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)327/36 : He…rode untyll undyrn, and…com to a brode watir, and there he alyght to slepe…and commaunded the dwarff to wacche all nyght.
- c1485(?a1400) Child Bristow (Hrl 2382)235 : Betwene mydday and vnder Þer cam a blast of lightnynge & dunder.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: In sense 2.(a), the first quot. (c1230 Ancr.) should be deleted: the forms ear-under and overundern, both nouns, have separate entries.--per MLL