Middle English Dictionary Entry
vervein(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | vervein(e n. Also vervain(e, verven(e, vervena, vervin(e, vervoine, verweine, verwaine, verwoine, verbain, verbin, ferbain & wervin, werwein, werwoine, warwain & (errors) verue, vermyne, vereuoy, weyervoy. |
| Etymology | OF verveine, vervaine, verbene, verbaine, AF vervenne; also cp. L verbēna, AL vervēna. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. berbene n.
1.
(a) A plant of the genus Verbena, esp. Verbena officinalis, vervain; ?also, a vervain plant [quot. a1500];
(b) this plant or parts of it used in cookery recipes;
(c) this plant or parts of it used in medicinal remedies, veterinary remedies, magic rites, etc.; jus of ~, a solution made from the liquid extract of vervain obtained by boiling the herb; water of ~, a solution made from the infusion of dried vervain in boiling water.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300 Wor.F.157.Gloss.(Wor F.157)185 : Verbena: verveyne.
- a1325 Erf.Gloss.(Erf Amplon Q.351)161 : Verueyne: weyervoy [?read: wervoin].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4039 : Tok sche fieldwode and verveyne, Of herbes ben noght betre tueine.
- c1400 To God (Wel 406)213 : Alle of þe herbys o Ierlonde Here þow schalt ham knowe eueri onde…Crommylle, werweyn, hyndehale, & bettony.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)645/8 : Ueruena: warwayn.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)84b : Wervyn is ij manerys and bothe ben of one vertu.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)509 : Verveyne, herbe: Verbena, vel vervena.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)170 : Take verveyne in þin hande and aske of him þat is seek, ‘how dost þou?’ or ‘how dost þou fare?’ and…if he answere and seye to þe evell or nauȝt, þat is non hope of his lyf.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)315/315 : A lytyll wyl I tellyn of verwayne, Herbe þat meche is of mayne…Þou may it fynde hey in state, With heye stalkys, many smale brawnchys, Smale bloysh flouris owt of hym lawnchis.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1056 : He had spendide al his lusty dayes In fals receptis & in such lewde assayes Of herbis…As crowfote, salandyne, & mezereon, Verbayn, lunarye, and mortagon.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)711/22 : Verveta: a verveyn.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)787/18 : Vervene: vermyne [?read: verwyne].
b
- a1425(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)138.180/2 : Take persel, myntes, sauerey, & sauge, tansey, veruayn [vrr. vereuoy, ferbayn]…hewe hem & grinde hem smale; Medle hem vp with ayren…& bake it.
- a1500 Sln.Herb List (Sln 1201)76 : Herbes fo[r] Savour and beaute…Verveyn.
c
- a1325 Add.15236 Recipes(2) (Add 15236)241.52 : Pur fere poysoun: Pernez bugyl, senekyl, pigyl, verveyne, betoyne.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)243/22 : A ȝelke of an eij, & as miche of oile of rosis, & as miche of iuys of verueine…medle þese togidere, & make þerof an enplastre.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)85b : Take vervyne, betayne, mylfoly, and wyne; drinke the juis.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)111b/b : Confecte hem vppe wiþ water of verueine & make pillules of hem.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)63/10 : Mirabolan ow to be dissolued in gote mylk…or in rayne water or rose water, or of veruene, or of anoþer stiptike herbe.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)369/25 : Newe broken verueyne itasted helpeþ the pilers of þe feet wiþ priue vertues.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)630/21 : Verveyne [*Ch.(1): Veruena] is an herbe colde and drye wiþ resoluynge and with lissynge.
- a1450 Diseases Women(2) (Sln 2463)136 : A noble, precious pouder for women þat ben in trauaylyng of child…yeve it þe woman with þe jus of vervayne ywarmyd.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)170 : For þe feuere: Take iii rotes of verveyne and as many of her levys and resolue hem in watir and do þe pacient to drinke þese…In þis same maner take and drinke iv rootes and iv levis of verveyn, and þis wole destroie þe quarteyne.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)171 : He þat were oynted abowte with þe iuus of vervein shulde haue graunted hem alle-þing þat þey wolde asken.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)234/17 : For þe gowte…take veruen and eysyll and stampe hem to-gedyr.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)138 : Take v croppes of verueyne…& ley hem in þe lyfte hoonde…& he schal þorow þe grace of god & þe verueyne telle þe þe sooþ sycurly.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)29/16 : Take þe reed rose…fenell, ruwe, verweyne…and late hem restyn in watyr.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)36/12 : Take egremoyne-leuys and þe lewys of vervoyne…and doo hem in a stillotorie.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)126/18 : Take a porciounn of …þe rote and þe lewys of verwoyne.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)137/2 : Take betonye, pimpernoll, and werwoyne…and stampe hem well in a morter.
- a1475 Gilb.Angl.(Wel 537)65/23 : Stuwe his erris ouer a watir þat hockes ben soden yn, and also violet…roses…verueyn, and smale chaf of barliche.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)121b/a : If greet akþe falle in a wounde…þe iuys of verueyne…do…in þe wounde, for þat doiþ awey þe akþe and mundifieþ it.
- a1500 Cmb.Diseases Horse (Cmb Ll.1.18)80 : For a stony in þe shulder…take a potell off stale pysse…and put to hit…a handfull off malowys, a handfull off tansey, j handfull off verbyn, [etc.].
- a1500 Cmb.Diseases Horse (Cmb Ll.1.18)81 : Take a pynte off rede wyn lyes, and a handfull off whete branne…and half an handfull off vervyn…and make a playster þer off and ley hit to as hote as the horse may suffyr hit.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)61/14 : Ȝif þou wolt hele frech wondes wel and clene yringes of ballis, Take a pound of pigle and…a quarteron of red fenel and an-ouþer of red kockel and an-ouþer of verue [read: verueyne]…Schrede al þese herbes to-gedre, [etc.].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Dresd.Gloss.()434 : Verbena: berneyne [?read: berveine or verveine].
Note: New spelling. Initial b- may be erroneous or by influence of berbene n.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense (c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. water of vervain.