Middle English Dictionary Entry
vī̆āǧe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | vī̆āǧe n. Also viag(ge, wiage, (SW) veage, veiage, (N) vaiage. |
| Etymology | OF viage, veage, AF viagge, veiage, vaiage, vars. of OF voiage. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A journey by land or sea; a pilgrimage; a journey of adventure; the journey and sojourn of an ambassador [quot. a1475]; also, travel [quot. a1420]; don (gon, holden, maken, nimen, taken) ~, wenden (on) ~; eleccioun of ~, astrol. the act or process of choosing the starting time of a journey on the basis of astrology;
(b) a military expedition; a martial undertaking; ~ roial, roial ~, an expedition led by the king in person;
(c) fig. a spiritual journey through life toward heaven; maken ~, to set (one’s) course (to hell); taken to his ~, of death personified: set (sb.) on a journey with him, i.e., claim (a dead person);
(d) an enterprise, undertaking.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Horst.)94 : ‘We schulle…bede ȝurne oure louerdes grace þulke veyage [Corp-C: ueage] to do’; hi leten hem diȝte a gret schip.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.723 : After wol I telle of oure viage And al the remenant of oure pilgrymage.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.312 : Is no tyme bet than oother in swich cas? Of viage is ther noon eleccioun…Nat whan a roote is of a burthe yknowe?
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.90 : He went þat viage To William þe rede kyng.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6244 : Dyane…is…Lady & quene of wayes and passage, And goddes is callid of viage.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)152/7 : Men myght ga all aboute þe erthe…Bot…it schuld be a lang tyme are þat vaiage ware made.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)12/3 : For the grete and merueilous viages and thinges of grete strengthe that he dide, the poetes…seide that he wente in-to helle to fighte with the princes of helle and that he faughte with serpentis.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)44/20 : Knyghtes the which gooth often many viages on the see or in othire dyuerse perelles, haue more nede to be deuoute.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)3648 : When he had take of hem ostage, Gurgoynt forþ went on his viage.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8840 : He cam, & so fer viage for stones nam.
- a1450 Dux Moraud (BodPoet f.2)41 : Dam, do now þi wylle þi wyage to fulfylle.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2733 : Nouembir is tempest is al to shake…Viage thenne on see nys noon to take.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)124 : Ambassatours, procuratours, and messengers shall nede to be honerably accompanyed…to þe kynges right grete charge, wich shalbe more or lesse, aftir thair longe or shorte demure in thair viage.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Guy (LdMisc 683)296 : Guy…Fro Portysmouth took his weye right, To Wynchestre holdyng his vyage.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)226 : This lady…to Surry hath take hir viage.
- a1500 God made (Dgb 88)12 : The x day goo noo pilgremage, But the xj day do thy vyage.
- ?a1525(?a1475) Play Sacr.(Dub 652)969 : Forward on owr vyage we wyll vs dresse.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4112 : Þe king hom het echon…þat hii a lanmasse day mid hor poer come, Euerichone to barbesflet & þes veiage nome.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.77 : He wered a gypoun Al bismotered with his habergeoun For he was late ycome from his viage.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.55 : We knowe no man…that weren atte this viag with the Erl of Kent…ne with the Erl of Salisbury and here companye atte this risyng.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2826 : The moste parte of the blood Royal…In this viage shortly shal be slawe.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.2316 : Bi an hill callid Termophiles…Persiens began first ther viage.
- (1450) RParl.5.176a : Besechyng youre Highnes…to considre the true service that…my Fader didde to the King…in all the viages in his daies both by See and Lande.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)175/22 : Whan þe kyng had letteres of þis rebellion, he proclamed a viage into Frauns, gadered a gret puple, and purposed for to venge him.
- (1474) RParl.6.117b : It is ordeigned…that after the tyme that your said Highnes have ordeigned Shippyng convenyently belongyng to your said Roiall Viage…and Ye in your moost Roiall persone redy to take uppon you to procede in your same Viage Roiall, that then all the forsaid sommes of money…be delyvered.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)17 : Herry Vthe…had a gret discomfiture at the bataile of Agincourt…at his first viage.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)130 : Ye sholde haue no drede as longe as ye be in this viage.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)63/7 : The kynge…toke his way to Deuelyn, In that vyage the kynge of Ossory came to hym.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.49 : Iesu for his grace wit me sende To shewe yow the wey in this viage Of thilke parfit glorious pilgrymage That highte Ierusalem celestial.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1540 : Fourtiene yer sche was of Age, Whan deth hir tok to his viage.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3746 : Ȝyf þou…For Ire wundedyst a man or hurt, yn þys synne ys outrage; To helle þou makyst þy vyage.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)6187 : Thys bred ys necessarye To alle folk wych lyst nat tarye In ther vyage.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)116/4 : Men ben as waygoers which entende alway to come to the soueraigne god and yet thei take their vyage [vr. viages] by many wayes.
d
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1061 : Blisful God prey ich with good entente, The viage, and the lettre I shal endite, So spede it.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.732 : Ek, Diane, I the biseke That this viage [vr. viagge] be nought to the looth.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)23/84 : If thou drede suche jangleres, thy viage to make, understand wel that he that dredeth any rayn, to sowe his cornes, he shal have than bernes.