Middle English Dictionary Entry
wau(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | wau(e n. Also wawe, waghe, waȝe, wowe; pl. wawes, etc. & waweis, waughes, whawis, (N) wauus, quawes, (16th cent.) whaghes & ? waves, wavis & (?errors) wawlis, quays. |
| Etymology | Prob. from OE: cp. wāga, pl. of wǣg wave; also cp. ON: cp. OI vāgr, & cp. MDu. wage wave. If forms in -v- really reflect the sound [v], they are prob. from ME wāven v. and represent early exx. of MnE wave n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A wave of water, esp. in the sea; ?also, a current; gon in wawes, to become tempestuous;
(b) pl. the sea, seen as a collection of individual waves;
(c) used metonymically: the sea; water; ~ of the se, se (ses, wateres) ~; bringen in-to ~, to stir (the sea) into a rough sea; rechen ~, of a ship: sail;
(d) a wave as an image of instability or of an overwhelming force or of adversity; also in stock similes;
(e) an undulation in sand, a ripple;
(f) a stylized image of a wave.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)5976 : Waȝes [Clg: vðen] þar arne, streme þar vrne, bordes þar breken.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)371 : Þe wawes were…wode Wiþ winde.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1343 : Þay seȝe þe waȝes of þe se harde to-gadre route.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.55 : Þere han þe streen of þe grete hauene and mouþe Hellespontus brekeþ oute abrode in greet wawes and stremes, and torneþ norþwarde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)177a/a : Creta…is y-wasche with wawes of grece in þe norþe syde and with wawes of Egipt in þe souþe syde.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.135 : This schippe…crist rad in and his felawes, Imang dintes of gret quawes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1844 : On þe streme þat arche can ride, þe wauus [Frf: waghes] best on ilk side.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24839 : Þe weder…Son bigan to rug and reth, þat ilk wau [Phys-E: waw] til oþer weft.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1653 : Sche [Medea] koude…reyse floodis, with many dredful wowe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.643 : Boreas…made þe wowes grisly to arise.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3776 : The see may never be so stille That with a litel wynde it wille…in wawis goo.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)203/29 : Be the Ryueres may noman go…The water…renneth in so grete wawes þat no schipp may not rowe ne seyle aȝenes it.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2416 : With a wawe brosten was his stere.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)7184 : Be grace þe wawes [vr. wavys] myght hym dryve…vpon þe strond.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1309 : Þe baistell…was smeten in small with þe smert waȝes [Dub: wawes].
- c1450 Kynge of grace (Trin-C B.11.24)89 : For drede hytt woll ryse & flowe With wawys [vr. wavys] grete.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)322 : The lady fleted forth a-lone…She was…dryuen fro wawe to wawe.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)494 : Noþyng sawe þey þem abowte But salte watur and waweys.
- a1500 Lo here is (Tan 407)36 : I se in þe gret see…The whawys how they waltyr, and se the qwall fyght.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12310 : Eneas…prayet hom…Tho shippes to shilde o þe shyre whaghes.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.24 : The Schip which on the wawes renneth, And is forstormed and forblowe, Is noght more peined for a throwe Than I am.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)287 : Now were I at yow byȝonde þise wawez, I were a ioyful jueler.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.m.6.16 : Alle the peples that Phebus, the sonne, may seen, comynge fro his uttreste arysynge til he hide his bemes undir the wawes.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.2.37 : Phebus…falleth at even in the westrene wawes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1410 : Þe Grekes…Girdon ouer the grym waghes into grece.
c
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)443 : Gret toknynge…worþ y-do, And of men in eorþe gret destresse al-so ffor þe gret soun of þe see and of þe grete wawe.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.546 : Non oþer þing he no seyȝe…Bot winde & wateres wawe.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 5.1 : Thei camen ouer the wawe of the see.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.508 : Fer in Northumberland the wawe hir caste.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4113 : The wilde wode rage Of wyndes makth the See salvage, And that was calm bringth into wawe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1856 : Oft-sythes wend þai þair schipp suld riue With wau [Frf: waghe], or wind.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.540 : Argus…hath wrouȝt a schip by sotil craft, Which was þe first þat euer wawe rauȝt.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)43.489 : Thou ne Art not ful waschen In Fay, In the Swete flood, Owther In the wawe that baptesme Is Clepid.
- c1475 Guy(4) (Cai 107/176)9768 : There was he passed with the se wawe Down a whyle and vp a thrawe.
- a1500 ME Verse in Anglia 92p.77 : Qwo set euere hys fote abouyn þe seys wawe bot yf he it wete?
- c1500 PFulham (Rwl C.86)303 : Men rehercyn in there saw: hard is to stryve with wynde or wawe.
d
- c1330 Þe siker soþe (Auch)44 : Now fals, now frouȝ, Þe warld tirueþ ous touȝ Fram wawe to wawe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)207/26 : He is ase þe waȝe of þe ze þet þe wynd let hider and þider.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Mac.6.11 : In to hou grete tribulacioun came Y, and in to what wawis of heuynesse in which Y am nowe, that was myri?
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)Jas.1.6 : He that doutith is lijk to a wawe of the se, the which of wijnd is moued and born aboute.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)9.35 : Þe goodis of þis ground be lik þe grete wawes Þat as wyndis & watris wawen aboute.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2745 : Sche kept it in ful cloos Amyd hir herte, quappyng as a wawe.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1 : Owt of thise blake wawes [vr. waves] for to saylle, O wynd, o wynd, the weder gynneth clere…This see clepe I the tempestuous matere Of disespeir that Troilus was inne.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4712 : Love it is…A swete perell into droune, An heuy birthen lyght to bere, A wikked wawe awey to were, It is karibdous perilous.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)865 : Lik the wawis [vr. quays] quappe gan hire herte.
- a1450(?1419-20) Topias (Dgb 41)99/872 : Ȝour brymme blastis awake the wilde wawlis [?read: wawis] & scailen sely Petership.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)288/29 : By þis watur of Genazereth is vndirstonde þis worlde, full of wawes, noyes, and tribulacions.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)82/11 : Þou soukest wel melke oute of þe wawys of þe bitter see whan þou art glad…of euery aduersite…in þe bitter see.
- (1472) Stonor1.126 : The sharpe and unwar chaunges from thought to þought, and ofte remembrance of the trowbely wawes of love have so possid her to and fro in her owne mynde.
- a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16104 : Thamyral off the grete See, Fulle off Wawes…callyd ys Sathan.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)3167* : He þat werrys vs is…As wawes of þe wild see when wynd þaim distrobles.
e
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)134/20 : Þare es a grete see all of grauell and sande…And it ebbez and flowes…with grete wawes.
f
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1958 : The statue of Venus…fro the nauele doun al couered was With wawes [vr. waughes] grene.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)168/5030 : Hir crowne was made with wawis nyse And sett ful of karbonkil son.
2.
(a) A welling or gushing of water in a spring or well;
(b) a welling of tears; also, a flowing of blood [2nd quot.].
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1561 : The water…is euere fresh and newe That welmeth vp with wawis bright The mountance of two finger highte.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1025/27 : He founde the welle which boyled with wawis.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)55 : Condittes…wellid vp…The burbly wawis in ther vp boylyng Round as berel.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3908 : Þe burbly wawes of hir eyen clere Liche welle stremys by hir chekis reyne.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3208 : Þe bodies wern [read: body was] out drawe Of Achille…And cruelly þrowen vn-to houndis To be deuourid in þe brode strete, Þe canel rennynge with his wawes wete.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.2.29 : Sche dryede myn eien, that weren fulle of the wawes of my wepynges.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.1956 : Theodosie…adawen gan his siht Fro cloudi wawes of long pitous weeping.