Middle English Dictionary Entry
bleu adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | bleu adj. Also blu(e, bliu, blou(e. |
| Etymology | OF bleu, blo, fem. bleue, bloe. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. blo.
1.
(a) Blue; esp., sky-blue, azure; (b) blue-violet, hyacinthine; deep blue-purple, indigo-blue; dark; as ~ as inde; (c) ~ purpre, ~ violet, bright ~, dep ~, inde ~, violet ~; (d) as a symbol of constancy; (e) fig. sad, sorrowful.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2404 : He was rede, grene, and blewe.
- (1366) Will York in Sur.Soc.481 : Unam robam blue.
- (1391) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.528/25 : j quarterio de blu fryse.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2219 : Bright was the day and blew the firmament.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)136b/b : Þe bowe..takeþ colour of þe foure elementes..of watir sumdel blewe [L ceruleum] in þe myddel.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)310a/a : The colour indicus and fenetus [L siue venetus] is blew colour [L blauius] and passeþ wan colour [L lividitatem] in fairnesse and brightnesse..and suche is þe colour of heuene.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)423 : Quene of heuenez blwe [rime: trwe, grewe].
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.885 : Bereth hym this blewe [vr. blowe] ryng.
- c1425 Castle Love(2) (Eg 927)377 : Meyne colour is ymyddes of ynde and of blewe [rime: hewe].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)41 : Blewe of coloure: Blodius, bluetus.
- (1444) Will Daubeney in Som.RS 19340 : A cope of blew ffelewet.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)137/24 : Burnet..haȝt a blew flour.
- (1455) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15149 : A part of a blue chesyple.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)155 : Lapus lazuly, that be a fyne blew colour.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)16a : Blowe [vr. blew]: Blodius.
b
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)76 : Holtewodez..bydez Of bollez as blwe as ble of Ynde.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ex.26.14 : Another couertour of blew skynnes [WB(2): skynnes of iacynt; L janthinis pellibus].
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)31/5 : His [phoenix's] bak is coloured blew as ynde [Eg.: ynde colour; F ynde].
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)465 : Take blewe turnesole..Or..draw up blake berys with wyne..and make one leche blewe and another white.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ecclus.45.12 : And blyu vyolet silc [L hyacintho].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Jer.10.9 : Iacynct, or as men seyn violet blyw silc, and purpre the clothing of them.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)201b/a : Þe stone Iacinctus is now blew, now redissh, now purpre and now bright blw [L venetus].
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ex.25.4 : Iasynkt that is silk of violet blew [L hyacinthum].
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)25a : Flour delice..beryth a blewe purpur colour.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)42b : Flouris of fox gloue and the levis of him ben ynde blewe.
- (1428) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)175/2 : In owr leuery scarlet and depe Blew.
d
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.44 : Hir [Fortune's] habit was of manyfold colours: Wachet bleuh of feyned stedfastnesse.
- ?a1450(?c1370) ?Chaucer W.Unc.(Robinson)21 : Ever in chaunging stant your sikernesse..In stede of blew thus may ye were al grene.
e
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)10223 : Here hertes bothe blw and blak they were, eche man for here frendis dethis there.
- c1450(c1385) Chaucer Mars (Benson-Robinson)8 : Wyth teres blewe and with a wounded herte, Taketh your leve.
2.
(a) ~ bothel, the blue cornflower Centaurea cyanus; ~ inde, indigo (as a pigment); ~ medle (medled, melde), variegated blue cloth; ~ turnesol, turnsole (as a blue-purple food coloring); ~ water, a blue dye; ~ wod del Inde, ?Indian woad, indigo; (b) her. Bleumantel Pursuivant, the title of one of the royal pursuivants; (c) in names.
Associated quotations
a
- (1376) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.41 : Blew medle.
- a1400 in Singer Cat.Alchem.2.605 : For to make blew water. Recipe clene floryes [etc.].
- (1420) Will NCountry in Sur.Soc.11629 : Jupam meam longam de blewmedle..capicium de blewmedle.
- (c1420) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103617 : 8 uln. de blewmedled.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)465 : Take blewe turnesole and dip hit in wyne that the wyne may catche the colour thereof and colour the potage therwith.
- (1431) Will York in Sur.Soc.3034 : Unam togam de blewmelde.
- (1438) Rec.Norwich 268 : [For 1 quarter of] bleuwad del Inde [for the same].
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)167/28 : Iacintus ruticus is an herbe þat men clepe blewbothel [vrr. blewboþen, blew boyome]. Þis herbe growith in corn and haȝt a blew flour and of þis herbe are mad garlondys.
- (1472) Fabric R.Yk.Min.in Sur.Soc.3577 : Custus circa picturam magni campanilis..ij lb. blew ynde, ij lb. vermeyon [etc.].
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)4/4 : To make bleu water. Take clene floreye [etc.].
b
- a1600(1472) Rec.Bluemantle (Jul C.6)381 : The King..sent a right worshipfull man in his embassat to..the Duc of Bourgoyne..and to wayte vpon hym an harroulde called Lancaster and a pursuyvant called Blewmantell.
- a1600(1472) Rec.Bluemantle (Jul C.6)384 : The King went to his chamber..these heroudes before hym..Wyndesore herralde..Blewmantell purseyvant, Esperaunce purseyvant to therl of Northumberland.
c
- (1203) Lib.R.King John (PRO 62)58 : Petrus le Blucler.
- (?1278) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)1.32 : [His ship called] Blewebolle.
- (1310) Pat.R.Edw.II252 : William Bluhod.
- a1500(a1470) Brut-1461(1) (Add 10099)516/8 : Men gadred togedre & made þame capitaynes -- as BlewBerde & oþer.
3.
Dark-skinned, ?bluish black; ~ as inde, dark (?or blue) as indigo.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5263 : Hij ben ycleped Albanyen, Alle hij ben wiȝth men. Her visages ben blew so ynde.
- c1450 Metham Physiog.(Gar 141)143/15 : In Inde the fasys and bodyis [be] blwe; in Calde and Ethyope, alle blak.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)237/17 : Dyuerse feendys smale as chylderyn, blewe as men of Inde [L Aethiopes nigros].
4.
Bluish grey, lead- or ash-colored; discolored by bruising, livid; as ~ as led; ~ and blo, ~ and wan, very 'black and blue', quite livid.
Associated quotations
- c1390 Chart.Abbey HG (Vrn)362 : He..dyede hongynge on þe roode-treo, bolned, blu [vr. blo] & blodi.
- a1400 Iesu suete is (Htrn 512)19 : Þi whyte sydes woxen blw & blo [Hrl: blak ant blo].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.125 : Þat fur shal..forbrenne al to blewe [vr. blo] askes.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)39/470 : Thi turoment..Made thi brest and bak al blewe [rime: renewe, sewe, hewe; Vrn: bluwe].
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)140/23 : Þan wex sche al blew as it had ben leed.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)6764 : Neþer hym-self nys not ȝit ded, al-thowgh he seme as blw as led.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.1160 : Þat doctrine whiche þou..here in this world with woundes blewe and wan Confermed.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)84/26 : Hys lyppys wexen blew.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.153 : Lytill fischis..with bakkis blewe as lede.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1450) *Court R.Long Bennington () : [Sale price] 'pro iii virgis panni lanei color' blewmedle.
Note: Additional quote(s) for 2.(a)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)40ba : Affryke is the south part and..therin ben blew and black men.
Note: Additional quote, sense 3. Perhaps distinguishing the 'blue' men of North Africa from the 'black' men of sub-Saharan Africa?
Note: Note possible (or possibly irrelevant) confusion with blo adj.; both are paired with 'blac' and both are used to describe skin tone.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Sln.122 Artist.Recipes (Sln 122) 84/27 : Forto make bise. Take half a pownd of blywe flokkys, [etc.].
Note: Need date, sense 1.(a). New spelling.
- c1465 Eg.2852 Stain.Recipes (Eg 2852) 105/1 : To make bleu water. Take clene floreye, [etc.].
Note: Need date, sense 2.(a).
- ?a1475 Cmb.Dd.5.76 Artist.Recipes (Cmb Dd.5.76) 217/20 : When þu seis þi asure blwe anogh, poure away þi weneger cleyn.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(a), New spelling.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39)50/9 : Do in þis wise in somer seyson. Gadre blewe floures in corn and drye hem aȝens þe eyre, and þanne grinde hem.
Note: ?New cpd. ~ flour prob. = 'cornflower Centaurea cyanus'. Cf. OED corn-flower, n.