Middle English Dictionary Entry

weiven v.(1)
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Entry Info

Forms weiven v.(1) Also weive, weife, waive, waif(e, wive, veive, veifen, vaive, (K) waivie, (N & NEM) wafe, (N) waffe & (error) warfe; sg.3 weiveth, etc. & (N) waiffez, (16th cent.) waves; p. weived(e, etc. & waivet, (error) wayyd; ppl. weived, etc. & iweived, waivet, (N) wavid.
Etymology AF waiver, waifer, weiver, vaiver, veiver, vars. of OF gaiver; also cp. AL waiv(i)āre, waifāre, waviāre, weiv(i)āre, weif(i)āre, vaifiāre. Some N & NM forms in -ā̆- could also be construed as belonging to wāven v., but semantically they fit better here; for the phonology see Jordan (Crook’s transl.) section 132.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

Note: Cp. wainen v.(1).
1.
(a) To fail (to do sth.); decline (to do sth.); also, disobey a command (that one do sth.); (b) to eschew (joy, a vice, etc.); refuse (a gift, food, etc.); also, decline (an office); (c) to resist (temptation); reject (advice, wooing, etc.); also, spurn (sb.); (d) to give up, yield [last 2 quots.]; also, avoid (sb.); avoid (a state of affairs), forestall; evade (a snare).
Show 35 Quotations
2.
(a) To depart (from sb.); leave (sb., a place, etc.), quit; also, let go of (a horse); (b) to deviate (from truth, wisdom); differ (with one’s god), disagree; also, waver from (a course of action, truth, one’s religion, etc.); also, abandon (a purpose, office, etc.), renounce; set aside (a vow).
Show 24 Quotations
3.
(a) To remove (sb. or sth.) from a place or condition; dismiss (sb.) from a place, expel; also, discard (sth., a wife); law outlaw (sb.); ~ awei; (b) ~ from (of, oute of), to remove (sb. or sth.) from (a place or condition); dismiss or expel (sb.) from (a place or condition); also, remove (respect) from (sb.) [quot. a1393]; (c) to drive away (joy, despair, etc.); do away with (disease, etc.), eradicate;—also without obj. [quot. a1500, last]; ~ awei; (d) to keep (sb. or sth.) out, exclude; (e) to divert (sb.) from his or her purpose; ~ from; (f) to send something (to sb.) [quot. c1450, 2nd]; send (sb. or sth. to sb. or a place); also, put (sb. into a state of woe or into the power of the devil); (g) to give (sth. to sb.), grant, convey; weived to witen, given (us) to know.
Show 47 Quotations
4.
Chiefly law (a) to forbear to press (a claim), refrain from imposing (a penalty), dispense with, waive; (b) to abandon claim to (a title, property), relinquish; as godes weived, as unclaimed property.
Show 7 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1425 Chaucer CT.Pars.(Petw 7)353 : If þat a man wiþstonde and waye off þe furst entisinge of his flessh and of þfeende, þan is it no synne.
    • Note: Variants: [L:weife, weive; P2: weyue; S: wayne; MR 8: veyne, veyve, weyde, wynne, putte awey]
    Note: Looks like this belongs to weiven v.(1), sense 3.(b)--per REL
    Note: Note that the Manley-Rickert version of this quot. is used in sense 1.(c), but without 'off' (=of adv.). Although the sole form 'waye' would be included as an error form, the phrase in the Petworth MS version ('waye off') seems to be a reanalysis of forms such as weife, weive, etc. and is not strictly an error form. As such, perhaps it is best to include the phrase 'waye off' as one of the variants for this quot. in sense 1.(c), without making note of the form in the form section.--per MLL
    Note: Note that although the phrase ~ of does appear in sense 3.(b), 'of' is of prep. The glosses are not appropriate for this quot., at any rate.--per MLL

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