Middle English Dictionary Entry
welken n.
Entry Info
| Forms | welken n. Also welkene, welkin(e, welkne, welcon, wolken(e, wolkin, wolkon, wolkne, walken(e, walkin(e, walkon(e, walkne, (WM) weolkene, weolkin & (early) wlcne, wolcn(e, (chiefly SWM or SW) weolkne, weolcne & (?errors) wekken, wakene, wakkne, (errors) wellynge, wolcom; pl. welkenis, etc. & (early) welcnen, wlcne, wolcne(n, walcne, (SWM) weolcne(n & (?error) wolcnu. |
| Etymology | OE wolcen, wolcn, weolcen neut. & wolcne fem. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A cloud [a few exx. with apparently uninfl. plurals could be construed as sg. coll.].
Associated quotations
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)69/21 : We geseoð mannes Bearn cumende on wolcnen, mid…mæignþrymme.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)120/14 : Swiðe briht wolcn…heom alle uten embwreah.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)124/30 : Þonne cymð þe soðfestæ demæ of heofenæs wolcnu [?read: wolcnum].
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)225 : Þanne ic ofe-teo hefenes mid wlcne [OE wolcnum], þanne bið atawed min ren boge betwuxe þan folce.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)542/28 : Nubes: weolcne.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)126/25 : Salomon seið, ‘Oratio humilantis se penetrat nubes’…þet is, ‘þe eadmodies bone þurleð þe weolcne [Tit: walcne].’
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12772 : Þa com þer westene winden mid þan weolcnen [Otho: wolcne] a berninge drake.
2.
The sky regarded as the region of weather phenomena, the flight of birds, etc.; the upper air; also in fig. context;—also pl. [quot. a1400]; ?also, atmospheric conditions, the weather [quots. c1400(c1378) & perh. c1475].
Associated quotations
- 1122 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1122 : Fir micel & brad wið þone eorðe…weax on lengþe up on an to þam wolcne, & se wolcne un dide on fower healfe and faht þær to geanes.
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)151 : Þe sunne teð water fram eorðe up to þe wolcne and þer-offe cumeð reines.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)138/1 : Ðet is ure inwit uorkuliinde hire suluen mid ðe fure of sunne wið uten us al þene world leitinde of swarte leite up into weolcne.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2283 : Æft aras a ladlich weder; þeostrede þa wolcne [Otho: wolkne].
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)636 : God gat it: a token of luuen Taunede him in ðe wakene [?read: walkene] a-buuen, Rein-bowe, men cleped.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3921 : Swich a reyn doun fro the welkne shadde That slow the fyr.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1042 : The storm aros, the wyndes loude…blewen many a dredful blast, The welkne was al overcast.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)24841 : Þe weder…sone be-gan to rugg & ride; þe welkenis [Vsp: lift] blakkenid al to niȝt.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.355 : Shipmen and sheperdes…Wisten by þe walkene [vrr. walkne, wakkne] what shulde bityde As of wederes and wyndes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)525 : Wroþe wynde of þe welkyn wrastelez with þe sunne.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.551 : The wolken shop hym for to reyne.
- ?c1425(c1390) Chaucer Fort.(Benson-Robinson)62 : The see may ebbe and flowen more or lesse; The welkne [vr. walkyn] hath might to shyne, reyne, or hayle.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)53 : Þe wolcom [read: wolcon] wanned anon.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)343 : Ne in al the welken [vrr. welkene, walkone] was a clowde.
- c1475 Awntyrs Arth.(Tay 9)p.13 : The wynd and the welkyn, the wethur in that tide, The cloude vnclosut, the sune wex clere.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)160/22 : Men…werne comen togedyr ynto þe tempull for fere of þe berst þat þay herd yn þe welken.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)16/57 : Sight…Lust…Thought…and Wil…these broughten we within-borde of this shippe of Traveyle…whan…this ship gan to move, the wind and water gan for to ryse and overthwartly to turne the welken…The storm…gan…us assayle.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7621 : A thondir with…Rayn thrublit in þe skewes…As neuer water fro the welkyn hade waynit before.
3.
(a) The dome of the heavens, extending from horizon to horizon, in which stars, planets, comets, etc. are apparent, the firmament; the heavens, the skies;—also pl.; under (the) ~, out of doors, outside; also, anywhere [quot. c1450];
(b) a cosmic elementary, planetary, or celestial sphere; also, the totality of the concentric spheres beyond the elementary region, including the primum mobile, as perceived in the motions of heavenly bodies from a terrestrial point of view; also [quot. a1425], ?the sphere of the fixed stars; ?the primum mobile; ?the crystalline sphere; ~ wente, walkenes turne, the daily course of the stars, the turning of the heavens; this middel walkenes, of this earthly region, regarded as midway between heaven and hell;
(c) in prov. expressions and conventional comparisons.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)239 : Wic drednesse wurð þer…þan þe sterren falleð, si sunne and se mone aþestreð…þe wlcne to gað.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 113)22 : Upheofon: weolkne.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1440 : He ferde swiðe hehȝe; þere weolcne [Otho: þare wolkne] he wes swiðe nih.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11950 : Þe uolde dunede a-ȝen; aqueðen þa weolcne.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)13834 : Þer wes wunderlic grure; þu welcnen aqueðen.
- a1300 Owl & N.(Jes-O 29)1682 : We…sitteþ vnder welkne bi nyhte.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)133 : Ðe ferðe dai made migt Sunne and mone…Walknes wurðinge and erðes frame.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.399 : He spak wiþ hem out of house under þe wolken [vr. walkon].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.33 : In þe welcon [L firmamento] was i-seie stella comata.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1124 : On the welkne [vrr. welkine; wekken] shoon the sterres lyght.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)17b/b : A cercle of þe wolkyn biclippith þe erþe al aboute.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2177 : Þe walken [LinI: weolkyn] sen men ne miȝth, So gret was quarels and arewes fliȝth.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.236 : Þat he was god…þe walkene [vr. wolkne; C: wolkene; vr. wolkenes] firste shewed.
- a1425 Arth.& M.(LinI 150)1651 : Byneoþen þeo weolkene þey sawe a sky.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)10a/b : Boetes: a sterre toknige in wellynge [StJ-C: tokenyng in the walkyn; Hrl 2270: a syne in þe walkyn; Cnt: signum in firmamento].
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)36b : Kokkyll ys of ij maneris…that one havith floure hornys tawarde þe walkyn.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)514 : Walkyne, or the fyrmament: Firmamentum.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)247 : Þare enhabetis in þat erd…Þe wisest wees in þis werd þe welken vndire.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)19/86 : Now hevyn is made…þe fyrst day…The secunde day watyr I make; The walkyn also ful fayr.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)79 : His firme kinde dei was a-gon On walkenes turn.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)136 : He knowned one ilc sterre name: He settes in ðe firmament Al abuten ðis walkne went.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)288 : Euerilc-on ðat helden wid him…fellen ut of heuones ligt In-to ðis middil walknes nigt.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.185 : Þe neyþer wolkons [Higd.(2): worldes inferialle; L orbes inferiores] moeueþ out of þe west in to þe est.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.363 : Aristotle clepeþ þe welken [vr. wolkon] þat is above þe foure elementis, þe fifte body.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)5b/b : Apallne [read: Apllane]: þe welkene.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)27 : Ye knowe that j make the sterres to uarie and to turne…Right so it is of the walkene and of the planetes also.
c
- a1350 Lutel wot hit (Hrl 2253)34 : Y þe greete ase fele syþe…ase sterres beþ in welkne.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1738 : Jch haue moo kniȝttes to werren Þan ben in þe walken sterren.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)409 : Hit was on to beholde As thogh the erthe envye…To have moo floures, swiche seven, As in the welken sterres bee.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)909 : As þe welkyn shold walt, a wonderfull noyse Skremyt vp to the skrow.