Middle English Dictionary Entry
wẹ̄per(e n.
Entry Info
Forms | wẹ̄per(e n. |
Etymology | From wẹ̄pen v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One who expresses sorrow by shedding tears, lamenting, etc.; one who weeps as a penitential discipline or spiritual exercise;
(b) one appointed to lament a death, a hired mourner;
(c) place) of weperes, the Place of Weepers [transl. of L locus flentium, a literal rendering of the Heb. Bochim];
(d) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Primer (StJ-C G.24)46 : Seynte marie…do fauour to weperes.
- a1425 Primer (Add 36683)27 : That dreri eue dide awei, thou ȝeldist with hooly buriownynge; wepers [StJ-C: they as wepynge; Cmb: soreuful men; L flebiles] entre in as sterris, thou art maad wyndow of heuene.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)196/15 : Sche fyndeþ compassioun for to wepe wiþ wepers and for to ioie with ioyeris.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.38/27 : Ther was oone a-monge the wepers and waylers & mystrustres ripyr & sadder of age.
- c1425 Wycl.Antichr.(2) (Dub 245)p.cxlii : Crist chese to him wepers; & þei chesen to hem myrye syngers.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3062 : It neded hem no wepers for to here; Þei hadde I-nowe of her owne stoor.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.2.1 : Þe angel of þe lord stiȝede op fro Galgala to þe place of weperys [L Locum flentium].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.2.5 : Þei reredyn op here voys & weptyn, & þe name of þat place [Bochim] is cleped ‘of wepers’ [L Locus flentium], or ‘off terys’.
d
- (1190-1200) Cart.Oseney in OHS 90252 : Hugone Wepere.
- (1204) CRR(2) 3144 : Johannes le Wepere.
- (1248-9) Cart.St.John in OHS 68331 : Henricus le Wepere.
- (1285-6) Cart.St.John in OHS 68 ()312 : Johannes le Wepere.