Middle English Dictionary Entry
wē̆rd n.
Entry Info
| Forms | wē̆rd n. Also werde, wered, werid, wierde, wird(e, wired, wirid, word, (N) weird & (early) wirð, wurð & (error) wend; pl. werdes, etc. & wirdus, (early SWM) wurdes, wurðes & (error) wedyrs. |
| Etymology | OE wyrd, weord; for forms with -ð- cp. OE weorþan v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The force that sets events in motion or predetermines the course of events, fate, destiny; also, quasi-person. providence, fortune;—also pl. used as sg. [last quot.];
(b) pl. person. the Fates; ~ susteres.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)5/13 : Oft bryncð seo wyrd þone wille, þe eft byð andergelde.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)6/37 : Ne recc þu toswyðe, hwu seo wyrd wandrige.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)247 : A wylde walterande whal, as wyrde þen schaped, Þat watz beten fro þe abyme, bi þat bot flotte…hym tyd hentes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2134 : I wyl to þe chapel, for chaunce þat may falle…Worþe hit wele oþer wo, as þe wyrde lykez hit hafe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2260 : Þe tulke þat tilld ȝour toun sall tield vp & rere, Sall thre times haue þe thra of sum threuyn gome…for þus has wirid shapen.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7051 : Wirdis, þat is wicked, waitis hir avauntage, With ffortune so felle.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.50 : The werbles of his resownyng harpe Appese dyde the bitter wyrdys scharpe.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.Lear (Göt Hist 740)425 : Wafull werdys, qwat wayes hold yie In þis lyfe destind anence me? Qwarto som tyme in blyssydhed In þis lyfe her yie wold me led, Yie wald to swylke stat me auance.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.4.3 : Whoso it be that is cleer of vertue, sad and wel ordynat of lyvynge, that hath put under fote the proude wierdes [Cmb Ii.3.21 gloss: fata] and loketh, upryght, upon either fortune, he may holden his chere undesconfited.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2580 : The Wirdes [vrr. wordes, weredes, wedyrs], that we clepen Destine, Hath shapen hire that she mot nedes be Pyetous.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)140b : Wyrde systeres [Monson: Wyrdis]: parce.
- a1500 *Medulla (Cnt D.2)27a/b : Cloto: Oon of thre shap systres or Wyrdesysters [Add 33534: Wered suster; Hrl 2270: Wirde sistres].
2.
(a) Pl. Those things that are to occur, the course of future events, the future;
(b) those things that are to befall an individual person, a people, a group, etc.; the unfolding of (one’s) destiny, the course of (one’s) future, (one’s) fortune(s or fate;—usu. pl.; his (min, oure, etc.) werdes, thin (theire) ~;
(c) a prospective or hypothetical allotment of luck, good or bad, a piece of luck; an outcome or a course of events, favorable or unfavorable; also, ?a happy end, blessed fate [1st quot.]; ?fame, reputation [2nd quot.].
Associated quotations
a
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)41 : He was wyse enoȝe wirdis to reken When he þe heuyn beheld.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)737 : Syn þou wist thurgh wit werdis to come, What seruit it your sciense of þe seuon artes That þou sogh not your sorow þat thee suet after?
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4499 : He meuyt to the mowmentes…Praiond hym full prestly…To warne hym full wightly what wirdis shuld happyn.
b
- c1330 Horn Child (Auch)456 : Wiif þai toke & duelled þare; In Inglond com þai nomore, Her werdes forto bide.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2765 : Lachesis Ne Cloto…Me schopen no such destine, Whan thei at mi nativite My weerdes setten as thei wolde.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3475 : Oure lauerd…Had don hir in to sikernes, Thoru his werrai prophecie, Quat suld be þaa childer vie, O þair weird and o þair lijf.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)13.209 : Ȝoure sorwe in-to solas shal turne atte laste, And out of wo in-to wele ȝoure wyrdes shul chaunge.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2684 : Faders, warto war we born? Wicked werdes er vs bi-forn.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)385 : It es owre weredes to wreke the wrethe of oure elders.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)689 : Is oȝt þi werid to þe wissid?
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4949 : Waite at þou be wemles for woman touching; Þan may ȝe leuely on þam loke, & lesten ȝour wirdis.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)7416 : Harde wordys ys me beforne.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12823 : Thus the bold kyng was banisshet fro his big yle, All will of his wone his werdis to laite.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)20282 : He þat i bar, þat bligh brid, Sal me send of heuen wird [Göt: weird; Ld: myrth].
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)4048 : Þis was Ioseph þat I of rede, his loue and wired ful fer con sprede.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1605 : When Nabugodenozar watz nyed in stoundes, He [Daniel] devysed his dremes to þe dere trawþe; He kevered hym wyth his counsayl of caytyf wyrdes.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)1184 : He kneles doune on bathe his knees And…Prayed god to gif þaim better werde; Þan þe wynd it chaunged belyue.
- a1500 PPl.B (Oriel 79)6.326 : Foule werdis [Ld: Thorwgh flodes and þourgh foule wederes frutes shul faille].
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.9 : Is non estate nor age Ensured more, the prynce than the page, So uncouthly hir werdes sche [Fortune] devideth, Namly in youth, that seildin ought providith.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)629 : Out of daunger & drede deliuer me too: I wot me vnworthy þis wirdis to ffall.
3.
(a) That which the forces of destiny bring or have brought about, an event attributed to the workings of fate, divine providence, etc.;
(b) that which the forces of destiny have allotted an individual person, a people, a nation, etc., (one’s) lot; also, that to which one is or was destined, (one’s) predetermined course; hire (his, theire, etc.) ~;
(c) ~ writere [OE wyrd-writere], one who chronicles the unfolding of destiny, a chronicler, historian.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1819 : It were a wonder wierde To sen a king become an hierde.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)15.32 : Cleregie comeþ bote of siht and kynde witt of sterres, As to be bore oþer bygete in suche constellacion That wit wexeþ þer-of and oþere wordes [vr. wyrdus] boþe.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5459 : It befell þis wondir werde, All was oþir mennys erde aboute, bot þat ilk place Whare þe fische lay dry, Þat was cuthberts witterly.
b
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)30/486 : Ȝef ha ne mei nawt temen…hire laverd luueð hire…þe leasse, & heo…bi wepeð hire wurðes [Tit: wurdes].
- a1275 Stod ho (Tan 169*)8 : I þat blisful bearnes buirde wrong w[e]s wroht to wommone wirde, ah kuinde craued nou þe riht.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8981 : Hard it es, þe wird [Göt: word] o sin þat yarked was til adam kin!
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)27769 : Þat man vmquile wexus wode…And in mining of his mistime He wites wend [Frf: wirde] and waris his time.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2418 : Dalyda dalt hym hys wyrde.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.1.12 : They that weren glorie of my youthe…conforten nowe the sorwful wyerdes of me, olde man.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4680 : Þe pepill it lyked neuer a dele; Þaim thoght þair happe was harde; Þai grett, þai sorowed þair sary werde.
- c1475 Awntyrs Arth.(Tay 9)p.8 : ‘Ways me for thi wirde!’ cothe Waynor.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)74.5 : Sum says, ‘it was my werdis,’ sum says, ‘the sterne of my birth gert me syn,’ and this is wickidnes.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)140.4 : It is the manere of vnquaynt men, when thai ere takyn with a defaute to excuse thaim…thai say it was thaire wordis [vr. her fortune].
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)1155 : Jesu Cryste, what ys my redde? For my loue þese men be dedde; Sory wordys were me lente, To serue Felyce when y was sente.
c
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)57/16 : Se wyrðwritere [OE wyrdwritere] Josephus awrat, on þære ciriclice gereccednysse, þæt se wælreowa Herodes lytle hwile æfter Johannes deaðe rices geweolde.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 115:Pope)728/1 : Wurðwritares [OE Wyrdwriteras].
4.
(a) A decree of fate, a pronouncement;
(b) a prognostication, a prophecy; also, that by which a prognostication is made [last quot.].
Associated quotations
a
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2710 : Fortune, þat is felle, forthers his tyme, Hastis to vnhappe…Caches furthe his cold wirdis with cumpas to ende.
b
- ?c1400 PPl.Z (Bod 851)5.43 : Bechus ant brod okes weren blowe to the erthe, Al to warne vs weyes wat thys werd menes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)270 : ‘Quare-on is ȝour mynd?’ ‘My frely fode,’ quod þe freke, ‘noȝt bot þe werdes Of my gracious goddis.’
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)702 : Ȝonder behald ouer þi hede & se my hatter werdis; Þe euyll sterne of Ercules, how egirly it soroȝes.