Middle English Dictionary Entry
wēsaunt(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | wēsaunt(e n. Also wesant, wesaund(e, wesand(e, wesounde, wesing, weisaunt, weisande, weison, wisaunt, (error) waisance. |
| Etymology | OE wesend, var. of wāsend. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. wosen n.
1.
Anat.: (a) The human esophagus, the gullet; also, the esophagus of an animal or a fowl; also, the throat or neck in general [quot. c1475 Mankind];
(b) coll. arteries;—?error for wosen n. (a);
(c) glossing AF rate: midriff, spleen.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)3/16 : Of woundis of þe wesounde [vr. wesand] þat goþ to þe stomak.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)145/19 : Summen maken difference bitwene þe necke & þe wesaunt & þe þrote-bolle, & alle þese ben comprehendid vndir þe name of þe necke.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1336 : Þay gryped to þe gargulun, & grayþely departed Þe wesaunt fro þe wynt-hole, & walt out þe guttez.
- a1425 Celestine (LdMisc 463)638 : Sleuthe of gode…Þou shalt haue my lodly bouke, Boþe my weysaunt and my stroupe, Into þi throte.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)283/3740 : Ysophagus is þe wesand; be hyt passys þe food into þe stomac.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)35/31 : Ysophagus…is to seien þe wesaunde [Ch.(2): wesaunte] oþer mery.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)523 : Wesaunnt, of a beestys throte: Ysofagus.
- c1450 Dc.55 Cook.Recipes (Dc 55)116 : Crane roste…lete hym haue hys heuede & hys necke on, saue take awey the wesyng.
- a1475 Gilb.Angl.(Wel 537)101/18 : Þes ben þe tokenes: greet anguisshe, grete hete, and þurste…and moche flevme and smoke in wesaund.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)29a/a : Þe wesaunt is contynued and strecchiþ fro þe mouþ vnto þe brerde of þe stomak bi þe hyndere part of þe necke wiþinneforþ, cleuynge to þe spondilis of þe necke vnto he come to þe v spondile, And…strecchiþ to þe fourþe part of þe brest & passiþ doun þoruȝ þe mydrif til he come vndir þe mouþ or brerde of þe stomak and þere truly he ys endid.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)29a/b : Þe þrote bolle…is sett wiþinne þe necke biside þe wisaunt twoward þe gula.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)810 : Qweke, qweke, qweke! Alass, my thrott!…Alasse, my wesant! ȝe were sumwhat to nere.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)58/293a : Isophogus: a wesande.
b
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)189/33 : For þe gedrynge of synewes of felinge and of weison [L arteriarum] and of veynes…in þe place of þe temples, þe temples ben…hastiliche ihert.
c
- a1425 Gloss.Bibbesw.(AS 182)76 : Waisance [?read: Waisante; vrr. mide-rede, midrym, midrif; glossing AF (Cmb): rate].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. weasand.