Middle English Dictionary Entry
wīven v.
Entry Info
Forms | wīven v. Also wive, wivi, wife, wif(fe, wiffine, (early) wifigen & (errors) wyne, wyueth; sg.3 (error) wyuep; ppl. wiwande; p. wivede, wifvede. |
Etymology | OE wīfian, wīfigan; also cp. ME wīf n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. iwiven v.
1.
(a) To take a wife or husband, marry;—usu. used of a man; also refl.; sometimes in proverbs; ~ on (o), of a man: marry (a woman), wed; ille wiwande, of a man: unhappily married;
(b) of a man: to take (a woman) to wife, marry;
(c) ?to join (sb.) in a spiritual union with Christ;—prob. error for nevenen v. 1. or perh. weven v.(2) 6.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)3/9 : Mæssepreostes wel moten wifigen.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)11/105 : Ne schal he wiuen on me.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)159/6 : Iudas…wiuede o thamar.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1588 : Esau wifuede us to dere Quan he iusted & beð-somat Toc of kin ðe canaan bi-gat.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)819 : Men mowe her ensample nime to lete hor sones wiue & ȝiue hom vp hor lond al bi hor liue.
- a1350 Prov.Hend.(Hrl 2253)280 : Monimon for londe wyuep to shonde.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)225/16-17 : Zaynte paul…zayþ to wodewon, ‘huo þet guod is, he him hyealde ine þet stat; and yef hit him naȝt ne lykeþ, he him wyui, Vor betere and more holy þing is to wyui þanne him-zelue berne.’
- c1350 Of alle þe witti (Add 45896)90 : I may noust wyne [read: wyue] and þriue al in a ȝere.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2096 : Þan Ansuerede þat baroun þat wyuy nolde he noȝt With-oute assent of kyng Charloun.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.263 : Þey…kepeþ besiliche here children, and suffreth hem nouȝt to wyfe wiþ ynne foure and twenty ȝere.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.173 : Ther as myn herte is set, ther wol I wyue.
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)318 : Ȝif þow þat maide forgete woldest, After oure reed wyf þow sholdest.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)9.184 : Whan ȝe haue wyued, bewar and worcheth in tyme, Nouȝt as Adam & Eue whan caym was engendred.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.5827 : At his herte hir partyng sat so sore…That he neuer wolde wyuen more.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Endure(2) (Add 36983)29 : Ner he that ioyeth to wyueth [?read: wyue] hym on a wich…Ner he also that houndeth hym on a bich…None of all these…may no while endure.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)783 : He þat ys yll wywande, Wo hys hym.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)103/97 : A man may not wyfe And also thryfe.
- a1500 Salomon þe (Lin-O Lat.141)2 : Salomon þe wyse he tawt in hys lyf To all maner man þat cast hem for to wyffe.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.5289 : He of herte & hool entent In hope stood his suster for to wyve.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)531 : Wyvyn, or weddyn a wyfe: Uxoro.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.2 Merch.(Hrl 2255)378 : Oon ther was so fair and vertuous…The which this marchaunt…Kept in his hous in purpoos hir to wyve.
c
- c1475 St.Marg.(3) (Brm)297 : Thar was no tunge that tell myth…Off all the meledy that ys yn heuyne, The, Margarete, for to wyffyne [Ashm: þe forto neuyne].