Middle English Dictionary Entry
wrecche n.
Entry Info
| Forms | wrecche n. Also wrecch, wrech(e, wrechch(e, wrehch(e, wrekche, wretch(e, wricche, wrich(e, wroche & (early) wrecce, (SWM) wreccha, wræcche, (infl.) wre(c)chan & (in names) wrehtke-, wrenche-, wrethe-, weche-, wherc- & (errors) wrethe, werchan; pl. wrecches, etc. & wrochus, whrecchis, (chiefly K) wrech(ch)en & (early) wrecchen, vrechen, (SWM) wrecchas, wrecchan, wræcchen, wracchen & (?error) wrecchces, (error) wrectes. |
| Etymology | OE wrecca, wreccea, wræcca, wræccea. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One who is subject to misfortune or hardship, an unhappy creature, an unfortunate person;
(b) a poor person, a pauper; one who is at the base of the social and economic hierarchy; also in fig. context;
(c) one who is poor in spirit.
Associated quotations
a
- c1200 Wor.Serm.in EGSt.7 (Wor Q.29)62 : Þus heo funden þet heo veren vrechen, þa venden forto ben god iliche, for þa heo veren nakede and of hingrede…and þoleden alle þa pine…þet man mei of speken.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)32/523 : In wið al þi weole & ti weres wunne, forwurðest a wrecche; þe carest agein þi pinunge þraen bineomeð þe nahtes slepes.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)26/20 : Þe ich þonki þrof, þe kingene king art…wondrinde & wrecches & wonlese wisent.
- a1250 Cristes milde moder (Nero A.14)63 : Leoue lefdi, long hit þuncheð us wrecchen Vort þu of þisse erme liue to ðe suluen us fecche.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1927 : He…al his men slowen þat heo neh comen, buten wuhlc wræcche swa cwic cuahte to holde.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10422 : Heo scullen wræcchen to heoren scipen liðen.
- ?a1300 Fox & W.(Dgb 86)253 : Þe wrecche bineþe noþing ne vind Bote cold water.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)30/333 : Allas! wroche, þat y no miȝt Dye now after þis siȝt!
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)70/29 : Þe ilke aryȝt is ycleped wrechche þet ne can lybbe ne ne dar sterue.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.931 : I, wrecche, which that wepe and waille thus Was whilom wyf to kyng Cappaneus.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1051 : She clepeþ hire self often wrecche; She biddes deþ þat he hire fecche.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.708 : To wrecche is consolacioun To have another felawe in hys peyne.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.271 : What may men now the calle But wrecche of wrecches, out of honour falle Into miserie.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)49/34 : Wa es me, vnhappye wriche, þat euer I was borne.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)343/12 : I wolde largelye schede mye blode…in to comfort of alle wrectes.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)15032 : All my welth is turned to wogh; was neuer swylke wrych of woman born.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)26/332 : Goo nakyd, vngry, and bare ffoot…as wrecch in werlde þou wende.
- a1480(c1450) Barlaam (2) (Peterh 257)55/1978 : He makiþ hem þat louen hym as wrecchis euer to dwelle in þe payne of helle.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.209 : Þe Romaynys…han lost her lordchepe & ben wrechis of alle wrechis.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)10140 : Te birrþ forr þe lufe off Godd Wiþþ usell wrecche dælenn Þatt illke þing þatt tu full wel Ne mihht te sellf nohht þarrnenn.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)115 : Ðe modie wreccha for his modes upahefednesse is to richan itald rihtliche on boken.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)129 : Drihten alesde þene wrechan of þan mehtiȝan and þen werchan þe wes al helples.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)69/2 : Sell all ðat tu hafst, and ȝif hit godes wrecchen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)504 : Þe riche haueð muchel rum to ræsen biforen þan wrecchan.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1283 : Þa riche he makede wrecchas.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2959 : Þer wes moni wrehche sone iworðen riche.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9804 : Læten heom…imong þan wracchen harcnien ȝeorne ȝif mon mihte mid crafte…inne Winchæstres tun cumen to Vder Pendragrun.
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bede (Dgb 86)91 : So weneþ þis wreche Þat hoe ne weren riche For-þi þat hoe haytte nabbeþ.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)Apoc.3.17 : Thou art a wrecche and wrechful, and pore, and blynd, and nakid.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)6898 : Hyt ys grete curteysye To ȝyue ȝoure almes hastylye, Nat for to make long delay To late a wrecche stonde al day Cryyng at þy ȝate yn colde.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6518 : Riche men han more tecches Of synne than han pore wrecches.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)31/36 : Such goodes are vertues; Who so hath non of hem is not only pore, but a verrey wrecche.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)385 : Ȝif a man releue oo wreche & makiþ an oþere or mo, he doþe noon almes but raþer makiþ mysese.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)49 : What riȝtfulnes is þis, to ȝef ȝeftis to þe dead, and spoyle þe quek; taken of þe blod of wrecchis, and offre to God?
c
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)113 : Crist cweð on his godspelle bi þan gastliche wrecchan…eadiȝe beoð þa wrecchan þe on gaste beoð wrecchan.
2.
(a) One who is vile, contemptible, reprehensible, etc.;—often used as a term of contempt or abuse; also in fig. context; also, one who has incurred misfortune through reprehensible conduct;
(b) a miser, niggard;
(c) a lazy person, an idler;
(d) ?one who is paltry or insignificant; ?one who is little; so litel a ~;
(e) a worthless thing, a paltry thing.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15399 : Att te lattste drunncnenn þeȝȝ Þa wrecchess, þatt hemm trowwenn, Inn hefiȝ sinness depe wel.
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)239 : Wat sceol se wrecce don, þe bufon iseȝð his hlaford þe he ȝegremed afeð?
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)41/444 : Þreates tu me, wrecche? Þe schal iwurðen, godd hit wat, godes þe wurse.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)198/7 : Se heh ȝeoue nes neauer iȝeuen to se lahe wrecchces.
- a1250(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Tit D.18)107/1404 : Hu wrakeliche wenestu wule al o wraððe wreken o þe, wrecche?
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9729 : We scullen…nimen þene lome mon…and halden þene wræcche a þat he for-wurðe.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1669 : Wultu, wreche, wið me fiȝte?
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)1584 : Ȝeo me for-hoȝede and held me for wrecche.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1005 : Wel we wutez þat þis wrechche, þat scholde ore chief beo, he is fals and for-sworen.
- a1350 In a fryht (Hrl 2253)39 : Betere is taken a comeliche y cloþe…þen a wrecche ywedded so wroþe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)270/15 : Ne byeþ naȝt þyestre, ne byeþ naȝt ontrewe…robberes, wrechen, louieres of þe wordle.
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.183 : Alle wrecches shullen ben dampned & tourmented wiþouten ende.
- 1372 In bedlem is (Adv 18.7.21)69 : Þe wrechis him wroutten michil wo.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2689 : Þou auetrolle! þou vile wrecche! Here þou shalt þine endyng fecche.
- ?c1400 PPl.Z (Bod 851)Prol.73 : Forthy lak y nat tho lordus; lawes they kepe, Ant saueth vs fro sorwes of synfol wrochus.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)5/21 : Fals wretche and forsworn, whider wiltou fare?
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4436 : Betere it is þat we out renne þenne as wrehches in hous to brenne.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)298 : Now is, Bethleem, þy bost y-broȝt to an ende; Jerusalem & Ierico, for-juggyd wrecchys.
- c1450 Hoccl.Cupid (Frf 16)310 : The feythles wrechch, how hath he him for-swore!
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)2 : Amonge ws synfull wrechys he oweth to be magnyfyede.
- a1500(?a1425) Chester Pl.Antichr.(Pen 399)509/513 : Whrecchis! Golys! Ye ben blent.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)203/19 : Aryse, wricche, aryse and do clothe the with þyn habytte.
- a1500(1465) Leversedge Vision (Add 34193)129/649 : I, a synfulle wrekche, have grestes cause to gife laud and prasing to God.
- a1500 GRom.(Glo 42)781/23 : Turne to me, þou synfull wrethe [read: wreche], and I schall take þe.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)754 : Alaas þat lordes of þe londe leueþ swiche wrechen And leneþ swiche lorels for her lowe wordes!
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)188/1 : He hedde þet mestier uor to ssette þe porses of þe wrechchen þet hi ne ssolle by open to do elmesse.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2793 : Vse…thy richesses that thow hast ygeten in swich a manere that men haue no matere ne cause to calle thee neither wrecche ne chynche.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)309 : Þeroff am i no wrech; I bade felowes to my dynere.
c
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)9.252 : He…was a wrecche, and wolde nat trauayle.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.933-4 : Dulcarnoun called is ‘flemyng of wrecches’; It semeth hard, for wrecches wol nought lere For verray slouthe or other wilfull tecches.
d
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)683 : He that was full fierce and prowde hadde shame to iuste with so litill a wrecche.
e
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)2/13 : Mis-bileuede men…heheden & hereden heþene maumez, of stanes & of stockes, wrecches iwrahte.
- a1325 Prov.Hend.(Cmb Gg 1.1)st.25 : Worlde is love nis but a wreche.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.889 : A kynges herte semeth by hyrs a wrecche.
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)617 : Alle þe mawmettes fellen…wrecches ful of sorcerie.
3.
(a) As surname or epithet;
(b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.277, 278].
Associated quotations
a
- (1221) Nickname in SAU 63206 : Adam Wreche, Wrich’.
- (1285) Pat.R.Hen.III ()205 : John le Wroche.
- a1500(1465) Leversedge Vision (Add 34193)125/538 : I charge þe…þat þou calle þe William Wreche.
b
- (1182) EPNSoc.23 (Oxf.)199 : Wrechewich.
- (1211) in Ekwall Dict.EPN ()513 : Wrechewic.
- (1252) EPNSoc.23 (Oxf.) ()199 : Whercwyk.
- (1272) EPNSoc.23 (Oxf.) ()199 : Wechewik.
- (1278-9) EPNSoc.23 (Oxf.)199 : Wrehtkewyk.
- (1279) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.162 : Wrethewode.
- (1285) EPNSoc.23 (Oxf.)199 : Wrenchewyk.
- (1316) EPNSoc.23 (Oxf.)199 : Wretchwike.