Middle English Dictionary Entry
wrīen v.(2)
Entry Info
Forms | wrīen v.(2) Also wri(e, wriȝen, wrei, (N) wregh; sg.3 wrieth, etc. & wriheth, wris; pl. wrieth, etc. & wrin; p. wried, wriet, wride; ppl. wried(e, iwriid, wreȝt, wreight. |
Etymology | OE wrigian |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To turn; also, writhe, wriggle; ~ awei-ward, twist in all directions, be askew; ppl. wriinge, moving in a twisting or contorted way, staggering;
(b) to avert one’s body or face, turn away; go away, depart; also, move out of the way; ~ awei (awei-ward);
(c) of the sun: to incline (downward), turn its course.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390 Disp.GM & Devil (Vrn)381 : Bet him…Þat his teþ al to-breste, Or on þe hed ponne hard, Þat he go wryȝinge þenneward.
- c1390 Serm.GEd.(Vrn)46 : Þe ffisch…wroþly wrieþ on þe Crok.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2516 : He…shewid his hondis tho Strecching forth his fyngirs…Without knot or knor, or eny signe of goute; And clyȝte hem efft ageyns, riȝt disfetirly, Som to ride eche othir, & som a-weyward wry.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)49/8 : Þat kyng þat ys yn þe mydyll…wryde bakward tohys felow byhynd, and pytte hys hond vp, schewing hym þe sterre.
b
- a1350 Heȝe louerd (Hrl 2253)45 : Þat feyre founden me mete ant cloht, hue wrieþ awey, as hue were wroht.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3283 : With hir heed she wryed faste awey; She seyde, ‘I wol nat kisse thee.’
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.262 : This Phebus gan aweyward for to wryen; Hym thoghte his sorweful herte brast atwo.
- a1450(?c1405) Lerne bodyly (Dgb 102)54 : Ȝif she grucche wiþ þe to rage, And alway fro the wole wrye, Bete here, and ȝeue here non oþer wage.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)1352 : He toke his knyfe And to the Steward it threw egrely; The steward saw that and did wry, And drew him som dele aside.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)5957 : He ran to him ful egrelie; From him som dele he wold haue wried Whan his fel comyng he aspied.
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)2817 : When he felde þe foule taste, He wryed away al in haste.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)475 : If men carpe of hir kyn, a-waye will scho wry; Hir fadir and hir modir fayne wolde scho hele And hyde.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.14 : How dull & deef is he, Wrieng awey from wrechys when þei clepe.
c
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.906 : The sonne Gan westren faste, and downward for to wrye.
2.
(a) To deviate from a straight line or course; be crooked, twisted, or bent in shape; also in fig. context; ~ abouten;
(b) to be turned (in a certain direction), face; ~ upon, be facing toward (the south).
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 SMChron.(Add 19677)932 : He…fonde a flecchere sitte…he wynkede…& lokede with his oþer eye Þat his bolt schold noȝt wrie & þat hit myȝte wel fleie.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2791 : Then shalt þowe se an entre…Thouȝe it be streyt to-fore…It growith more & more, & as a dentour wriythe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)229/20 : Be þe ryth syde ȝe xal vndyrstonde mercy And on þe lefte syde lykkenyd dysperacion, And þe patthe be-twyn bothyn þat may not wry Schal be hope and drede to walke in perfectly.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)76a/b : It is fourmed in þe ende þat schulde be putt in to þe vale of þe heed wriynge aboute lijk an instrument of a wiyn presse.
b
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.347 : Lest the sonne in somer do hit harm, Thi somer hous northest & west let wrie.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.438 : The same side vppon the sowth to wrye…is holden husbondrie.
3.
(a) To turn (the neck), twist; turn (one’s head or face) away, avert; also in fig. context; ~ awei;
(b) ppl. wriede, bent, crooked; bowed, curved; of the neck or foot: twisted, sprained.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 Chaucer TC (Hrl 3943)4.9 : From Troylus she [Fortune] gan her bright face Awey to wrye, and toke of hym non hede.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2)776 : When a wommon cometh to þe…sum-what þy face from hyre þou wry.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)285 : Wrye not youre nek a doyle as hit were a dawe.
- a1500(1413) ?Hoccl.Poems PS (Eg 615)p.lvi/158 : To tho that aske the for-gevenesse It sittith the nought to wrye awey thin face.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)152/4 : Than makyd Nero a Sharpe Swerde to florysh ouer Seneca is hede, And Seneca…wriet the hede atte the tretyngis of the Swerde.
- a1500 ?Ros Belle Dame (Cmb Ff.1.6)331 : But sone thei cane away her hedes wrye.
b
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)527/15 : Tokenes…of euel doynge for synnes of þe bodyes ben openly knowen…when þat þe ȝerde is schort and wryede and euel-made.
- c1450 Kynge of grace (Trin-C B.11.24)138 : The rayn bowe Iwryyd schalle be Grymlyche In syȝth for to see.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)306/1000 : If a mannys fote be wreȝt, al medecyns that be goode for wrenchynges.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)82/28 : The Cristen man…found hym cast downe fro the mvle, and his shynne broken, and his nek wreight.
4.
(a) ?To turn (a foe) aside forcefully, force back;
(b) of a shoe: to bind, pinch, cause discomfort;—used in fig. context; ?error for wringen v.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)9906 : Of hym they had the victetory, So sore her aduersaries dyd they wrey [vr. wry].
b
- c1425 Chaucer CT.Mch.(Petw 7)E.1553 : My neighbours…Sein þat I haue þe most stedefast wiff…But I woote best wher wrieþ [Heng: wryngeth] my shoo.
5.
(a) To have recourse (to Christ), turn; resort (to sth.), be given;
(b) to be or become unresponsive, turn aside; ~ awei; ~ (awei) from, reject (sb. or sth.), turn away from; also in fig. context;—also refl.;
(c) ~ from, to escape from (sth.), avoid;
(d) to stray from the rightful course of action, err; also, go amiss; ~ wronge;
(e) ?to be ascendant (over sth.), be dominant;
(f) to turn out; work out (to a certain end); of an utterance: to have as its upshot; the male wrieth, the case turns out (in a certain way).
Associated quotations
a
- c1275 Hwenne so wil wit (Clg A.9)7 : Hwenne-so wil to wene wrieð, Þe ofo of wisdom is to-tore.
- ?c1400 Earth(2) (StJ-C E.24)st.3 : Erthe on thys erthe to covytise wryyþ.
- a1450 SLeg.Suppl.Bod.(Bod 779)341/282 : On of þe viue maydenus…þorwȝ crisaunt-his preching toward crist gan wrye.
b
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)17/202 : To þe worchip of þis world þai wryn fro me away.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)43/916 : He…wrys away fro Godys word to his wyckydnes.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)46/995 : Wry not fro Godis word as þe wroþ wynd.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1672 : Dame Meknes, in ȝour myth I wyl me wryen fro wyckyd wreche.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)627 : An ydole of fals portrayture Ys she, for she wol sone wrien.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1169 : Yf he woll be obstinate…No merveille thoughe merci doo fro hym wrye.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)112/36 : Ȝe wryeth away and grucched to come to me [Christ].
c
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)270/7 : Pilatus…That wrecche may not wrye fro my werkis.
d
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)1702 : I rede we…leue þer fendes euer mare, Þat we noght wregh ne falles noȝt jn, Als dyd kyng pharro for hys syn.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)354/182 : We twoo schall see tille aythir side, For ellis þis werke will wrie all wrang.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3436 : Yee burgeysis all, Sittith vp-ryȝt, & wrijth nat…ffor, & yee deme vntrewly…Yee shull be refourmyd.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.84 : No manere mede shulde make him wrye.
- a1475 Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)5144 : For þat he climbeþ ouer hye, He may happe somtime to wrye.
e
- a1450 Whan wille ouere (Add 36523)p.10 : Whan wille ouere wyt wryes þan goth wille witte byforn.
f
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.197v : Jentiles answered with trowble chere, 'haue ye nat shrynes of golde and seluer full of dede mennes bones?' And they, vnderstandyng weder her answere wryed, made hure seyntes shrynes bare and spoiled hure crucifixes and blewe hure chaleys.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.2219 : Three sundry men þan arn thei…And eke oo god—hough acordeth this tale? Al a wrong, me thenketh, wriheth the male.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)114 : J wole that the tale be turned oother weys, that is to sey, that it turne as bifore is seyd, wryinge to my wurshipes, so that at the eende my preysinge be brouht ayen and confermed.
- c1475 A philosophre (Hrl 372)p.43 : The male so wryes That no kunnyng may prevayl…Ayens a wommans wytt.