Middle English Dictionary Entry
yarwe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | yarwe n. Also yarowe, yar(r)ou, ȝarwe, ȝarewe, ȝarowe, ȝarou, ȝorou(gh, iarue, (early) yarewe, gearwe & (in place names) yarw-, yeru-, jerne-. |
| Etymology | OE gearwe, gearewe, gearuwe, gerue yarrow. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. mil-foil(e n.
1.
(a) The plant yarrow Achillea millefolium;—freq. used in medicinal recipes;
(b) ~ mele, prob. error for pimpernel(e n. or perh. wurmele n.;
(c) in place name [see Smith PNElem. 1.198].
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)129/19 : De millefoli, gearwe Anglice.
- c1300 Add.15236 Gloss.(1) (Add 15236)113/157 : Millefolium: gallice, milfoyl; anglice, yarewe.
- c1300 Add.15236 Gloss.(1) (Add 15236)117/298 : Venter apis, millefolium, supercilium Veneris…anglice, yarow.
- a1400 Add.15236 Recipes(3) (Add 15236)262.165 : Item, contra bottouns exeuntes et sanguine fluentes: Recipe yarou, feltwort, [etc.].
- c1400 To God (Wel 406)212 : Alle of þe herbys o Ierlonde Here þow schalt ham knowe eueri onde…Hertistonge, pollipody, yarrow, & confori.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)46b : Myllefoly haþe smale jaggid levis and many…some men calliþ hit yarowe.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)329/7 : If þai be not curede…wit mylfoyle, i. ȝarowe, [etc.].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)536 : Ȝarowe, myllefoyle, herbe for nese blederys: Millefolium.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)66/25,27 : Herbes þat are hate…cowesleppes, ȝarow, alisandre…sawge, iarue, mynt sarazine.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)176/11 : Millefolie is an herbe þat men clepe Millefoly or noseblod or ȝarwe.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)73 : Take ȝarewe and weybrode and stampe hem.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)111/23 : Take ȝorow and weybrede.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)120/22 : Take ȝorowgh, feþirfoy, and holy-hokke.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)425 : Ȝarowe: millefolium.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)711/26 : Millefolium: ȝarow.
b
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)98/7 : For wormis þat etyn teth: Take…þe reed ȝarow mele of þe eche [Thrn.Med.Bk. 18/4: pympernoll, smalache; Henslow Recipes 8/12: red purmele of þe heþ].
c
- (1232) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.221 : Jernerig.
- (1298) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.221 : Yarwrigg.
- (1328) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.221 : Yerurige.
- (1479) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.221 : Yarowryge.
2.
In combination wode ~, ? Cuckoopint Arum maculatum; ? Dragon arum Dracunculus vulgaris, perhaps by confusion with yere, yare n. (note the existence of 'petty yere' in the same author, to be identified with yarrow).
Associated quotations
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.34v : Aron: arona, lingua draconis minor, serpentaria media, serpentaria siluestris, dragancia siluestris, dragancea media, barba siluana maior, pes vituli, iarus or jarus maior, yarus or jerus siluestris, gerus siluestris, toxica siluestris, basilica siluestris, cocodrilla siluestris, colubrina siluestris.., basilicon or basilicona siluestris, venter apis; caluys fot, wodebane, wilde dragance, wode ȝarwe; erbe growyng in wodys & wodyssh placis, leuys mykel lyk dragaunce, floures & sed wonder lyk dragaunce.