Middle English Dictionary Entry
yē adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | yē adv. Also yie, ȝehe, (N) yia, (early) ge & (error) þaa; for other forms see ye interj. |
| Etymology | OE gēa, (A) gǣ, gē(e, gī(ee adv. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Certainly, truly;—often used parenthetically with reduced semantic force;
(b) in collocation with nai: affirmatively, thus, so; ~ than nai, nai than ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)2411 : Whi ȝaff ȝho swillc anndswere?…Ȝa mihhte ȝho sket affterr þatt Wiþþ hire macche sammnenn…Whi ȝaff ȝho swillc anndswere onnȝæn, ‘Hu maȝȝ þis forþedd wurrþenn, Þatt I wiþþ childe muȝhe ben?’
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)33/11 : He…seið ha mei baldeliche iseon hali men, ȝe swucche as he is for his wide sleuen.
- ?c1250 PMor.(Eg 613(1):Furn.)p.24 : Al þat beste þat ge we habbet þider we scolde sende.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)508 : Þare-fore it is i-sene þat wel mo to helle wendez, ȝe ich drede swuche tene.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.471 : Han noght oure myghty princes to me yeuen, Ye, bothe power and auctoritee To maken folk to dyen or to lyuen?
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.12.8 : Trewly mannys sone is ȝhe lord of the sabot.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13050 : Do wai fra þe yon wicked womman; þou luues hir þaa [read: yaa] again þi liue.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)2 Cor.8.18 : We ha sent with hym ȝhe [L etiam] oure broþer luke.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.Lear (Göt Hist 740)315 : Flyttys rose and oft discordes…Yia, amanges þame full oft it tyd, Abouth seyr thynges samen þai chyd.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.55/2 : Therfore the Allone I trustid that my solace shulde come, Thou therfore, that thou mayist, ȝoe, and for thou mayste, helpe me, hauyng mercy of me.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)1029 : Degrebelle þe child hyght; The kyng of Iraelle mad hym knyght And prynce, ȝa, wyth his hande.
- a1450(?c1350) Pride Life (ChrC-Dub)462 : Loke þat þou aspye, Ȝe bi al þi miȝte, Of Deth and of his maistrye Qwher he durst com in siȝte.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)152/10 : I am þe comelyeste kynge clad in gleterynge golde, Ȝa, and þe semelyeste syre þat may be-stryde a stede.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)15/195 : Two, two now this is thre, yei, this also shall leif with me.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)107/34 : He was chased here and there as a wylde bore…Ye, so ferforth that aftir the discomfiture of his batailes ther was non othir helpe but to hide him in deserte places.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2408 : If thow hast myght to doon a thyng of which thow most repente, it is bettre nay than ye.
- (1397) RParl.3.379a : Whethir that we assentyd therto for to do it, trewlich and by my trowth I ne have now none full mynde therof, bot I trowe rather ȝe than nay.
- a1450(?1404) As þe see (Dgb 102)91 : Many can stomble at a stre, Þey nyl not snapere at a style, And graunte purpos nay and ȝee, Þouȝ his þouȝt be þens a myle.
2.
(a) Used to extend the meaning or suggest the inadequacy of a preceding term or phrase: and even, and beyond this, indeed; ~ and;
(b) used to clarify or reinforce a preceding phrase or clause: specifically, namely; also, and so;
(c) used to emphasize the universality of a preceding statement: even; ~ though (if).
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)65/570 : Eð were ure lauerd…toawarpen his unwine…wið an anlepi word, ȝe [Tit: ȝea] wið his an wil.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8586 : Þer was…a wind…So gret it com þat it fulde moni hous adoun, Ȝe mo þan six hondred.
- (?1387) Wimbledon Serm.(Corp-C 357)99/599 : Summe, ȝe þe most part, þat dieþ nowadayes dieþ bifore here kynde age of þe deþ.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2614 : Hij shulden hym senden, wiþ her despense, An hundreþ þousande and fyfty þerto, Ȝe, and tuenty þousande mo.
- c1400 PLove (Hrl 2254)29/16 : Ȝit more hit agreggid his bittirnesse, oure caytif vn-kyndenesse, þenne al his bodili peyne, þat we are so vnkynde to hym, and so litel deynte haue of þat dede þat he hym-self most chargeth, þat is his passioun, ȝehe & ȝit was his pyne moche more for compassioun of his modir.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)5/22 : Þere inne is no impediment but þat þou mai be a good man, a gret man, ȝe a kyng, an emperour, ȝif god wele it suffre.
- a1425 LFMass Bk.(Cmb Gg.5.31)12 : Ȝit suld þai neuer by fyft partie For all þaire craft, ȝa all þaire arte, Tel þe vertoue.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)62b/b : Þe trace of hym…may appere after a moneþ, a ȝere, ȝe after 7 ȝere.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)278/24 : O ȝe fendis, ȝhe and moore þan feendis, ȝe schuld at þe leeste hyde ȝoure synnes in þe siȝt of ȝoure sogetis.
- (1434) Misyn ML (Corp-O 236)116/20 : Here truly with litill payne, ȝa & with Ioy, to god if we drawe, All payn to cum we may eschew.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)36 : Y wolde se that oure Bible men whiche holden hem so wise bi the Bible aloone, ȝhe bi the Newe Testament aloon, [etc.].
- a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)57/1 : Þe puple of Rome…han sprad abrood hir empire…to all þe regiouns and contrees of the sonne, ȝe and into þe worldis ende.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)2.738 : He counseiled soo to on ruffyn, ye knowe it weel, Ya ouerewel.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)6 : Ȝe tok me…as an aungel, ȝe as Crist Jhu, for Crist spekiþ in me.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)48/25 : He þat findiþ ihesu findeth a gode tresore, yea gode aboue all gode.
- a1475 Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)6201 : Goddes mercy…passiþ alle þe leues þat springes On herbes, trees, and oþer þinges. Ȝe a þousand hundrid folde It passith al.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prols.Judith (Bod 959)7 : I assentide to ȝoure asking, ȝhe to ȝoure stedefast asking.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Ezek.33.13 : A iust man shal not mowe lyue in his riȝtwisnesse, in whateuer day he shal synne; Ȝhe, if I shal saye to the iust man, that in lijf he shal lyue, and he tristyng in his riȝtwisnesse shal do wickidnesse, alle his riȝtwisnessis shuln be bitaken to forȝetyng.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.417 : To the feste cristen folk hem dresse In general, ye bothe yonge and olde.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1946 : Ther inne is many a wilde best, Ye bothe bukke and hare.
- a1400 Þi wyckede dedis (Hrl 7322(1))4 : Þou þeng wel on þese þinges, yie, wat tou art, & wat tou were.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.156 : Her-of made he bokes, Ȝe busiliche bokes.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)5/24 : God þoruȝ þe prophete seiþ…þi losse & þin harme of þiself ariseþ, but þi hele & þi socour ariseþ of me, ȝhe & of noon oþer.
- ?a1450 Dives & P.(BodTh d.36)1.73 : A man þat forsakiþ þe world…ȝyueþ a ful greet ȝifte—ȝhe so greet a ȝifte þat a riche man as he kepiþ hise richessis with coueitise mai not ȝyue so mych as such a pore man ȝyueþ.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)84 : Þis is generaly ilk man holdyn to do, vndre gret peyn, ȝhe boþ of synne and of punisching.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)62/192 : Fyre shall bren this mydyll-erd, yei, erth and all ther apon.
c
- a1300 Ancr.(Cai 234/120)46/3 : Al þi wil schal beon iwraht, In heouene & in eorþe & ge get in helle.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.4.47 : He dampnyde by deeth these wrecches, whiche shulden be demyd innocentis, ȝea ȝif thei hadden ledde cause anentis Sithis.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.293 : This Augustus was so i-loved, ȝe among straunge naciouns, þat, [etc.].
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1726 : Trentals…delyuereth from penaunce Hir freendes soules…Ye whan that they been hastily ysonge.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.340 : From his love…A man mot twynnen of necessite—Ye though he love hire as his owene lif.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)23/7 : Be ȝe seruauntes sogetes to ȝour souereynes, ȝe þoow þei ben trewauntes.
- a1450(?c1405) Lerne bodyly (Dgb 102)61 : Thus make þe byknowe…Ȝe þouȝ þou be of feble fame, Bere good visage.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)101/16 : It wil not suffre þe to lygh longe in synne, ye þough þou feltist þerin delectacioun.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)10 : If þe pope…graunt swilk þingis to ilke man, ȝha wiþ out merit, or wiþ out God ledar before…who schal þan dout but þat þe pope and oþer selle swilk þingis synfully.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)79 : A iuge schal witnes bi his dome þat an oþer mannis þing is myn…ȝa þow he wit þat it is fals.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)76.11 : That dos nane bot he that forgetis all the warld, ȝa and him selfe and anly ioyes in god.