Middle English Dictionary Entry
yexen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | yexen v. Also yoxen, ȝexin, ȝesken, ȝixin, ȝiske, ȝoxen, ȝosken, (N) yiske; sg.2 (error) þikvs; p. yoxed, etc. & (error) ȝeykyd. |
| Etymology | OE giscian, geocsian. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To hiccup; also, belch;
(b) ?to yawn, gulp, or swallow convulsively; also, ?gasp [2nd quot.];
(c) to sob;
(d) transl. of L esse in syncopi.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)96 : Homme mache et loreie: M. chewith and ȝeskith.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.4151 : Ful pale he was for dronken…He yexeth [vrr. ȝoxeth, ȝesketh, ȝexeþ] and he speketh thurgh the nose As he were on the quake or on the pose.
- c1400 MS Arun.42 in Camd.89539 : Anet—the sed coct, and al hot put to þe nostrelle, soffreth noȝt to galpyn, ne to rospyn, ne to ȝexyn.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)154b/a : Ȝif men be wounded in þe wombe, ȝif þat þei happen to fnees ofte oþer to ȝiske oþer to falle in to a flixe, for þe moste partie þei dien.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)539 : Ȝyxyn…singulto.
- a1475 Gilb.Angl.(Wel 537)166/8 : If þe stomake be y-feblid and ȝoskiþ of a long fluxe…þou shalt dieten þat man with comfortable þingis.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)298 : Be yoxinge ne bolkynge ne gronynge neuer þe more.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)150/33 : If it be so þu þikvs [Lambeth: yf þou fele a bitter balchinge; Ashmole: yf thow reche sourely] and reise wynde, with qwyche wynde þer rysyth a byttir and a sowr matere fro þe stomake, yt betokynnyth a cold stomak.
b
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)4 Kings 4.35 : The child ȝoxide [WB(1): brethed; L oscitavit] seuene sithis, and openyde the iȝen.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)29/3 : Agayn he suld dy he began at yiske.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1536 : Sore wepinde he wende forth; he ȝoxede and siȝte wel ofte.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)312 : Þe bysshop balefully bere doun his eghen Þat hade no space to speke so spakly he ȝoskyd.
- c1500(a1450) ALacrim.(Hrl 2274)p.271 : Oftyn for loue both pale & wan I yoxed and wepyde tenderly.
d
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)29a/7 : I ne sawe neuer noon that afterwardes ȝeykyd and had quakyng of hert [L fuit in sincopi & tremore cordis] and speciale with outyn pouȝ as this was þat ascapid.