Middle English Dictionary Entry
brāke(n n.
Entry Info
| Forms | brāke(n n. Pl. brakenes, brākes, brackis. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. Swed. bräken, Dan. bregne. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Any one of a variety of ferns [see quot. ?a1450 Agnus Castus]; bracken; (b) ~ bush, a fern thicket; (c) brake of fern, fern-brake, a thicket of fern; (d) in place names [see A. H. Smith PNElem. 1.47].
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300 StJ.List Trees (StJ-C E.17)155 : Fugere: Brakan.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)156 : Feugere: brake, feryn.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1675 : Braken and erbes.
- (1417) J.Dernell in Nrf.Archaeol.15137 : A lode brakis fro yo Heth xij d.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)644/17 : Hic felix: brakyn.
- (c1438) MKempe B (Add 61823)240/38,39 : Þe seyd creatur saw an hep of brakys in an hows..sche purchasyd grace to restyn hir on þe brakys þat nyth.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)47 : Brake: Filix.
- (1449) Let.Garneys in SIANH 4 (Add 19112)95 : Brom and brakes there grouying.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)157/3 : Filix is an herbe þat men clepe fern or brake..on is clepyd fern, Anoþer..osmwnd, þe thrydde..evourverroun, anoþer polipodye.
- ?a1450 Arderne LW (Em 69)110 : Fugeyre i. brakene.
- (1450) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99240 : Pro adquisicione de lez brakennez ad tecturam.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)62 : The breris and the brakans were blody by-ronnen.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)306/455 : The rotys of polypodye, þat is wylde brake.
- 1468 Medulla (StJ-C C.22)40 fn. : Filix: A brak.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)19/107 : Erbys and gresse..and brake.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)17b : A Brakan: filex.
- c1500 I muste go (Hnt EL 1160)12 : My bed schall be under þe grenwod tre, a tufft off brakes vnder my hed.
b
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)17b : Brakenbuske: filicarium, filicetum.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)712/4 : Brakynbuske.
c
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)47 : Brakebushe or fernebrake: Filicetum, filicarium.
- c1500(?c1450) Wedding Gawain (Rwl C.86)25 : The hartt was in a braken ferne.
- ?1482 Rev.Monk Eynsham745 : There was vndyr the farthyr syde of thys hylle a full depe valeye and a derke, set with bocis and brackys on euery side.
- c1500(?c1450) Wedding Gawain (Rwl C.86)44 : Doun the dere tumblyd so deron, And felle into a greatt brake of fferon.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Need quots. for sense (d).--per MJW.
Note: Rev.Monk Eynsham quot. added to sense (c) for spelling. It is not clear, however, how many words have been combined in this entry. OED treats the evidence under three entries: bracken n. ('bracken, fern'), brack n.(4) (' = bracken'), and brake n.(2) ('thicket'). Sense (c) especially ('thicket') of the MED entry might justifiably be regarded as a different word, for which cp. the Low German phrase 'busk unde brake' (Rev.Monk Eynsham: 'bocis and brackys'; cited by OED s.v. brake n.(2)).