Middle English Dictionary Entry
brā̆nd n.
Entry Info
| Forms | brā̆nd n. Also brond, braund, brend. |
| Etymology | OE brond, brand. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Burning fuel, a fire or flame; a firebrand or torch; setten ~, start a fire or conflagration; (b) a cinder or coal; ?~ col, charcoal; (c) firewood; (d) in prov. expressions.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)81 : Her of me mei ane forbisne of twa brondes, hwanne þe an is aquenched al to gederes, and þe oðer is aquenched al buten a gnast.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)116a : Hwen fur is wel o brune & me wule þet hit aga, me sundreð þe brondes [Cleo: brendes].
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)605 : Of helmes & sheldes þat fyr out went so sparkes doþ of brondes.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2338 : It made a whistlynge As doon thise wete brondes in hir brennynge.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.157 : Silla..axede brondes [L faces] forto sette the citee on fuyre.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.2095 : Forth vp on his wey he glood As sparcle out of the bronde.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4089 : Ther lay certein wode cleft..Sche..put hem in the fyri hete And tok the brond with al the blase [etc.].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)153a/a : Brennyng brondis beþ y quenchede & quenchede brondes ben y tende.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2873 : If þou a brand [Göt, Trin-C: brond] þar-in wil cast, þe fire it haldes þar stedfast.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1855 : Hij..setten fyre and wilde bronde [vr. bround] Quyk on kyng Darryes londe.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1012 : As a fornes ful of flot þat upon fyr boyles When bryȝt brennande brondez ar bet þer anunder.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9041 : Þey..lykned hit [a comet] til a dragoun. Two brondes come out of his mouþ, þat lightned Est, West, & Souþ.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)13.543 : Owt he sprang As fyr Offe brond.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3138 : He bad na beren be sa bald..a brand for to kyndill.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)47/117 : Take þis brennyng bronde.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)215/28 : Thou shalt ordayne thy knyghtes in this manere..the Swerde mene..the Iusters wyth Speris..tho that shall caste brondys of fyre brandynge.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)35 : Ryght as the Sparke makid the brond come, Also the brond shall make the fyre come aftyr.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Zech.3.2 : Wher this is not a dead brond [L torris] rauyshid of the fijr?
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2 : Þe borȝ, brittened and brent to brondez and askez.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)84/219 : Take vertgresse, arnement, brymstone, and brandekele [?read: brandekole].
c
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)77/26 : Abraham..made Isaak to ber wod to bren hymself wyth..Abraham made an auter of þe brondys, and set hom on fure.
d
- ?a1300(c1250) Prov.Hend.(Dgb 86)st.16 : 'Betere is on ey wiþ heste Þen on oxe wiþ cheste. Este ben owene brondes, 'Quad Hending.
- ?a1300(c1250) Prov.Hend.(Dgb 86)st.43 : Þe child..draweþ is hond Fro þe leye an fro þe brond, Þat is enes ibrend.
2.
A torch for illumination.
Associated quotations
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1129 : Myd lanternes and myd brondes & myd oþer armes hi come þere.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)676 : And in lanternes bare þai lyght, And som bare brandes brynand bright.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)266/320 : With brondis vnbrente.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)17b : A Brande: fax..facula..teda.
3.
Fig. (a) Of Cupid, Venus, the Furies: a torch for kindling love, wrath, etc.; (b) something that arouses passion; a burning passion; ~ of envie (love); (c) of the sinful: fuel for Hell.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1485 : Cupide, which the brond afyre Bar in his hond..was the Sire of the Stomak, which builleth evere.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1777 : So sore hath Venus hurt hym with hir brond As that she bar it dauncyng in hir hond.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3715 : Venus haþ marked hem of newe With hir brondes fired by feruence, And inflawmed be sodeyn influence.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1482 : Cupide, By..the feruence of his firy brond, Her metyng first fortuned hath so wel.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3706 : This lady [Venus] brought in hir right hond Of brennyng fyr a blasyng brond.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2252 : At the feste redy ben..The Furies thre with al here mortal brond.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.60 : Veer their Venus brond hath tende.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)240 : Huo þet wyle quenche þet uer of lecherie ine him-zelue, he ssel wyþdraȝe þe brondes þet byeþ þe lostes of þe ulesse.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1782 : Swiche a brond to brede Of new envie in þe kynges breste.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4236 : Þou [Helen] haste vs brouȝt in meschef & in were, Kyndled a brond to sette vs alle a-fere!
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)633 : I dar not wele..tellen hou þe fire Of louis brond is kindled in my brest.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)54/7 : Delicious metes and drinkes..bene..kindelers of the brondes of lecherye.
c
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)13/25 : Ȝe maken him helle broond.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)2766 : Thou dampned brond þat art euer brent in helle.
- a1450(?c1405) Mannys soule (Dgb 102)37 : He wyst hym self shuld go to helle..Þe mo brondes, þe hattere brynne.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)921 : Þou hast made thee a bronde of hell, Whom I made þe ymage of lyght.
4.
(a) A sword; also, a blade; (b) ~ egge, edge of a sword; (c) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5083 : Awei he warp his gode breond [Otho: brond].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7634 : Wæs þe stelene brond swiðe brad & swiðe long.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25817 : He hafte bi his side enne brond al of stele.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27519 : Mid bronden [Otho: brondes] to-hawen.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)2363 : Þe brond [vr. bront]..blikede buuen hire.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)46/3 : [Þ]e reue..het..þet me hire heued..wið blikinde & bitel brond to-tweamde from þe bodie.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2353 : Tristrem wiþ his brand Fast gan to fiȝt.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1192 : He..blessed..wiþ his briȝt bront a-boute in eche side.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2082 : Gyoun þanne adrow is brond & ȝif him a strok with mayn.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7587 : And vte his suerd þan drou daui, And hedded him wit his aun brand [Trin-C: brond].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1246 : Nabizardan..bede al to þe bronde under bare egge.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.26 : A swerd or a knyf..þes brondis þat þus done harme to preestis.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)173/137 : I xal rappe þo rebawdys..with my bryght bronde.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)671 : A brod sheld and a bright bround.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)246 : Her brondes of stiell.
- c1550(?a1475) Otterburn (Cleo C.4)st.10 : I haue..Wyth my brande dubbyd many a knyght.
b
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7926 : And I thi bane for to be with my brond egge.
c
- (1103-15) in Fransson Surn.152 : Spilemanus brandwirchte.
5.
An upright timber (usually carved or otherwise ornamented) at the bow of a ship, beak. [Cp. OI brand-r; see Sandahl ME Sea Terms 1 38.]
Associated quotations
- (1296) Newcastle Galley in Archaeol.Ael.4.2176 : In vno ligno empto..ad Brand' Bargie.
- (1296) Newcastle Galley in Archaeol.Ael.4.2183 : In C de folio argenti ad brand' Galee depingend'.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2541 : Þe galey rente wiþ þe bronde Jnto þe see.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)598 : Panter is..blac so bro [read: brond] of qual mið wite spottes sawen al.
Note: New form: Also..(early) (?error) bro.
Note: New combination for sense 1.(b): "~ of col, ?a piece of coal; ?charcoal."
Note: In sense 1.(b), the combination ~ col may actually belong to brennen v., sense 6.: "brent col, charcoal."
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--all notes per MLL