Middle English Dictionary Entry
braunchen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | braunchen v. Ppl. bra(u)nched. |
| Etymology | From braunch ; cp. OF ppl. branch-u, -ié. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of a plant: to send out shoots or branches; fig. to flourish; (b) braunched, braunching, having branches or limbs; also, having many branches or limbs.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ecclus.39.19 : Brauncheth [L frondete] in to grace.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Heb.9.4 : Þe ȝerde of Aaron þat braunchide [WB(1): florischide].
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)29.129 : A gret tre it wax trewly and gan to brawnchen & schadwen ful fere.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)17b : To branch: frondere, frondescere, frondare.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)754 : Vnder a tri appeltre..þat was braunched ful brode.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Jer.17.2 : Of ther maumet wodus and of ther braunching trees [WB(2): trees ful of boowis] in heeȝe mounteynes.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.159 : Thurgh out his armure it wol kerue and byte, Were it as thikke as is a braunched ook.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.23v : The grene [read: grete] junipere is as heyh as firze þat þey callen whyn; his stok blakkysh, braunched & leuyd mykel lik saueyn or cypres fro fer & euermore grene
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1962 : Like þe bowes of a braunchid oke Was al his heer & his longe berde.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Deut.12.2 : Thik braunchid tree [WB(2): tre ful of bowis; L lignum frondosum].
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.544 : A top [of a fig tree], iij braunched thende, Of ij yeer age or iij..is wonne.
2.
braunched, (a) of blood vessels, nerves: forked, ramified; (b) of a stone: having veins; (c) of a family tree or of descent: ramified; roial ~, of royal descent.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)55b/a : Þilke parties ben I braunchid & I forked and departid as a ȝerde.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)158/16 : Þere is a braunchid veyne..& is dyuydid in two parties, oon arisynge, anoþir discendynge.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)9b/b : Þise vessels..bene forked..And euery parte is ramified i. braunched.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)19a/a : Þe veynes myserayces, innumerable I braunched.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)21b/a : Þe veynes and þe arteries & þe synowes, how þay be braunchede & sente to þe lower parties.
- a1440 Palmistry (1) (DgbR 4)25 : If the same lyne be brawnched vpwardus, it signifieth exaltacion.
- ?a1500 Veynes þer be (SeldSup 73)60 : A Branched veyne.
b
- a1450 Dc.291 Lapid.(Dc 291)25 : This accate..was blacke & whyte braunched.
c
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3540 : But the trouth..rede of goddes the Genologye..I-braunched out vpon twelue trees.
- c1475 Lydg.Hen.VI Coron.Ballade (Hrl 2251)p.141 : Most noble prince..Royal braunched, descended from two lynes.
3.
To spread out from a center, radiate.
Associated quotations
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8750 : As beamys of bright sun, þat braunchis olofte.
4.
To subdivide (a generic moral concept).
Associated quotations
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)23/19 : It is bettir..þat meenal vertu, takun as it were in general..be departid and braunchid ferþir into his membris.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)24/8 : Þanne departe and braunche meenal moral vertu into his spicis.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)150/706 : In þe neþer party of þe lyvere begynnys a vayne þat is called vena ramosa (þe branchynge vayne), & þat skylfully, for fra hyt commis out all oþer vaynys of þe body, as all þe branchys of a tre out of an roote. It is alsa called lactea porta or porta lactis (mylk ȝete or mylk gate) for þis skyll: for it undyrfangys & resavys fra þe stomac a mater as whyt as mylk.
Note: New combination (and new sense).
Note: Quot. belongs to a new sense 2b.; make the current entry (sense 2.) sense 2a..
Note: Gloss: braunching veine, the portal vein, which supplies the liver with blood that has circulated in the abdominal organs; in medieval physiology, believed to convey chyle from the stomach and intestines to the liver, where it was transformed into blood.
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.--notes per MLL