Middle English Dictionary Entry

bringen v.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

Note: Cp. ibringen.
1.
(a) To bring (sth.), fetch, lead, convey, take, send; ~ awei, chase away; ~ into, drive (sb.) into (a place); (b) ~ biforen (toforen), to bring (sb.) into the presence of; also, say (sth.) in the presence of; ~ hom, bring (sb.) home, bring in (a crop); bring home (a wife), marry; (c) ~ in (on) hond, to introduce (a custom, a religion); ~ into world, give birth to, beget; ~ on (til, to) erthe, ~ to ground (pit), bury (sb.); ~ to bar, bring (sb.) to trial; ~ to hond, bring into (someone's) hands, deliver; werre ~ on hond, make war on (sb.); (d) to bring (humility, wisdom, etc.); ~ on; bring (sth. into one's mind); bring (bad luck, hunger, sorrow, help, etc.); ~ on, ~ upon; ~ to mind, ~ into (to) remembraunce.
2a.
To bring (sb. into, or out of, a state or condition).
2b.
(a) ~ aboven (alofte, up), to raise (sb.) in rank or power, exalt (sth.), elevate; ~ adoun (bihinde, binethen, doun, lou, nether, under, undernethe), to overcome (sb.), vanquish, humble, weaken (sth.), debase, destroy, do away with; ~ forth, exalt; also, refl. advance oneself; (b) ~ awei, refl. bring (oneself) off, escape; ~ ayen, bring back, restore; ~ forth, utter, say, speak; ~ in, seduce, deceive; ~ on, incite, entice, persuade; ~ up, come to land, stop; (c) ~ forth, adduce (sth.) as an example; bring in (as a witness), call upon (sb.); ~ in, introduce (sth. into a country, among mankind, etc.), bring (sth.) into (a conversation, argument, etc.); ~ up, introduce (a fashion); suggest (sth.), bring to mind; (d) ~ forth, rear (a child), bring up; raise (animals); educate (sb.); ~ up, bring up (a child), raise (an animal), foster (an abbey, etc.).
2c.
(a) ~ at (to) on, to join (two things) together; reconcile, unite; (b) ~ ayenes (on), bring (an accusation, etc.) against; (c) ~ in wordes, interpret (writing); ~ into exaumple, explain (sth.) with examples; (d) ~ of (o, a-) dawe, ~ of live(s dawe, ~ out of dawes, ~ of (o, fro, out of) live, kill (sb.); ~ out of kind, change the form or nature of (sth.), transform; ~ out of silver, cost (one) money; (e) ~ o brine, ~ on fir, set fire to (sth.); ~ o (on, a-) slepe, put (sb.) to sleep; (f) ~ to bai, bring (a beast) to bay; ~ to deth (dethes dawes), kill (sb.); ~ to (til) ende, finish (sth.), complete, carry out, fulfill; ~ to ground, overcome (sb.), conquer, subdue; ~ to hep, bring (sth.) about, succeed in (sth.); ~ to hond, get the better of, overcome; ~ to joint, put (dislocated bones) into joint; ~ to live, restore to life; ~ to pref, put (sth.) to the test; ~ to resoun, interpret (sth.); ~ to sege, overcome, subdue; ~ to womman, rear to womanhood; (g) ~ under fot (fet), conquer, subdue; (h) ~ with child, get (a woman) with child.
3.
To place (sth.), put, arrange; ~ in place, put (sth.) in its proper place or order; ~ on (a-) bere, place (sb.) on the bier; ~ on hors, remount (sb.); ~ to (in, a-) bed, put (sb.) to bed; also, bring to the marriage bed, marry, have intercourse with; ~ up, raise.
4.
(a) To give (sth. to sb.), bring (a gift, food, an offering, etc.); ~ to, ~ unto; (b) bring (laws); bring (greetings, a message, an answer, news, etc.); ~ to.
5.
To change (sth. into sth. else); reduce (sth. to powder, a book to a treatise, a fine to a smaller amount); make (birds tame, a story brief, something dirty clean); ~ to (til, into); ~ to nought, destroy, ruin.
6.
(a) To make (sth.), create, produce; cause (sth.); devise, say; bear (fruit, offspring); (b) ~ abouten (aboven), cause, do, make, devise; cause (sth.) to happen, accomplish; ~ forth, make (sth.), create, produce, cause; bear (crops, fruit, offspring), hatch (birds); ~ up, invent (sth.), produce (sth.); (c) make (sb. do sth.).
7.
To show (sth.), bear (a mark, scar); set (an example).
8.
Math. ~ into, to multiply (a number) by (another).
9.
Hawk. ~ to lure, ~ to reclaim, to recall (a hawk); fig. bring (sb.) up short, check, restrain.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1450 Eagle Magic in Tul.SE 22 (Add 34111)24/51 : Þe stones..y-bore aboute þe nek..shulle kepe from alle wykednesse of man and of best and of all wykyd spirites and breng alle godenesse.
  • Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(d).
  • c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)37 : I rehersid þe decre of þe kirk..þat no man here þe messe of þe prest þat he wot dowtles haþ a concubyn, or a womman suspect preueyli browt vndre.
  • Note: New subsense for sense 2b.(a).
    Note: Add to extant gloss: "~ under, to possess (a woman) sexually."
  • (1422) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.130/271 : These ben þe defautes & noisaunces founden with-in þe warde of þe toure by enquest to-fore John Michell, Alderman..William Brigis and John his man bringes vp newe Customes of diuerse men and wymen, ayenst þe Fredome of þe Cite, by faching of water..or pikyng of Chippes vpon þe commune Grounde, for whiche he maketh men to pay.
  • Note: New sense for sense 2b.(c).
    Note: Add to extant gloss: "~ up, to impose (a fee on sb.), levy."
  • (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.41.21 : 'Bringeþ to, if any thing par auenture ȝee han,' seiþ þe king of iacob; come þei neȝ & telle þei to vs what euer thingis ben to comen.
  • Note: New phrase for sense 2b.(c): ~ to.
    Note: Modify relevant portion of extant gloss: "~ forth (to), to adduce (sth.) as an example;--also without obj. [quot. a1382 ]; to call upon (sb.) as a witness, invoke; ~ in...."

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)175a/b : Medicyne caustice..bristeþ & brynneþ þe skyn & þe flesh..And it..indureþ, i. hardneþ, & bryngeþ into a cole [Ch.(2): stone; L carbonem] wiþout grete ake.
  • Note: New phrase for sense 6.(b): ~ into, to bring about (sth.), produce, conduce to.
    Note: "cole" = Med. a lump of darkened scarified tissue.
Note: Addition: in sense 2a., the gloss needs to be changed to "To bring (sb. or sth. into, or out of, a state or condition)." (See quot. c1425(a1420): "to bring our purpose to effect.")
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

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: See also broughtforth phr. as n. 'the product of multiplication.'