Middle English Dictionary Entry
cāren v.
Entry Info
| Forms | cāren v. Also carien. |
| Etymology | OE carian |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
To grieve, be sad; be troubled or vexed; lament, wail; ~ for, ~ of, grieve for (sb.), be sad about (sth.), lament (sth.).
Associated quotations
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)243 : Þa cearodon þa sunder halȝan..for ðan þe se helende under-feng þa sinfullan.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)24/394 : Moni þing schal ham wreaðen & gremien & make to carien.
- a1250 Cristes milde moder (Nero A.14)43 : Þer ne schulen heo neuer Karien ne swinken.
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)167 : Of is lijf he was a-nuyd and wolde beo ded wel fawe; he sat and carede of is lijf.
- c1300 SLeg.MPChr.(LdMisc 108)25,29 : Heo nadden with hem bote anne lof; þare fore heo careden ech one..ȝe carieth for defaute of brede.
- a1350 Ich herdemen (Hrl 2253)9 : Þus we carpeþ for þe kyng & carieþ ful colde.
- a1350 Ichot a burde in boure (Hrl 2253)79 : For hire loue y carke ant care.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)315/295 : I rede we rysen vp him to take ffor þe Emperoures sake, þat Day and Niht for Pers cares.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.226 : Envious takth his gladnesse Of that he seth the hevinesse Of othre men; for his welfare Is whanne he wot an other care.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1212 : Lat hym care and wepe and wrynge and waille!
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24248 : It es þi kind for me to care [Phys-E: kar], Bot sua i will þou do namare.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)674 : Al þat seȝ þat semly syked in hert..Carande for þat comly.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)27/1 : Calays men, now mai ȝe care..Mirth on mold get ȝe no mare.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.462 : Now foule falle hire for thi wo that care [rime: Pandare].
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)76 : Al that nyȝt the moder cared and prayed for hir dere sone.
- a1450 SLeg.Barlaam (Bod 779)518 : He caryd boþe nyȝt & day & þolid moche wo.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)363/230 : A, brother Johan, we may syhyn and care.
2.
To be afraid; ~ of (ayen, for), fear (sth.), dread.
Associated quotations
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)32/524 : Þe [?read: Þu þe] carest agein þi pinunge þraen.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)20/175 : Of þulliche nesche wepnen ich mahte carien summes weis.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)12b : Hwen se hali mon & se wis & se war lette hire edstearten, sare mei an oðer of hire fluht carien.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)441 : He carede laste he were bi-cherd.
- c1300 SLeg.Lucy (Hrl 2277)158 : Oure tuei wiþerewynes..Deoþ riȝt nou to noȝt ibroȝt; ȝe ne þore of hem noȝt care.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3182 : 'Whi carestow?' sede þe quene, 'knew þow nouȝt þe soþe?'
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3298 : Nay, therof care [vr. kare] thee noght.
- a1450 Pride Life (ChrC-Dub)82 : Deth comit..Welle aȝte al carye [rime: sparye].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2815 : And I be couird of my coth, care for na grekis.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)2807 : For dethe schulde he not car [rime: answar].
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)105/163 : Ye nede not to care if ye folow my sawe.
3.
(a) To be solicitous; ~ for, ~ of, be anxious about (sth.), worry about (sb.); (b) to consider (sth.) anxiously, think about carefully; (c) to take care (of sth.); ~ for, ~ of, attend to (sth.), provide for (sb.); ~ imbe, look after (sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)26/406 : Lutel þerf þu [Tit: þe] carien for þin anes liueneð, a meoke meiden as þu art.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6079 : Þe king..Carede of [vr. for] is ȝonge sones mest of alle þinge, Leste hii were defouled oȝt.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6371 : Icholle make þe hey mon..Þat þou ne ssalt of þin liflode neuere carie [vrr. kariȝe, care, cary] noȝt.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)158-9 : He ne carez noht to muche for his mete at non; For hous-hire ne for clothes he ne carez noht.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1773 : He cared for his cortaysye, lest craþayn he were, & more for his meschef, ȝif he schulde make synne.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)99 : Ne care thou nouȝt there-fore.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)563 : Kares nought for your kyng..Hee shall hye hym againe and help you faire.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)417 : He carede muche hou he miȝhte stilleliche it awei do.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)181/10 : He gan to louien hire in folie..And carede hov he miȝte best to ende his fole þouȝt bringe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1614 : Þat a such mon ssolde in helle be, he carede in is þoȝte.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.403 : Þat tyme Phelip cared besiliche who schulde be his heire.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.329 : Haue thow ynogh, what thar thee rekke or care How myrily that othere folkes fare.
- a1400 A son (Bal 149)13 : Þou schalt noȝt now care what þow schalt done.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)11 : The goode knight cared sore..How his children scholde lyuen after his day.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.670 : Com ofte, And careth nought what weder is alofte.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)235 : Hast þou of worldly goodes habundaunce, And carist how þat it i-kept be schal?
c
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)67/12 : Þeo abbodesse mid ealre embehydnisse cariȝe [L omnem sollicitudinem gerat] enba þo ȝyltenda swustra.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)6/47 : He wule carie [Tit: carien] for hire..of al þet hire bihoueð.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)32/541 : Þu most as moder carien for al þet hire limpeð to donne.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)126 : He ne þurte carie of non oþur weork, noþur to ripe ne mowe.
- c1450 ?Suffolk O cruell daunger (Frf 16)16 : Though thay ryght sore be boundyn in his lase [Y]it caryth he but lytyll for thayr ese.
4.
To have regard; ~ for, care about (sth.), want, wish for.
Associated quotations
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)2.132 : Þenne careden [vrr. cariede, caareden, cared] heo for Caples to carien hem þider.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1324 : That whoso myghte so wel fare, For better lyf durst hym not care.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)165 : Bot his cruche and his couche, he carede for no more.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)54/102 : Kepe þe well ffro synfull dede, and care not gretly ffor rych a-ray.