Middle English Dictionary Entry
chevishen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | chevishen v. Also cheveshen, -ichen & chevice, -ise, -is, -es. |
| Etymology | From OF cheviss-, extended stem of chevir. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Fend (for oneself), exert (oneself), bear up, acquit (oneself); also conduct (oneself), carry on, get on; -- refl.; (b) to defend (oneself); justify one's behavior; guard (against sth.); -- refl.
Associated quotations
a
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)101 : If I nat can with resoun me cheuice, But wilfully fro reson me withdrawe.
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)285 : Whan þt fals fauel..Nat wite shal how hire to cheuyce, Ful boldely shal trouthe hir heed vp bere.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6425 : I Shal..pleyne me openly Unto my shrifte-fadir..And he shal cheveys hym for me.
- c1450(c1385) Chaucer Mars (Benson-Robinson)289 : Now shulde your holy teres falle and reyne. Alas..your emperise..ne can her not chevise!
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)99 : If alle weren of oo craft, pooreliche thei shulden chevice hem.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)175 : Oother weyse chevice me cowde j nouht.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)106/26 : Rebecca loued best..Iacob..bicause he coude best cheuisshe hym selff, and was of good puruiaunce.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)274/514 : Now sen it may no better be, Chevich the with it for me.
b
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)1082 : Auyse þi-self als þou has wroght, And cheues þe..If þou have done to him vn-ryght, On þi-self mon fall þe plyght.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)1641 : Tak him..And demes him how-so-euer yhe will, ffor faut in him kan I fynd nane..þarfor cheues yhow and him.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)10.73 : Vche in þis world þat haþ wys vnderstondinge Is Cheef souereyn him-self his soule for to ȝeme, And Cheuesschen him from charge.
- (1402) Hoccl.Cupid (Hnt HM 744)325 : O womman,how shalt thow thy self cheuyce, Syn men of thee so mochil harm witnesse?
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1750 : Ȝif..we bee ouercharggede, Eschewes to som castell and chewyse ȝour selfene.
2.
(a) To borrow (funds) on security or future income; obtain a loan at interest; (b) to lend money; ?furnish security; (c) to make a contribution (in a certain amount).
Associated quotations
a
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)74 : Chevystyn [Win: Chevychyn] or purveyn: provideo.
- (1450) RParl.5.205b : The same Officers..have..his plate and other goodes sold and in wed layed, and over that grete goode hath chevysed uppon his lyvelod, theruppon hereafter in divers yeres to be received.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2210 : Yif he counseyl to chevyssh sylveer Of thy Iowellys or thyn tresours, he is trewe.
- (a1452) Doc.in Kingsford EHist.Lit.(CotR 2.23)363 : That shall cause al marchandes to bryng as myche money as they may chevesshe.
- (1455) Paston (Gairdner)3.52 : Besechyng you that ye wol wochesafe to chevesshe for her at London xxti marke.
- (1469) Paston (Gairdner)5.48 : What money ye coude fynde the menys to get or chevysche uppon suerte sufficient, er uppon lyflod to be inmorgage er yit solde.
- (1475) RParl.6.129b : Uppon whiche lyvelode he can chevyssh no goode.
b
- (1430) Doc.in Sharpe London3.373 : Siþ we have founden yow redy and welwilling to chevese us of good at alle tymes ar þis..We pray yow..ye wol at þis tyme make un to us a prest of x ml marc repaiable [etc.].
c
- a1525(?1435) Cov.Leet Bk.172 : Ther was a letter send be our soueren lorde the kyng to the meire and bayllyves..for to Cheues of Vc marc'.
3.
Misc. (a) To carry out a command; (b) provide (oneself with sth.); (c) get or have (a child).
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8329 : Lete he noght..þat he ne it thoght to cheuis sua [Göt: for to do so].
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6409 : Cheues [other MSS: ches(e] þe..wit man an freck And ga fight a-pon amalec.
c
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)966 : Dof [read: Ðof] þou haue chevesed þee a chylde..For it it [read: is] geten of a god, thy gilt is þe lasse.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1463) Paston ()1.288 : I wold ye shuld send me word howghe ye doo and howghe ye have schevyste for your-self syn ye departyd hens.
Note: New form: P.ppl.: sheviste.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 Interpol.Rolle Ps.(1) (Trin-C B.5.25) 436/229 : God wiþdraweþ his honde to proue hem in her stondyng, and þei falle aȝeine to her olde custumes. It is no trist of her hele ȝif deeþ come or þei amenden hem, for bi mannes estimacioun synne leueþ alle suche, and þei not synne. But God and þei mon cheuische, for he wile do hem resoun.
Note: Editor: "cheuische (AL sheuen, H deme): MED chevishen v. does not give a sense entirely appropriate here, though its sense 2 'to borrow (funds) on security' may underlie this. The sense seems to be 'come to terms' (cf. Alford (1988), 27 but the verb in PPl A.10.73 is reflexive which here it is not)."
Note: ?New sense.