Middle English Dictionary Entry
claue n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | claue n.(1) Also clē, clō, clea, cleo, cleu, clei, clou; pl. claues, etc., claue(n, clen, cleon. |
| Etymology | OE clawu, clēa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A claw, talon; (b) a hoof; also, one of the divisions of a cloven hoof; cloven ~; (c) fig. a beast with hoofs; (d) pl. clutches, grasp; (e) ~ sik, disease of sheep: foot rot; ~ staffe, a pastoral staff, crosier.
Associated quotations
a
- c1150 Wenne Wenne (Roy 4.A.14)7 : He þe sceal legge..under earnes [?read: earmes] clea.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)153 : Þu hauest wel scharpe clawe.
- a1275 *St.Marg.(2) (Trin-C B.14.39)183 : Anoþer deuel..heuede eien on is cleu.
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)483 : Thei [devils]..With..Scharpe clauwes, longe nayled.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)61/12 : Nykeren..habbeþ..clauen of arn.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1109 : As a cat wolde ete fisshes Withoute wetinge of his cles.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)270b/a : Þey [spiders] spynneþ þredes..wiþ moderate feet and clawes [L ungue].
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2182 : Wiþ teeth and clowes he [wolf] gynneþ hem strepe.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)40 : She [otter] haþ a foot as a goos, for she haþ a litel skyn from þat oon cle to þat other.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5950 : Þe entrailles..Þis egle lete from his clees falle.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)193/33 : Oþer bestes..han vj feet And on euery foote ij large clawes [Eg: nailes; F vngles] trenchant.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.8/30 : He [the devil] throwythe dowyn men, and them so prostrate with horrible cleys of malice violently constrayneth.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)80 : Claw, or cle of a beste: Ungula.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1785 : The sweynte cat That wolde have fissh; but..He wolde nothing wete his clowes.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)102 : Take a crabbe or a lopster and stop him in þe vente with on of hire clees.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)24a : Take..þe Clawys of A Cone fote.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)667 : The catte sesed hym..so harde that his clawes griped thourgh his hauberke into the flesshe.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1225 : Oxe gaþ o clofenn fot & shædeþþ hise clawwess.
- c1300 Evang.(Dlw 22)79 : [W]en he [the hart]..of þat welle hauiz drunkin, His olde clos ant his olde her..Awei he castiz.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)68.36 : Ȝonge chalf bryngand out hornes and clees [NVPsalter: klees; L ungulas].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)274a/a : A maner wilde oxe..is clouefooted wiþ tweye clees in oon foot.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)301a/a : If sche calueþ byfore þat tyme..his [the calf's] clawes [L ungule] ben nouȝt complete.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)80 : A greet boor shal haue..þe clees rounde bifore.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.49.17 : An horned eddre in the path bitynge the cleen [WB(2): feet; L ungulas] of an hors.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.5.22 : Cleas [WB(2): howis; L ungulae] of hors fullen hem fleynge.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.705 : Take oxon yonge..With grete cleen [L vngulis].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5432 : Perlious bestis With clouen clees..as kynd of þe hoggs.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)81 : Take þe clawes of a goot [vr. þe clees or clawes of geet].
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)886 : Poetys a kowe hir feyned With cloven clees.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.9 (Hrl 2169)175 : [A] swyne fote wyth the klee on.
c
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ex.10.26 : There shal not leeue a clee of the thingis that ben necessarie into the heriyng of the Lord.
d
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.454 : Holy croys..Me fro the feend and fro his clawes kepe.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)1.172 : If we grucche of hys game, he wol..To hus clees [vrr. cleon, cleos, clawes] clawen ows.
- (c1400) Higd.(1) (Hrl 1900)534 : Harald..had wyried hym with his hondes, nadde he be the rather delyvered out of his clowes [Trev.: out of his handes; L manibus].
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2320 : The culver, that of the egle is smiten And is out of his clawes forth escaped.
e
- (1277) Annal.Mon.Waverleia in RS 36.2389 : Generalis scabies ovium..quae a vulgo dicebatur Clausik, per quam infectae sunt omnes oves terrae.
- (1296) in Hoare Wilts.Hundred of Mere (1822) [OD col.]208 : Claysica.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)80 : Cleystaffe: Cambusca.
2.
(a) Claw-shaped root or tip; (b) ?a reaping hook; (c) an instrument of torture; (d) ?a river fork or tongue of land between two streams; -- only in names.
Associated quotations
a
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.265 : The clawes [L ungues] drie & scabbid, old, vnsely, Kitte al away.
b
- a1300 A Mayde Cristes (Jes-O 29)72 : Heo beoþ i-glyden vt of þe reyne so þe schef is of þe cleo.
c
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)70a/a : Vnguella: a cle or a maner of turment.
d
- (1301) Pat.R.Edw.I620 : Nicholas atte Clawe.
- (1326) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames37 : La Clawe.
- (1327) in Ewen Surnames Brit.167 : Ricardus del Clee.
- (1328) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames37 : Joh. atte Clauwe.
- (1330) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames37 : Clouford.
- (1332) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames37 : Joh. atte Cleo; Sim. de Cleo.
- (1336) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames37 : La Clawe.
- (1349) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames37 : Will. atte Clee.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Eagle Magic in Tul.SE 22 (Add 34111)27/80 : Do bere þe klows of þe Egle, and þei kepen from alle maner of euille and fantasie and from all noyauntz.
Note: New form: Also..klou.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
Note: Modify gloss to include "also, a claw used as a talisman."
Note: [L Ungulae]
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)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. claw.