Middle English Dictionary Entry
clauen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | clauen v. Also clēen, claui, clouen, glow. P. clau(e)d(e, cloued & cleu(e, cliue; ppl. claud, cloued. |
| Etymology | OE clawan (p. *clēow) & clawian; also, cp. claue n.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To scratch (sth.), claw, lacerate, scrape; ~ hed, claw (one's) head (in rage or distress); ~ a sori mannes hed, ?become a sorrowful man; (b) to clean (sth.) by scratching; scrape (remove the beard from barley).
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)154 : Þu hauest wel scharpe clawe; Ne kepich noȝt þat þu me clawe.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5339 : Wanne þe Ameral hym vnderstod, A clew ys heued.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.25 : Swift ȝongelynges..clawede and frotede [Higd.(2): scrape; L scalperent] þe oliphauntes in þe forhedes wiþ horscombes, forto þe olyphauntes fel doun and deide riȝt þere.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1731 : Ful hard it is with flesshhook or with oules To ben yclawed.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.154 : He [the cat] wil..Cracche vs or clowe [vr. clawen] vs.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)39 : He [the lynx] clees [F ils ont les ongles] as a leoparde and ferþermore ryght bytyng [F tres male morsure].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)80 : Clawyn or cracchyn: Scalpo, scrato, grado.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)148/3 : It [the hand of coquinerie] can no thing doo but..clawe me in the busshes.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1308 : Tho gan he to glow first a sory mannys hede.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)1010 : He clawed his hed, his hare he rent.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)176/353 : Thi skalp shall I clefe! lyst thou be clawd?
b
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)122 : F. pur areste dorge grate: W. for awne of barly clawith.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.17 : Contricioun..That shal clawe thi cote of alkynnes filthe.
2.
(a) To scratch (sb.) lightly, rub gently, scratch (to relieve itching); fig. to flatter (sb.); (b) ~ bak, to scratch (someone's) back, flatter; ~ hed, scratch (one's) head (in perplexity); ~ toes, scratch (one's) toes, ?be idle; ~ on the bak, slap (sb.) on the back; ~ on the galle, rub (sb.) on a sore spot; (c) ppl. clauing, ?itching [cp. ger.].
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)915 : He clew [vr. clawyd] þe bor on þe rigge.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2725 : He..claweth on his bare schanckes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)281b/a : Þis bridde claweþ him [the crocodile] furst wiþ clawes softely.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)31 : Þan she claweþ hym with here foot and wakeþ hym.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)116a/a : When a man is ouerchaufed..& in swetyng he cloweþ [*Ch.(2): claweþ; L scalpit] hym selfe.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)977 : The tohir honde he lete doun glidde, And clavde the bore undir the syde.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)984 : Thus schaltou be clovyd alse With fykyl wordis and with false.
- c1450 From þe tyme (Lamb 853)69 : Þan may we do no greet traueile But..sumtyme clawe for scabbe & icche.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)279 : Youre hed ne bak ye claw, a fleigh as þaughe ye sought.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)25a : To Clawe: fricare.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4326 : For ioye hym thoughte he clawed hym on the bak.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1731 : Ther is noon of us alle, If any wight wol clawe us on the galle, That we nel kike.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1702 : With that aboute y clew [vr. clywe] myn hed And saugh anoon the fifte route.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)129/414 : She..dos noght bot lakys and clowse hir toose.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)365 : Whou þey carry [vr. currey] kinges & her back claweþ!
c
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)120b/b : Þer faleþ oftentymez fro þe skyn of þe heued furfurez like as war to clowyng or cracching furfurez [L quasi scalpetibus furfureis].
3.
(a) To clutch (sth.), grasp; (b) ~ awei, ?to thrust aside (a blow).
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.188 : Powere hem [fingers] failleth To clicche or to clawe.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)1.172 : He wol..To hus clees clawen [vr. clawy] ows.
b
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)463 : Arys vp now..Ouþer..y ȝeue þe such a stroke, þat þou him neuere schalt clowe a-weye wile þou þy lyf miȝt broke.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.284 : Alle manere prelates..þat preche shulde and teche Alle manere men to amenden by her myȝte..For-þi, ȝe corectoures, claweth her-on, and corecteth fyrst ȝow-seluen.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 3.(a)
Note: Modify existing gloss: "To clutch (sth.), grasp; also fig.;".
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