Middle English Dictionary Entry
clēne adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | clēne adv. Also clone. |
| Etymology | OE clǣne |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) In a clean manner, to a state of cleanness, cleanly; ~ swopen, swept clean; ~ washen, washed clean; (b) chastely; (c) clearly, freely; ~ renning, free flowing, running clear.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)87 : Mid beseme clene swopen [L mundatam].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2543 : The Cuppe..was policed ek so clene That no signe of the Skulle is sene.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.754 : The canel skoured was so clene And deuoyded in so secre wyse.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)60/9 : Melt it clene, þat þer be no fylthe þer-in.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.SPuer(1) (LdMisc 683)22 : Pare clene þi nailles; thyn hondis wasshe also.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)79 : To oversee the vesselles brought togeder, to be cleane wasshen and well savoured.
b
- a1450 St.Etheldr.(Fst B.3)211 : Let vs here serue clene þat god þat vs hath made, Styll in clannasse, as we..han do.
c
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)23b/b : Eliqus: clen renny[n]ge.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)17.136 : The hed [of the bleeding lance]..Where-from Ran down blood ful Clen.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)31 : Lat it [almond milk] boyle wyl, but loke þat it be clene rennyng.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)25a : Cleyn rynyng: eliquus.
2.
(a) Brightly, splendidly, excellently; handsomely, neatly, properly; ~ appareilled, well made, finely finished; ~ armed, well armed [?also, fully armed; cp. 3.]; ~ clad, ~ heuen, ~ limmed, ~ wrought; (b) plainly, clearly, lucidly.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.367 : Hir knyues were chaped..al with siluer wroght ful clene and wel.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1382 : Þe borȝ watz so brod..Wyth a wonder wroȝt walle..Wyth koynt carneles above, corven ful clene.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1455 : Salamon sete him s[eve]n ȝere..For to compas and kest to haf hem clene wroȝt.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.592 : Euery tour bretexed was so clene Of chose stoon..Þat to beholde it was a verray wonder.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.1227 : Surmountynge..in fairnes alle þo a-lyue Alle his lymys compact were so clene.
- (1427-8) Rec.St.Mary at Hill68 : A gate of stone..clene apareled.
- (1434) Indent.Fotheringhay in Med.Mason246 : The said isles shal have six mighty botrasse of free-stone, clen-hewyn.
- (1434) Indent.Fotheringhay in Med.Mason247 : Alle the owter side of the stepill of clen wroght fre-stone; and the inner side of rough ston.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)370-8 : Hir faxe..Conterfelette in a kelle, colourede fulle clene..That knyghte in his coloures was armede fulle clene.
- (1442) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1385 : Legement table..clene apparailled in the forme that ys callid casshepeed according to a molde to theym therof deliuered.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)55 : A Boll of bras burneschid full clene.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)355/27 : Þeȝe ij worthi lordez comyn yn to þe ffelde, clene armed and wel arayed with alle her wepon.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)598 : He is horsutte full wele And clene clad in stele.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2909 : Ther were a þowsand..Men, I-armyd cleen.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)111/76 : Sum boy be-gan þis game þat clothyd was clene and gay.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)210 : Thow must square & proporcioun þy bred clene & evenly.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)39 : But he be..clene lymmed, personable, and vertuously disposed.
b
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)949 : Of motes two to carpe clene.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1606 : Alle þat he spured hym in space he expowned clene.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2306 : And Diomede..Recured was, as seiþ myn auctor clene.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)12.224 : I preie þe..What that Avisioun was forto Mene, That thou it woldest declaren me Clene.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)18.220 : What this vntrowthe it is to mene, I schal ȝow tellen ful wel & Clene.
3.
(a) Completely, fully, wholly, altogether, entirely; ~ armed, clad in full armor; ~ chargeaunt, completely stiff; ~ enseimed, entirely purged of fat; ~ shriven, fully shrived; (b) al ~, ful ~, altogether, completely, entirely; every bit, every one; (c) quit and ~, completely, altogether.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)21 : To pouere Men he ȝaf it clene ȝware he saiȝ neode.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)p.7 : Ne mai no man clene telle of here beire durne wo.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5194 : Al þat lond bisouþe clene he adde þo Vnder him oþer in is hond.
- ?1316 SMChron.(Roy 12.C.12)736 : The furthe ne mihten he finde none, So clene he weren alle agone.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3537 : Wan þay wiste how it stod, Clene þanne þay turnde hure mod.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)10.164 : Til..þat þe flod haue I-wassche Clene awey þe cursede blod.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1413 : He was nouther ther ne hiere Bot clene out of himself aweie.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)194b/b : Some ben clene [L simpliciter] with oute soule.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.69 : Þe oþe þat he suld hold, it is forgeten clene.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3814 : It was clene oute of her memorie.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.10 : She..caste him clene out of his lady grace.
- (1431) Ordin.Gild St.Clement (Trin-C O.7.15)276 : Vn-to the tyme he be clene oute of the dette of the forsayde gylde.
- c1440 Treat.Prayer (Thrn)299 : He wynnes hym awaye als a cowerde clene ouer-comene.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)43.192 : I wele Clene werken Aftyr thin Cownsaille.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)30 : Melle hem with flowre of Rys, þat it be clene chargeaunt.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)108 : Alle Tussie [Tuscany] eke was clene distroyed.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)560/8 : Sir Trystram smote hym..with such a myght that he bare hym clene oute of his sadyll to the erthe.
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk B (Hrl 2340)36a : Loke þat þi hawke hafe castyng euery nyth tyll sche be clene-ensemyd.
- c1475 St.Anne(2) (Trin-C R.3.21)26 : Sore I am troubled..Nothyng acordyng vnto my plesure, But euyn clene contrary to my desyre.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)803 : Þey..by-rafte her hyr lyflode clene, Castelle, towre and towne.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)224/31 : This noble Marcius, which was in his florishyng youthe .. toke an horse, clene armyd [CQ(1): on hors bak and armede], and lepte into that inestimable depe pitte fulle of derkenesse, and as soone as he was in the pitte it closid.
- a1500 Treat.GBattle (Hrl 1706)431 : Heme that were clene-shryvene off alle here synnes.
b
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)231 : Þat hi alle clone simle belocen were.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8825 : Ne dude hit noht þe king ane, ah duden we alle clæne.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21881 : Neh þan alle clæne nakede heo weoren.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)23777 : He [the shield] wes al clane [Otho: cleane], of olifantes bane.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)53/569 : An engel..reat to þet hweol swa þet hit al to reafde bursten hire bondes ant breken alle clane.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)84b : His children, sone se he sunegede deadliche, deiden alle clane [Nero: clene].
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)24 : His guod was al-clene a-wei i-go.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)p.17 : Ich ȝulde the up here al clene the chancelerie.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)174 : Þis wydewe..haþ yleyd at ene..hure liflode al clene.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2709 : Al þat hii made aday, A morwe wanne hii come þer to, al clene adoune it lay.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1106 : Custaunce Is now ful clene out of youre remembraunce.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.625 : Al this ground..He koude al clene turnen vp so doun.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)29/77 : [Horse, cats, dogs], Al er etin vp ful clene.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)14.714 : Eualach..Made his Meyne to Resemble Aȝen; And tho that weren left, Retornede ful Cleen.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1948 : My trust is alle clene in þy pyete.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)19 : He recouerd, quills he regnyd, þe regions all clene.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1459 : That..hys mametrye al clene he for-sake.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)138/694 : Thay ar gone full clene.
c
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.604 : His riȝt arme wiþ alle þe hond He strok of quite & clene.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)14803 : Alle þis cuntree..rises wiþ him quite & clene.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.50 : Knoute..chaced him out of Norweie quyte & clene.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)6364 : Owt Atte bak he bare hym quyte and clene.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 4/23 : Make vndre þi pot first a softe fire and afterwardes grettere and grettere til þu seest þat þi leed be al clene molten.
Note: Quot. needed for date in sense 3.(b).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8956 : Poueremen..in to hire chambre heo drou, Boþe meseles & oþere..& wess hor vet & clene þe quiture out soȝte & kuste þe sore limes & to þe mete hom broȝte.
Note: ?New sense: skillfully, deftly.
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 (Note: The adv, not derived from the adj.; each has an OE etymon). Provisional revised form section: Also cle(i)n, cleane, (early) clone, (SWM) clane, clæne.--all notes per MLL