Middle English Dictionary Entry
clēte n.
Entry Info
| Forms | clēte n. Also (late) clyte. |
| Etymology | OE *clǣte; cp. clāte burdock. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. clote.
1.
(a) Burdock; esp., the common burdock (Arctium lappa); (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1. 97].
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 Daniel Herbal in Hunt Plant Names (Arun 42)47 : [Bardana magna:] waterbardan, waterclete.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)31a/a : Glis: a clete.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)645/39 : Hec lappa: clete.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)115b/a : Be þer put aboue folium lappe i. clete inuerse [*Ch.(2): a clote leef; L folium lappe inuerse] vel lilij.
- a1450 Agnus Castus (Roy 18.A.6)p.173 : Clyte [Stockh: Lappa is an herbe þat men clepe burrus or clote].
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)25b : Cleyt [vr. Clett] herba: Glis, lappa.
b
- (c1115) in Ekwall Dict.EPN105 : Cletham.
- (1271) in Ekwall Dict.EPN105 : Cletlum.
- (1275) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)313 : Clethale.
- (1313) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.47 : Cletlame.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Y wandryng (Lin-O Lat.129)29 : Kateryn with klytys and klotys and krabbys Hathe kawȝte out þe kayleweys and caste yn þe netlys.
Note: New form: Also..klit.
Note: Editor's note: "klytys: burdock; the k-spelling listed neither by M.E.D. nor O.E.D. (s.v. Clite.)
Note: The etymologies of MED entries clete n. (variants clyte, klit) and clote n. may need reviewing. (?Both entries should be combined.) The OED has clite n. as a separate entry, saying it is a "parallel form to clete n. and clote n." (All quots. here are too late for MED.) This entry gives OE clāte n. as its etymon. For its entry clete, clett n., the OED gives the etymology as "same root as clote n."
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.--all notes per MLL