clif - Middle English Compendium

1.

(a) A precipitous face of rock, a cliff; a steep mountain; (b) a slope, declivity; a hill; (c) a large rock.

a

c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)130/10 : Eac þa heahȝæ torræs & clifæs þe heaȝæ stondæþ ofer alle oþre eorðæ, heo eac þe mare rune nimæð.
a1200(?c1175) PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)351 : [Þ]os goð uneaðe aȝien þe cliue [McC: clif; Jes-O: cleo] and aȝien þe heie hulle.
c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)32217 : Al þas Bruttes weoren to-driuen ȝeond cludes & ȝeond cliuenen [read: cliuen].
c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)762 : Þe cleues weren st[r]onge.
c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)262/69 : In þis wast was a gret Clyf, þat was ful heih, brod, and stif.
c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)159 : I seȝ byȝonde þat myry mere A crystal clyffe ful relusaunt.
c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2078 : Þay clomben bi clyffez þer clengez þe colde.
a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)1217 : As water doþ of clive, Of him ran þe blod.
c1430 Allas for thought (Cmb Gg.4.27)411 : In medewe, valeyis, hillys & clyf.
c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2019 : He has the cete forsett..All þe clewez and the cleyffez with clene men of armez.
a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5133,5136 : Syxe þousand..he droff..Vp agayn an hyȝ cleue [vr. cliue]; þey fledde as deer þat were dreue [vr. dryue], And..Off þe clyff þey fell dounward And al tobarste.
a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)415 : The squyer rydyth to a clefe of ston.
a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)95/308 : She is as clene as cristall clyfe.

b

c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)20847 : In þan wilde cleues, holes he [the fox] secheþ.
c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)20861 : Þanne flicþ he to þan cleoue [Clg: holme] and his hol secheþ in to þan forrest ende.
c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5420 : Þe oþere part away hij dryuen Jn to dales and in to clyuen.
(?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.94 : An euen feeld do chese, and in the mene, That watir be the cleef [L cliuo] awey trauayle.
(?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.304 : And make hem lough in cleuis that decline [L in loco cliuoso].
(1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)81 : Clyffe, or [Win: of] an hylle: Declivum.
c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)42 : Thay keste of þaire coppilles in clyffes so calde.
a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)25a : Þei schulde ben vsed, boþe horsmen and foot men, to clymbe on hyȝe clyues and rokkes.
(a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1761 : Part of the victory is for to chese The herre grounde..Theire is the cleef, the playn is hem tavaile.
1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)67 : A Cliffe: cliuus.
a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)422 : Then will Roulond rid among the cleves.

c

a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)113.8 : In weres ofe watres þat turnes stane, And Kliffes [L rupem] in welles ofe watres to gane.

2.

(a) A cliff by the sea, a bluff, a steep bank or headland; (b) the land along the sea, a river, etc.; bank, shore; ~ of occian, ~ of the se.

a

c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)16/12 : Gregorius wolde..aræren haliȝ mynsterlif ihende anre sæ; ac ðær wæs bi halfes an swiðe heah clif onemn.
c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1926 : Nu & æuer mare haueð þat clif [Otho: clef] þare nome on ælche leode.
c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21807 : Þer heo leieien ȝeond þa cliues.
c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)1915 : Was þe cleue [Clg: clude] swiþe heh ware a noppe hii fohte.
c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)91/1790 : So longe hii han Beues driue, Þat hii come to þe cliue, Þar þe wilde se was.
a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)1856 : Oft wend þai þar schip suld riue wid wind or wawe, or dint or cliue [Frf: of clife].
c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1470 : Isiphile was..romynge on the clyves [vrr. cleuys, cliffes] by the se; Under a banke anon aspied she Where that the ship of Jason gan aryve; Of hire goodnesse adoun she sendeth.
c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)883 : Þar filsnez þat fende..Appone the creste of the cragge..That enclosez þe clyfe with þe clere strandez.
a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)6/34 : This yle was clepyd Albyoun..of the white Craggis and Clyffis [L albis rupibus] abowt the see-bankys.
a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)35/16 : Thay laddyn ham to þe clyfe of the See [L in maris præcipitium].

b

(a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.5 : Firste þis ilond hiȝte Albion, as it were þe white lond, of white rokkes aboute þe clyues [L littora; Higd.(2): brynkes] of þe see.
(a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.37 : Wighte..is in þe est side sex myle from þe souþ cleef [vr. clyve] of Bretayne, and þre myle in þe west side.
(a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.455 : Alisaundre hadde i-goo aboute þe laste clif [vr. clef] of Occean.
(a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.461 : Oon cherle..swam al nyȝt..and come to þe cleve [vr. clyve; L litus] in þe morntide.
(a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)30b/a : In þe clyues and brymmes [L litoribus], þe drynes of þe grauel settiþ a bounde to þe see.
(a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)189a/b : And þey þe londe be litil, it is in either cleue of the Ryne.
c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)460 : Carayne he fyndez Kast up on a clyffe þer costese lay drye.
(c1400) Higd.(1) (Hrl 1900)505 : The see overflowide and passide the clyves and dreynt many men and tounes.
c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3939 : Þei hem dryve to þe silfe stronde, Doun to þe clyf of þe salt se.
c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1497 : This lady rometh by the clyf..endelong the stronde.

3.

In surnames and place names.

Forms	clif n.(1) Also cleif, cleove, (?) cleo, (?) cluf. Forms: sg. clif, clī̆ve, clẹ̄̆f, clẹ̄̆ve; pl. cliffes, clī̆ves, clẹ̄̆ves, cliven.
Etymology	OE clif (pl. clifu, cleofu) & L clīvus; also cp. OI klif & kleif.

Middle English Dictionary Entry