Middle English Dictionary Entry
crouen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | crouen v. Also crōwen, crā̆wen. Forms: p. creu, cru(e & crowed; ppl. crō̆wen, i)crowe, crā̆wen. |
| Etymology | OE crāwan, crēow, crāwen. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of a cock: (a) to crow; -- intr. or refl.; (b) to crow at dawn; ~ dai; er the ~ croue (croueth), before dawn; (c) proverb.
Associated quotations
a
- a1275 Judas (Trin-C B.14.39)36 : Þou wolt fur-sake me þrien ar þe coc him crowe.
- a1300 I-hereþ nv one (Jes-O 29)142 : Þu me schalt þryes fur-sake er þe cok crowe.
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)659 : Þan bigunne kockis to crowe..bothe loud and lowe.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)525 : Or þe Cok haue crawen thryse..my name sall þou deny.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15571 : Ar þe cock him crau [vrr. craw, crawe] to-night, thris þou sal me nite.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15992 : Þe cok lepe vp and flight..and cru [vrr. krew, creu, crwe] thoru grace o dright.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2008 : Þaȝ he lowkez his liddez, ful lyttel he slepes; Bi vch kok þat crue he knwe wel þe steuen.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.122 : And Petre denyede aȝen, and anon þe cok crewe.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)60/21 : Seynt Peter forsoke oure lord thries or the cok creew.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)105 : Crowen, as cokkes: Gallicanto.
- a1450 St.Stephen & H.(Sln 2593)st.10 : Þe capoun crew 'Cristus natus est!' among þe lordes alle.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)29b : To crawe: Cantare.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)188/5 : Þat he schulde forsake hym þryes or þe coke cru.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)217/428 : Or the cok haue crowen twyse.
- a1500 GRom.(Add 9066)175 : There were..iij Cokkes, that certayn tymes of the nyght crowed.
b
- c1300 SLeg.John (LdMisc 108)460 : At þe furste cocke þat creuȝ he gan to prechie faste.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)612 : Sone aftur þe Midniȝht, are ani koc him crev.
- a1350 Of Rybaudȝ (Hrl 2253)34 : Þe knaue crommeþ is crop er þe cok crawe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3357 : He cam to the carpenteres hous A litel after cokkes hadde ycrowe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3687 : Whan that the firste cok hath crowe, anon Vp rist..Absolon.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.362 : Er that the cok hym croweth.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3003 : Ther is no cok to crowe day.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)126a/b : In þe dawinge..kokkes beþ excitid to crowe.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)239/25 : When cokkis krew & þai war bown at ryse.
- a1450 I have a gentil cok (Sln 2593)2 : I Haue a gentil cook crowyt me day, He doþ me rysyn erly my matyins for to say.
c
- c1450 Dc.Prov.(Dc 52)p.48 : As þe cocke croweth, so þe chekyn lernyth.
2.
(a) To croak or caw; (b) to warble or trill.
Associated quotations
a
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)83 : To Crowe [Add: Crobe]: crocitare vel crocare, coruorum est.
b
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)335 : Þin [stefne] is iliche one pipe Of one smale wode un ripe..eure croweþ þi [nightingale's] wrecche crei.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.Mil.(Hrl 7334)A.3377 : He..swor he wolde ben hir owne page, he syngeþ crowyng as a nightyngale.