Middle English Dictionary Entry
cō̆steien v.
Entry Info
| Forms | cō̆steien v. Also costen, costien. |
| Etymology | AF; cp. CF costoiier. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To go along a border, sail along the coast; pass along the border of (sth.), go alongside (sth.), skirt; (b) to follow along (someone's route); accompany (sb.); to shadow (an opposing army), follow so as to skirmish with but without fully engaging; (c) to travel across (a region), traverse; ~ over.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1696 : In rede rudede vpon rak rises þe sunne, & ful clere costez þe clowdes of þe welkyn.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.1202 : Þe kyng..gan anon to saille Toward þe sege..Ay costeiynge by þe Grekysshe se.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)134 : Tho gan I walke..Dounward ay..The ryver syde costeiyng [F costoiant].
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)63/19 : He schall ga by þe playnes of Romany, costayand [F en cousteant sur] þe Romayn See.
- a1456(1429) Lydg.Mum.Mercers (Trin-C R.3.20)6 : Þe swyfft streeme Of Ewfratees towardes Ierusalem Dovne coosteying..By Lubyes landes thorughe Ethyope and Ynde.
- c1450(?a1405) Lydg.CBK (Frf 16)36 : By a ryuer forth I gan costey.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)98 : Oon of the weyes costed [F costoioit] on the lift half and that oother on the riht half.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)177 : After [F Selonc] the see costyinge [F en costoiant] grace dieu com spekinge.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)12749 : I wente on foote Ay be that hegh, doun costeyynge.
b
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Spencer 19)1.2.4b : A ful fair ȝongelynge..þat me alwey costeyd.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)653 : Gawein..saugh hym come costinge his wey and turned his horse at the passinge forth.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)192/19 : Fabyus helde his hoste togedir and costeyed his enemyes [CQ(1): keped it besyde of his emyes, euermore awaiting] and grevid them litill and litill, bothe of their men and of þer vitailles.
c
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)116 : Coostun ouer cuntre [KC: Costyn ouyr þe cuntre]: Transpatrio.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)5923 : With hym ther went Sygrem..Costyng the contre many dyuers way.
- a1500(a1470) Brut-1461(1) (Add 10099)521/34 : He channged þe way, & costed þe Contre, & come to Seynt Albons.
2.
To border on (a region), be adjacent to; costing to, lying off the coast of (a country), adjacent to; nigh costed, situated nearby, neighboring; fig. nigh ~ to, to be similar to (sth.).
Associated quotations
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)Jude 1.7 : Sodom and Gomor and nyȝ coostid [L finitimae] citees.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) Prol.Kings (Corp-O 4)1 : The tunge..of Caldeis witnessith to ben..two and twenti lettris, the whiche of a greet parti niȝ coostieth [WB(2): is acordynge] to Ebrew.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)124/13 : Ne Scotlond ne Norweye ne the oþer yles costynge [F cousteantz] to hem.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)204 head. : In the yles costynge to Prestre Iohnes lond.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.1269 : Perce costeieth enviroun Septemtrion and the grettere Inde And many anothir myhti regioun.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prol.Kings (Bod 959)3 : ÞE tunge..of Syriis & of caldeis..ben anentis þe Ebrues two and twenti lettres þe whiche of a gret partye neeȝ costeyȝeþ to Ebrue.
Note: Note that the (Corp-O) version of this quot. is already in sense 2. The variant form costeyȝeþ needs to be added from this quot. (The infinitive generated is is the list below.)
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may not be complete. Revised form section: Also costen, costun, costei(en, costien, costeiȝen, costaien.--notes per MLL