A þornhog

Posted on 2011-02-07 by

A þornhog in winter, photographed by Mausemarie in 2009

Posted in Images, Þorn | Leave a comment

The Middle English Dictionary on þorn

Posted on 2011-02-07 by

The entry at the Middle English Dictionary gives the following:

thorn (n.) Also thorne, thorun, thorowun, thurn(e, throrn, thron, turn & (in names) thuirne, thern, thirn(e, thrinne, thon, torin, tor(n(e, tor(r)en, tern, tir(ne, (assimilated to 1st element) -orne, -horn(e & (error) tlorne; pl. thornes, etc. & (early) þornas, þornen, (SWM) þeornen.

[OE þorn & þyrne; for place names also cp. ON (cp. OI þyrnir).]

4. In misc. senses: (a) the name for the letters þ and ð; (b) cook. a sweet dish made with hawthorn flowers; (c) med. a name for the disease erysipelas; (d) ~ bak, q.v.; ~ hogge, a hedgehog or porcupine.

(a)

  • ?c1200 Stw.57 Abecedarium (Stw 57) 450: Anglice littere .. þ: þorn.
  • a1250 (?c1150) Prov.Alf. (Mdst A.13) p.79 fn.: þ: þorn; &: andt; ȝ: ye.
  • a1300 in James Cat.MSS McC. 266: Þorn/þ.
  • a1425 Tit.Alphabet in MP 87 (Tit D.17) 267: þ: thorn; Ð: thorn; ð: thorn.
  • ?a1425 (c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16) 92/12: Wee in Englond haue in oure langage & speche ii lettres mo þan þei haue in hire ABC, & þat is Þ & Ȝ, the whiche ben clept þorn & ȝogh.

(b) c1400 Sln.468 Cook.Recipes (Sln 468) 90.31/1: To make a spynee, þat is, a thorne: Tak blosmes of þe hawþorn & blosmes of þe swete appeltre & grynde hem togedere in a morter & tempre hem vp.

(c) ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25) 75/34: Þe sanguine foloweþ of louable .. blood .. and also herispilam .. þe whiche he clepede a þorne.

(d) (1340) Ayenb. (Arun 57) 66/13: Zuyche men byeþ anlykned to þe þorn-hog [Vices & V.(2): portepyn] þet ys al ywryȝe myd prikyinde eles.

Posted in Middle English, Þorn | Leave a comment

The Middle English Dictionary on ȝogh

Posted on 2011-02-07 by

The entry at the Middle English Dictionary gives the following:

yōgh (n.) Also yoȝ, yough, youh, youx, ȝogh(e, ȝoch(e, ȝok, ȝouȝ(e, ȝouh, ȝoux, ȝou, (errors) þouȝ, iye.

[Prob. OE ēoh yew-tree & the name of the thirteenth rune (ēo) (see Paues in MLR 6 [1911]: 441-54; but cp. Bradley in MLR 7 [1912]: 520-21).]

The name for the letter ȝ.

  • a1275 (?c1150) Prov.Alf. (Trin-C B.14.39) p.31: Iye: ȝ … ant: &; iyorn: þ.
  • a1300 in James Cat.MSS McC 266: Yoȝ/ȝ: ȝef, ȝus, ȝender, draȝ, sclaȝ, arȝ, marȝ.
  • ?a1425 (c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16) 92/12: Wee in Englond haue in oure langage & speche ii lettres mo þan þei haue in hire ABC & þat is þ & ȝ, the whiche ben clept þorn & ȝogh [Man.(2): ȝok; vrr. (from the 'defective version') ȝoghe, ȝouȝ, ȝowȝe, ȝouh, ȝoch(e, ȝoux, ȝou, ȝow, yough, yowh, youx, þouȝ; F ȝogh].
  • c1425 Wycl.Concord.in Spec.43 (Roy 17.B.1) 272: Þe carect yogh, þat is to seie ȝ, is figurid lijk a zed; þerfore alle þe wordis of þis table þat biginnen wiþ þat carect ben set in zed, which is þe laste lettre of þe a,b,c.
Posted in Middle English, Ȝogh | Leave a comment

The Middle English Dictionary on ƿynn

Posted on 2011-02-07 by

The entry at the Middle English Dictionary gives the following:

win (n.(2)) Also win(n)e, wen(ne, vinne & (WM & early SWM) wunne, (early SWM) wun(e, wnne & (in names) wein-, wone- & (errors) þunne, ynne; pl. (early SWM) wunnen.

[OE wyn(n, (K) wen(n.]

(a) Joy, happiness, pleasure, delight; a state of innocent happiness in the garden of Eden; a state of eternal joy, heavenly bliss; also, a joy, delight; as epithet: a source of joy; ~ and wele, wele and ~;

(b) mid (with) ~, with joy, with pleasure; also, with enthusiasm, eagerly [quot. a1500(?c1400)]; ?with praise, with honor [last quot.]; also with diminished force, as rime tag; withouten ~;

(c) world(es (worldli) ~, earthly joy, worldly delight, an earthly pleasure [sometimes difficult to distinguish from win n.(1) 2.(b)];

(d) in asseverations: as ich have ~, as have ich (havest thou) ~, as sure as I (you) expect to have happiness; so god yeve me ~, as sure as I hope that God may give me happiness; so ich ever bidde ~, as sure as I have ever prayed for happiness;

(e) the name for the letter ƿ of the alphabet, wynn;

  • ?c1200 Stw.57 Abecedarium (Stw 57) 450: Anglice littere Ƿ: wen; ð: ðet; þ: þorn.
  • a1250 (?c1150) Prov.Alf. (Mdst A.13) p.79 fn.: ƿ: wen.
  • a1300 in James Cat.MSS McC. 266: Wen/ƿ: wimman, wepman, wonie, wende, wele, wowe.
  • a1425 Tit.Alphabet in MP 87 (Tit D.17) 267: Hec littera ƿ, anglica, wen, est vocata et ponitur pro w.

(f) in surnames and place names.

Posted in Middle English, Ƿynn | Leave a comment

Friends of þorn: eð, ƿynn, and ȝogh

Posted on 2011-02-07 by

A number of people have asked me not to forget to celebrate eð, ƿynn, and ȝogh, and I would like to assure them that I will not.

Posted in Eð, News, Þorn, Ƿynn, Ȝogh | 3 Comments

A þorn by any other name

Posted on 2011-02-06 by

Why is þorn named þorn? Well, a look at this photograph by John Desjarlais will make it quite plain. The bowl of the letter þ sticks out from the stem just as a thorn sticks out from the stem of a plant.
Two thorns and a stem.

Posted in Images, Þorn | Leave a comment

Welcome to þorn.info

Posted on 2011-02-04 by

For many years I have been a devotee of the noble letter þorn and its history. This blog will celebrate the letter þorn and will, from time to time, be updated with þorny þings of interest.

Posted in News | 5 Comments