spayen
See also: Spayen
Middle English
Alternative forms
- spaien, spay
Etymology
From the Anglo-Norman espeier, equivalent to the Old French espeer (“to cut with a sword”), from Old French espee (“sword”), whence the Modern French épée.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈspɛi̯ən/
Verb
spayen (third person present spaieth, present participle spaiende, simple past spaiede, past participle spaied or yspaied)
- (transitive) to stab or kill, especially to kill (a deer) with a sword or other such stabbing or cutting weapon
- 1406–13: Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, The Master of Game (Digby manuscript 182), prologue⁽¹⁾ and chapter xxxiii⁽²⁾
- ⁽¹⁾ And after whann the hert is spaied and dede he vndothe hym.
- ⁽²⁾ Þen shulde who so be moste maister þere byd somme of þe hunters go spay hym euen behynde þe shulder forwarde to þe herte.
- 1406–13: Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, The Master of Game (Digby manuscript 182), prologue⁽¹⁾ and chapter xxxiii⁽²⁾
- to spay
- 1406–13: Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, The Master of Game (Digby manuscript 182), chapter xi
- And bycause þei shuld not lese her tyme, men make hem yspayed, saue þose men will kepe open to bere whelpes.
- 1406–13: Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, The Master of Game (Digby manuscript 182), chapter xi
Descendants
- English: spay
References
- “spay, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]
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