medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Marek Laane <[log in to unmask]> asked:
>I've some problem with a word - "denning". It's just a word (for me), no
>context, only that it was used in medieval Europe. So far I've found no
>reference for.
>Does somebody know what it means or what it was?
It's something of a shot in the dark and without context it's even
harder to say, but if it was used in medieval Europe in *English* it
might be a form of one of the words below, the first of which is
recorded as a gerund ("denning"), although not until 1627. Here are
excerpts from the two on-line OED entries for the verb "den." I
glossed a few of the older words in the quotes for the convenience of
the list members who (like myself) might be puzzled by them.
1. refl. (or pass.). To ensconce or hide oneself in (or as in) a den.
c1220 Bestiary 36 Wu he dennede him in at defte meiden, Marie bi
name. (later quotes from 1613, 1632, 1823; "wu" is a 13th c. variant
spelling of "how"; "defte" means "gentle, meek, humble")
2. intr. To live or dwell in a den; to escape into, or hide oneself in, a den.
"to den up": to retire into a den for the winter, as a hibernating
animal. (U.S. colloq.)
1610 G. FLETCHER Christ's Vict. xiv, The sluggish saluages [i.e.,
savages], that den belowe. (later quotes date from 1722 to 1918)
3. to den out: to drive (a beast) out of its den; to unearth. Obs.
1571 HANMER Chron. Irel. (1633) 203 [They] burned their Cabbans and
Cottages, and such as dwelt in caves and rockes underground (as the
manner is to denne out Foxes) they fired and smothered to death.
(only citation)
Hence denned ppl. a., denning vbl. n.
1622 S. WARD Woe to Drunkards (1627) 45 In such townes this Serpent
hath no nestling, no stabling, or denning. 1854 Tait's Mag. XXI. 165
Arousing a denned lion.
(end quote)
And the second verb:
Obs. rare1.
trans. To dam up.
1375 BARBOUR Bruce XIV. 354 This fals tratour his men had maid..The
ysche [i.e., issue] of a louch [i.e., a lake, a loch] to den [rime
men].
(end quote)
Of course if it's not an English word this is all irrelevant.
I see after writing this but before posting it that Vadim Prozorov
has also suggested a Danish coin, thus underscoring the importance of
context (for example, the language in which you found it).
Best,
John
--
*******
*** John McChesney-Young ** [log in to unmask] ** Berkeley,
California, U.S.A. ***
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