mewe

See also: mewę

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *mēo, from Proto-Germanic *maiwaz.

Noun

mêwe f

1. seagull

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: meeuw
• Limburgish: mieëw

Further reading

• “mewe”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “meeuwe”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page meeuwe

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English mǣw, from Proto-West Germanic *maiwī, from Proto-Germanic *maiwaz.

Alternative forms

• mawe, meau, mowe

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛu̯/

Noun

mewe

2. (rare) seagull, gull (member of the family Laridae)

Descendants

• English: mew (archaic)
• Scots: maw (through confluence with Old Norse form)
• → Old French: maoe, mave, mauve
  • French: mauve
  • Old French: moette
    • French: mouette

References

• “meue, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-18.

Etymology 2

From Anglo-Norman mue; reinforced by Middle French mue.

Alternative forms

• mue, mwe, muwe, mew

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmiu̯(ə)/

Noun

mewe (plural mewes)

1. A cage used for allowing birds to shed their feathers.
2. A cage or compartment used for preparing animals to be used as meat.
3. Any place where one is locked up or secured; a cage or cell.
4. A place used as a hideout, refuge or redoubt.

Derived terms

• mewen (“to moult”)
• mewynge

Descendants

• English: mew (mostly obsolete)

References

• “meue, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-18.

Adjective

mewe

1. (rare, Late Middle English) Currently shedding its feathers.

References

• “meue, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-18.

Etymology 3

Verb

mewe

1. Alternative form of mewen (“to moult”)

Etymology 4

Verb

mewe

1. Alternative form of mewen (“to mew”)