narwe

See also: narwę and Narwę

Middle English

Alternative forms

• narow, narewe, narowe, narouȝ, naru, nare, narw, nargh, nareuh, nareu, narough, narwȝ, narȝ
• (Early ME) nearew, neruw, nærew, nearow, nearuw, nearwe, narrwe

Etymology

From nearw-, the oblique stem of Old English nearu, from Proto-Germanic *narwaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnarwə/, /ˈnarɔu̯/, /ˈnariu̯/

Adjective

narwe (plural and weak singular narwe, comparative narwere, superlative narwest)

1. Narrow, skinny; lacking width.
   • 2003, Akio Oizumi, A Complete Concordance to the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer: A lexical concordance to the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, supplement series, III. v. 1. A-D, →ISBN:

     Narrow, small: narw, narwe, narwest. For saucefleem he was, with eyen narwe.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. Little; diminutive in or lacking size.
   • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 4011-4012:

     A povre widwe, somdel stope in age,
     Was whylom dwelling in a narwe cotage, [...]

     A poor widow, somewhat advanced in age,
     Was once dwelling in a small cottage, [...]

3. Tight, constricting; not allowing for much space.
   • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Man of Law's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 946:

     Forth goth hir ship thurgh-out the narwe mouth [...]

     Forth goes her ship throughout the narrow mouth [...]

4. (rare) Unassuming, modest, simple.
5. (rare, Early Middle English) Severe, rigorous, unforgiving.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

Derived terms

• narwen
• narwenesse
• narowly

Descendants

• English: narrow
• Scots: naro, narow, narrow
• Yola: narrowe

References

• “narw(e, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-08-27.

Adverb

narwe

1. Tightly; in a confined or restrictive way.
2. Firmly; in a well-secured or well-attached way.
3. Close, near; without allowing for much space.
4. Uncomfortably; in a threadbare or poor way.
5. Judiciously, attentively, with care, attention and heed.
6. Readily, enthusiastically; with much purpose and dedication.
7. (rare) Compactly, crowdedly; in a packed or non-diffuse way.
8. (rare) In an accurate or meticulous way.
9. (rare) Clingily; in a possessive manner.
10. (rare) Strictly, unforgivingly.
11. (rare) Sadly; sorrowfully.

Descendants

• English: narrow

References

• “narwe, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-08-27.

Noun

narwe

1. (rare) Something narrow or constrictive.

Descendants

• English: narrow

References

• “narwe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-08-27.