† Yfere adv.

Obs. (from 6 to 8 arch.) Forms: 3–4 ifere, yvere, 4–8 yfere, 5 yfeere, yffere, 6 yfeere, yfeare, Sc. yfeir. β. 4 yferes, 6 Sc. yferis. [Origin uncertain. The available evidence favors on the whole the supposition that the adverb arose out of the predicative use of ifere, pl. of YFERE sb. ‘companions, associates,’ hence ‘associated’ (see introductory quots. below); if this were so, the form in fere (from c. 1330) arose from analysing ifere as i, IN prep. + FERE sb.² With the β-form cf. TOGETHERS, and see -s suffix.] In company; together. (Extensively used in ME. poetry as a rhyming tag; rare in prose.)

  [a. 1200.  [see YFERE sb.].

c. 1205.  Lay., 27435. Twein kinges þere æuere weoren ifere. Ibid. (c. 1275), 24750. Euere tweine and tweyne wenden i-vere [earlier text Æuer tweie and tweie tuhte to-somne ælc mid his honde heold his iuere].

a. 1300.  S. Michael, in Pop. Treat. Sci. (1841), 136. Ther is turment strong Of wynd, of water, and of fur, and thaye threo were i-fere.]

  a. 1300.  XV Signa, 117, in E. E. P. (1862), 11. Al þe see sal draw ifere as a walle to stond up riȝt.

c. 1330.  Assump. Virg. (B. M. MS.), 859. Cryst of heuene … Amonge þe apostles sone he lyȝt, And gret hem alle yfere.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 2267. In caue þei lyen, & slepen samen y-fere.

13[?].  Gosp. Nicod. (A.), 751. And þai for skorne sayd alle yfere.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, II. 1116. With þat þey wente arm in arm y fere [v.rr. in fere, yfere] In to þe gardeyn from þe chaumbre doun.

c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 1269. We buþ knyȝtes alle y-vere y-born in douce fraunce.

c. 1400.  26 Pol. Poems, xvii. 192. What soule is syk, lay þat herbe aboue, Hit makeþ hool al y-fere.

1426.  Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 2295. And whan I herde al thys yfere, I wex abaysshed in my chere.

c. 1430.  Two Cookery-bks., 18. Þan take Pepyr, an Safroun, an Brede, y-grounde y-fere.

1508.  Dunbar, Goldyn Targe, 147. Syne folowit all hir dameselis yfere.

1566.  Drant, Horace Sat., I. i. A ij b. They feede and feele the fruit of that, which once they gott yfeare.

1583.  Melbancke, Philotimus, S ij. As litle ioy I feare, should we feele yfere, as did the two vnsensible pictures.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. ix. 1. O goodly golden chaine, wherewith yfere The vertues linked are in louely wize.

1600.  England’s Helicon, F j b. Harpalus and eke Corin were Heard-men both yfere.

1642.  H. More, Song of Soul, I. II. lxxv. Then let’s all go yfere.

1748.  Thomson, Cast. Indol., II. xxxv. And much they moraliz’d as thus yfere they yode.

1768.  Downman, Land of Muses, lv.

  β.  c. 1390[?].  Form of Cury, I. xxii. (1780), 20. Take brede and þ^e self broth and drawe it up yferes.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, VI. v. 25. Baith matrouns, and thair husbandis, all yferis.