Obs. Forms: 4–5 cive, cyve, 5 cyuee, -ey(e, ceue, ceuy. [a. F. civé (13th c.), sivé, ‘a black sauce for a hare,’ (Cotgr.). Littré identifies with CIVET3, and derives from cive, CHIVE, species of onion, on L. type cæpātum ‘made with onions.’ In many reprints of ME. books, editors have mistaken cive for CIVE, chive, onion.]
‘A broth or sauce made of the entrails of a hog; also broth or sauce for the forepart of a fried hare, made of wine, vinegar, verjuice, herbs, and spices; oyster broth, or broth made of boiled oysters’ (Cotgr., s.v. Sivé).
a. 1325. Names Hare, in Rel. Ant., I. 134. Come to me ded Other in ciue other in bred!
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 20. Conyngus in cyve [v.r. cyne]. Ibid., 21. Harus in cyve [v.r. cyne].
c. 1440. Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 452. Plays in Ceue [mispr. cene]. Take playses, and make hom clene … and frie hom in oyle [etc.].
c. 1440. Recipes, in Babees Bk., 60. Harys in cyueye. Take Harys, & Fle hem, & make hem clene, an hacke hem in gobettys, & sethe hem in Watere & Salt a lytylle; þan take Pepyr, an Safroun, an Brede, y-grounde y-fere, & temper it wyth Ale. Þan take Oynonys & Percely y-mynced smal to-gederys, & sethe hem be hem self, & afterward take & do þer-to a porcyon of vynegre, & dresse in. Ibid. Conyngys in cyveye.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, in Babees Bk. (1868), 171. Oysturs in Ceuy, oysturs in grauey, your helthe to renewe.
