Obs. exc. dial. Forms: α. 1 laʓu, 3 laȝe; pl. 3 lawes, 4 lauen. β. 3 lei-e, 3, 5 ley, 4 leye, laie, 4–5 laye, 4, 9 (dial.) lay. [OE. laʓu (oblique cases laʓe); the β forms may represent either an OE. *læʓe dat., acc., or gen., or the ON. legi dative, legir plural, of the equivalent lǫg-r:—OTeut. *lagu-z:—pre-Teut. *lakú-s (= L. lacus LAKE sb.4). It is also probable that in some instances the β forms represent an adoption of OF. lai pool:—L. lacum.] A lake, pool.
α. a. 1000. Boeth. Metr., ix. 40. Lyft and laʓu land ymbclyppaþ garsecg embegyrt gumena rice.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 211 (Gr.). Laʓo yrnende.
a. 1300. Child. Jesus, 314–19, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1875), 12–13. Watur þare with inne he brouȝte, His lawes maken þare inne he þouȝte. Bote a giw of heorte wrac Alle hise lawes þare he to brac. Iesu him seide with hastiue wille … Ȝwi hast þou to broke mi lay?
1340–70. Alisaunder, 3856. Theo blod, of heom that was slawen, Ran by flodis and by lauen.
β. c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 5296. Þe blod ran in þe valaie So water out of a laie. Ibid., 9652. He made alle a valaye Al so it were a brod leye.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 367. Alisaundre … hadde alle maner bestes in kepyng in hyves, in layes, in fisshe weres and pondes.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 167. She was nigh the great lay of Triton [= L. Tritonia palus] founde, where she lay A child for-cast.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 239. One a launde by a ley These lordus dounne lyght.
1481. Caxton, Godfrey, cciii. 298. The cyte of tabarye, whiche stondeth on the laye of Geme.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Lay, a very large pond.
1840. Spurdens, Suppl. Voc. E. Anglia, Lays: always, I believe, in the plural number; as ‘Denham lays.’ Ponds in the midst of coppice and timber.
b. attrib., as lay-fen, -mire.
c. 1205. Lay., 22835. Draȝeð hine to ane more & doð hine in an ley uen [c. 1275 laȝe fen].
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 328. So me deoppre wadeð into þe ueondes leie uenne [MS. T. iðe deoueles lei mure], so me kumeð later up.
a. 1225. Marherete, 14. Ich leade ham iþe leiuen [printed leinen] ant iþe ladliche lake of þe suti sunne.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 33. Hwase lið ileinen [i.e., i lei uen, MS. B. ileifen] deope bisunken.
