"four" meaning in Middle English

See four in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Numeral

IPA: /fɔu̯r/, /fuːr/ Forms: foure [postpositional], feour [alternative], fore [alternative], foure [alternative], fower [alternative], fowr [alternative], vour [alternative], fowwre [alternative, Ormulum]
Etymology: Inherited from Old English feōwer, from Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres. Etymology templates: {{etymon|enm|:inh|ang:fēower}} [Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*fedwōr", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*feuwar", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "fēower", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "four", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "enm" }" data-lang="enm" data-title="four">, {{yesno||i|I}} I, {{glossary|Inherited}} Inherited, {{inh|enm|ang|feōwer|||g=|g2=|g3=|id=|lit=|nocat=|pos=|sc=|sort=|tr=|ts=}} Old English feōwer, {{inh+|enm|ang|feōwer}} Inherited from Old English feōwer, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*feuwar}} Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*fedwōr}} Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, {{der|enm|ine-pro|*kʷetwóres}} Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres Head templates: {{head|enm|numeral|postpositive|foure||{{{2}}}|f1l=|f2l=}} four (postpositive foure), {{enm-numeral|foure}} four (postpositive foure)
  1. four Related terms: ferthe, fourtene, forty

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "fower"
        },
        {
          "lang": "West Riding",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "fower"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "four"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fower"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "vour"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "voure"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "vowre"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "ang:fēower"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*fedwōr\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*feuwar\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"fēower\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"four\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"four\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
      },
      "expansion": "I",
      "name": "yesno"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "feōwer",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Old English feōwer",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "feōwer"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Old English feōwer",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*feuwar"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *feuwar",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*fedwōr"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *fedwōr",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷetwóres"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Old English feōwer, from Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "foure",
      "tags": [
        "postpositional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "feour",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fore",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foure",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fower",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fowr",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "vour",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fowwre",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Ormulum"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "numeral",
        "3": "postpositive",
        "4": "foure",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "f1l": "",
        "f2l": ""
      },
      "expansion": "four (postpositive foure)",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "foure"
      },
      "expansion": "four (postpositive foure)",
      "name": "enm-numeral"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "num",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English cardinal numbers",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 7 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Four",
          "orig": "enm:Four",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              114,
              119
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              124,
              128
            ]
          ],
          "english": "And lo! A pale horse, and the name was Death for who that sat on him, and hell trailed him. And power was given to him over four parts of the earth, to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the earth's creatures.",
          "ref": "c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.), published c. 1410, Apocalips 6:8, folio 119, recto, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:",
          "text": "⁊ lo a pale hoꝛs .· and þe name was deþ to him þat ſat on hym and helle ſuede him / and power was ȝouen to him on foure partis of þe erþe .· to ſle with ſwerd / ⁊ wiþ hungur / ⁊ wiþ deþ / ⁊ wiþ beeſtis of þe erþe",
          "translation": "And lo! A pale horse, and the name was Death for who that sat on him, and hell trailed him. And power was given to him over four parts of the earth, to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the earth's creatures.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "four"
      ],
      "id": "en-four-enm-num-BO-vCA9a",
      "links": [
        [
          "four",
          "#English"
        ],
        [
          "MED Online",
          "w:Middle English Dictionary"
        ],
        [
          "University of Michigan",
          "w:University of Michigan"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "ferthe"
        },
        {
          "word": "fourtene"
        },
        {
          "word": "forty"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɔu̯r/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fuːr/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "four"
}
{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "fower"
        },
        {
          "lang": "West Riding",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "fower"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "four"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fower"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "vour"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "voure"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "word": "vowre"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "ang:fēower"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*fedwōr\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*feuwar\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"fēower\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"four\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"four\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
      },
      "expansion": "I",
      "name": "yesno"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "feōwer",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Old English feōwer",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "feōwer"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Old English feōwer",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*feuwar"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *feuwar",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*fedwōr"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *fedwōr",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*kʷetwóres"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Old English feōwer, from Proto-West Germanic *feuwar, from Proto-Germanic *fedwōr, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "foure",
      "tags": [
        "postpositional"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "feour",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fore",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foure",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fower",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fowr",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "vour",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fowwre",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Ormulum"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "numeral",
        "3": "postpositive",
        "4": "foure",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "f1l": "",
        "f2l": ""
      },
      "expansion": "four (postpositive foure)",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "foure"
      },
      "expansion": "four (postpositive foure)",
      "name": "enm-numeral"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "num",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "ferthe"
    },
    {
      "word": "fourtene"
    },
    {
      "word": "forty"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English cardinal numbers",
        "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
        "Middle English lemmas",
        "Middle English numerals",
        "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
        "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
        "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
        "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
        "Middle English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *kʷetwóres",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
        "Middle English terms with quotations",
        "Pages using etymon with no ID",
        "Pages with 7 entries",
        "Pages with entries",
        "enm:Four"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              114,
              119
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              124,
              128
            ]
          ],
          "english": "And lo! A pale horse, and the name was Death for who that sat on him, and hell trailed him. And power was given to him over four parts of the earth, to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the earth's creatures.",
          "ref": "c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.), published c. 1410, Apocalips 6:8, folio 119, recto, column 1; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:",
          "text": "⁊ lo a pale hoꝛs .· and þe name was deþ to him þat ſat on hym and helle ſuede him / and power was ȝouen to him on foure partis of þe erþe .· to ſle with ſwerd / ⁊ wiþ hungur / ⁊ wiþ deþ / ⁊ wiþ beeſtis of þe erþe",
          "translation": "And lo! A pale horse, and the name was Death for who that sat on him, and hell trailed him. And power was given to him over four parts of the earth, to slay with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the earth's creatures.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "four"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "four",
          "#English"
        ],
        [
          "MED Online",
          "w:Middle English Dictionary"
        ],
        [
          "University of Michigan",
          "w:University of Michigan"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fɔu̯r/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fuːr/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "four"
}

Download raw JSONL data for four meaning in Middle English (5.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-05-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-05-01 using wiktextract (f3d3fdb and ae80fde). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.