Obs. (or arch.) Forms: 1 clipi-an, cliopi-an, cleopi-an, cliepi-an, clypi-an, clepi-an, 2 cleopi-en, clypi-en, (clopi-en), 2–3 clepi-en, 3 clepie, cleop-en, clup-e(n, 3–5 clep-en, 4 clipie, clep-in, clep, 4–7 clepe, (5 clyppe), 6 cleepe, (Spenser, ycleepe, Sc. clep), 6–7 cleape, (clip), 9 arch. clepe. Pa. pple. 1 clypod, etc., 3–7 cleped, -id, -yd, -ud, etc., 5 clepet, -yt, clept, 6 clypped, Sc. clepit, 6–7 cleaped. Also, with prefix: pa. t. 1 ʓeclipode; pa. pple. 1 ʓeclyped, 2–5 icleped, -et, -id, -yd, etc., 3–9 ycleped, (3–5 -id, -ud, 5 -yt), 6 yclipt, (yclipped), 7 ycleap’d, yclep’d, ycliped, eclip’t, icliped, 8 yclyped, 8–9 yclept. [OE. clipian corresponds to an OTeut. type *klipôjan; a parallel formation to *klipjan which appears in CLIP v.3, OFris. klippa to ring, E.Fris. klippen to clink, rap, LG. (Brem. Wbch., etc.) klippen to sound, resound, dial. Ger. kliffen to yelp. The stem klip- was app. in ablaut-relation with klap(p)- (see CLAP v.) as the expression of a lighter or thinner sound. The OE. variants were due to fracture (‘o-umlaut’) of i; the form cleopian originated the ME. clepe.]

1

  † 1.  intr. To cry, call; to call on, appeal to (a person), for or after (a thing). Obs.

2

c. 825.  Vesp. Psalter iv. 4. Ic cleopiu to him. Ibid., xvi[i]. 6. Ic cleapede forðon du ʓeherdes me.

3

c. 975.  Rushw. Gosp., John i. 23. Ic am stefn cliopende on woestenne.

4

a. 1000.  Ps. Lamb. xvi[i]. 6 (Bosw.). Ic clepode forðanðe ðu ʓehyrdest.

5

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 43. Clupe we to ure louerd.

6

1307.  Elegy Edw. I., ix. Wel longe we mowe clepe & crie.

7

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., B. 1345. Þere he kneles & callez, & clepes after help.

8

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pers. T., ¶ 215. I was at the dore of thin herte, saith Jhesus, and cleped for to entre.

9

1430.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, IV. xxxv. The goddes all After whose helpe I clyppe and call.

10

c. 1450.  Merlin, i. 16. Tho wente they to the wyndowe and clepeden to the peple.

11

c. 1500.  Lancelot, 3094. On his v falowis clepit than sir kay.

12

1530.  Palsgr., 486/1. I clepe, I call. Je huysche. This terme is farre northerne.

13

1563.  Myrr. Mag., Buckhm., lxxii. 7. Cleapyng for vengeaunce of this treacherye.

14

  † b.  (with obj. clause): To proclaim. Obs.

15

c. 1205.  Lay., 152. He lette an heh climben & lude clepian þat [etc.].

16

  † 2.  trans. To call (a person); to summon, bid come; to invite; to invoke, call to witness; = CALL v. 4, 5, 20 c. Obs.

17

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Matt. xx. 8. Clypa þa wyrhtan [c. 1160 Hatton G., Clepe þa werhtan]. Ibid. xx. 26. Maneʓa synt ʓeclypede.

18

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 98. He cleopeð me; ich mot gon.

19

1382.  Wyclif, Matt. xx. 8. Clepe the workmen, and ȝelde to hem her hijre.

20

c. 1458.  Agnes Paston, in Lett., 312, I. 423. Ther knoweth no man how soon God woll clepe hym.

21

1460.  Capgrave, Chron. Edw. III. (1858), 200. Thei cleped up the Kyng [from sleep].

22

1540.  Taverner, Postils, Exhort. Commun. He clepeth us unto him.

23

1567.  Turberv., Poems, in Chalmers, Eng. Poets, II. 613/1. Untrustie Theseus eke let Ariadne clepe.

24

  † b.  To call upon or to, speak to, address. Obs.

25

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. I. 4. A louely ladi … clepte me feire, And seide, ‘sone! slepest þou?’

26

1382.  Wyclif, Isa. viii. 4. Er the child kunne clepe his fader and his moder.

27

c. 1450.  Merlin, ii. 37. Then the kynge cleped Merlyn and seide.

28

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, II. vi. (v.) 57. I … Rycht reuerently begouth to clepe this man.

29

  † c.  Sc. Law. Clepe and call: to summon, cite.

30

1597.  Skene, De Verb. Sign., s.v. Clep, In pleyis of wrang and vnlaw, in the quhilk clepe, and call, was vsed as ane certaine solemnitie of wordes … as quhen the persewer did clep and call, the defender with wouth, wrang, and vnlaw.

31

  3.  With complemental obj.: To call by the name of, call, name; = CALL v. 11. Obs. (exc. as in b), but occasionally used as a literary archaism.

32

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., John xiii. 13. Ȝe clypiað me lareow & drihten.

33

1154.  O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1137 § 3. Hi læiden ʓæildes o þe tunes … & clepeden it tenserie.

34

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 132. God cleopeð þe gode ancren briddes of heouene.

35

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 2146 (Cott.). Salem þat now men clepes ierusalem.

36

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pers. T., ¶ 212. Thow schalt clepe his name Jhesus.

37

c. 1400.  Maundev., xxv. 258. The Cytee of Alizandre, that now is clept the ȝate of helle.

38

c. 1420.  Chron. Vilod., 34. A religious house þey clepte hit þenne.

39

1473.  in Nichols, Churchw. Acc. Walberswick (1797), 193. Payd … for a book, Klepyd a pye.

40

1523.  Act 14 & 15 Hen. VIII., c. 5. Enacte … that the sixe persons beforesaid … be called and cleaped electes.

41

1591.  Spenser, Vis. World’s Van., v. I saw the fish (if fish I may it cleepe) … The huge Leviathan.

42

1604.  Shaks., Ham., I. iv. 19 (Globe ed.). Other nations … clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase Soil our addition.

43

1615.  W. Hull, Mirr. Maiestie, 62. Christ doth often cleape the Church his Sister.

44

a. 1631.  Drayton, Ballad Dowsabel. A daughter cleped Dowsabel.

45

[1656.  Blount, Gl., Cleped (Sax.), called, named.

46

1858.  Kingsley, Poems, Red King, 61. Men clepen that water Tyrrel’s ford.]

47

  b.  In this sense, the pa. pple. ycleped, yclept (ikle·pt), was retaied in use (beside the ordinary cleped) down through the ME. period, was greatly affected in 16th c., and is still a frequent literary archaism. See also YCLEPT.

48

c. 1150.  Lamb. Hom., 9. Heo weren iclipet synagoge al swa is nu iclepet al cristen folc.

49

c. 1205.  Lay., 2666. Heo wes icleped Kaer Ebrauc.

50

1297.  R. Glouc. (1724), 7. Þat oþer wonder … That Stonhyngel ys yclepud.

51

1509.  Hawes, Past. Pleas., iv. (1845), 20. The marshall ycclipped was dame Reason.

52

1588.  Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 602. Hol. Iudas I am, ycliped Machabeus. Dum. Iudas Machabeus clipt, is plaine Iudas.

53

1616.  R. C., Times’ Whis., II. 607. The dredfull beast, yclepèd crocodile.

54

1687.  Mrs. Behn, Emperor of Moon, I. iii. (1688), 17. Upon a winged Horse, Iclyped Pegasus.

55

1796.  Campaigns 1793–4, I. II. ii. 108.

        A Frenchman of course, and I’ll venture a bet,
A sentinel mounted, yclep’d a vidette.

56

1800.  W. B. Rhodes, Bomb. Fur., i. (1830), 7. Hail, Artaxominous! ycleped the Great!

57

1823.  Byron, Juan, XII. lvi. Microcosm on stilts, Yclept the Great World.

58

  † 4.  ellipt. To mention by name, speak of. Obs.

59

c. 1391.  Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 39. Somme … seyn þat yif men clepen þe latitude, thay mene the arch meridian … intercept by-twixe the cenyth and the equinoxial.

60