ˈheronsew, -shew, -shaw Now somewhat arch. or dial.
Forms: α. 4–6, 9 dial. heronsew, -e (also 5 heroun-, heiroun-, heyroun-, heryn-sew(e, heronseu, 6 herensew, 8 herrensue, 8–9 heronsue, -seugh, corrupt. herrin-, herringsue). β. 5– hernsew, (5–6 hernesew, -e, 6 hearnsew, 7 hernseu, 9 dial. hernser, -sey, harnsa, -ser, -sey). γ. 6–9 heronshew, (6– hearonshew, 7 heronshoe, -showe, 9 dial. -sheugh, -shuf). δ. 5–7 hernshew, herneshewe, (6 hernshoe, hearnsheaw, 7 hearneshoe, 9 dial. herrinshouw). ε. 7– heronshaw. ζ. 6– hernshaw, (6 hearne-, 6–7 herne-, 7 hirnshaw(e).
[ME. heronsew, etc., a. OF. heronceau (Palsgr.), earlier heroncel, pl. -{cced}aux (Godef.), dim. of heron.
The ending -sew for F. -ceau has in some dialects come down as -sue, -sey, -ser; but it also passed in 16th c. into -shew, afterwards popularly made into -shoe, -show, and -shaw. In the last of these forms it was erroneously taken by Cotgr. for shaw = wood. In coast dialects heron- or hern- is now frequently corrupted to herrin', herring, the shoals of which fish are said to be followed by herons.]
lit. A little or young heron; but in current use = heron.
| α c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 60, I wol nat tellen..of hir swannes nor of hir heronsewes [v.r. heirounsewis]. 1409 Durham MS. Cell. Roll, In iij herounseus emp., xv d. 1542 Boorde Dyetary xv. (1870) 270 A yonge herensew is lyghter of dygestyon than a crane. 1764 T. Bridges Homer Travest. (1797) II. 381 When to their view Appeared a long-legged heron-sue. 1785 Hutton Bran New Wark 30 Nivver did hullet, herrensue, or miredrum, mak sic a noise before. 1796 W. Marshall E. Yorksh. (ed. 2) Gloss., Herrinsew. 1825 Brockett, Heronsew, Heronseugh. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss. s.v., ‘As thin as a herring-sue’, a tall lanky person. 1870 E. Peacock Ralf Skirl. II. 111 We got..two butterbumps and a heronsew. |
| β c 1440 Anc. Cookery in Househ. Ord. (1790) 450 Pygge rosted..and hernesewes. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 88 The heron or hearnsew is called Ardea for mounting aloft. 1635 Swan Spec. M. viii. §2 (1643) 392 The Heron or Hernsew is a fowl that liveth about waters. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Harnsey, a heron. 1885 Swainson Names Birds 144 Harnser (Suffolk)..Hernsew, Heronseugh (Yorkshire). |
| γ 1563 B. Googe Eglogs viii. (Arb.) 68 The Hearonshew mountes aboue the clouds, Ye Crowes ech other do cry; All this showes rayn. 1613 Markham Eng. Husbandman i. i. iii. (1635) 12 If Hernes or Heronshoes cry much in their flying. 1620 Venner Via Recta iii. 64 The young Heronshowes are with some accounted a very dainty dish. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. vi. vi, Capon, heron-shew, and crane. 1893 Northumbld. Gloss., Heronsheugh, heronseugh, heronshuf, heronsyueff, heerinseugh, a heron. |
| δ 1575 E. Hake Newes out of Powles Churchyd. D ij b, Both Capon, Swan, and Hernshoe good. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 8 Wyre cagez..in them, liue Bitters, Curluz, Shoouelarz, Hear[n]sheawz..and such like deinty Byrds. 1613–16 W. Browne Brit. Past. ii. v, Upon whose tops the Herneshew bred her young. |
| ε 1678 Ray Willughby's Ornith. 277 The common Heron or Heronshaw. Thence 1768 in Pennant Zool. II. 339. |
| ζ 1530 Palsgr. 187 Heronceav, an hernshawe. 1593 Nashe Christ's T. 91 a, A Hearneshaw (a whole afternoone together) sate on the top of S. Peters Church in Cornehill. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. vii. 9 As when a cast of Faulcons make their flight At an Herneshaw, that lyes aloft on wing. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 146 The Ilands..the English call Silly..all abound with Conies, Cranes, Swannes, Hirnshawes, and other Sea birdes. 1867 Carlyle Remin. (1881) II. 147 The only time I ever saw a hernshaw (‘herrin'-shouw’ the Annandalers call it) actually fishing. |
† b. criel-heronshaw = cryal heron, the Egret or Lesser White Heron.
Obs.| 1655 Moufet & Bennet Health's Improv. (1746) 176 All the Heronshaws, namely, the black, white, Criel-Heronshaw, and the Mire-dromble. |
c. Phrase.
to know a hawk from a heronshaw.
Conjectural emendation of the Shaksperian ‘I know a Hawke from a Handsaw’, proposed by Hanmer (1744), who, being a Suffolk man, founded this on the East Anglian dialectal
harnsey,
harnsa,
harnser (see β). Hence in later writers: see handsaw.
| 1766 Pennant Zool. (1812) II. 11 Not to know the Hawk from the Heronshaw, was an old proverb taken originally from this diversion [heron-hawking]; but, in course of time, served to express great ignorance in any science. 1838 Gen. P. Thompson Exerc. (1842) IV. 315 What claim I have to your attention as one that knows a hawk from a herring⁓sue, it is for yourselves to settle. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xxi. v. X. 94 The clever Elliot, who knew a hawk from a hernshaw, never floundered into that platitude. |
¶ Erroneously explained by
Cotgr. from
shaw a wood; whence in Kersey and later Dictionaries; but
app. never really so used.
| 1611 Cotgr., Haironniere, a herons neast, or ayrie; a herneshaw, or shaw of wood, wherein herons breed. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Hern-shaw or hernery, a Place where Herns breed. 1755 Johnson, Heronry, Heronshaw, a place where herons breed. 1826 J. Thomson Etymons Eng. Words, Hernshaw, a heronry. [So in later Dicts.] |