▪ I. † tharf, n. Obs.
Also 1 þearf, ðærf, 2 þerf, 3 (Orm.) þarrfe.
[f. tharf v. Cf. OS. tharf, OHG. darba, ON. þǫrf.]
Need, necessity.
| Beowulf 1798 Sele-þeᵹn..se for andrysnum ealle beweotede þeᵹnes þearfe. 735 Bæda Death-song 2 Thonc snotturra than him tharf sie. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 84 ᵹif þearf sie, sele hwilum wyrtdrenc. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 9 Nis hit nan þerf þet me her on þisse liue for his saule bidde pater noster. c 1200 Ormin 12247 Onn alle þa þatt haffdenn ned & þarrfe to þin hellpe. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 16 And wele ysen, ȝif þai willen, Þat hem no þarf neuer spillen. |
▪ II. tharf, a. Obs. or dial.
Forms: 1 þeorf, þearf, (ðorof, ðærf), 3 (Orm.) þeorrf, 4 þerf, -e, 4–5 therf, 5 tharf, -e. See also tharf-cake.
[OE. þeorf (:—þerf), unleavened, unsoured; of milk, sweet; Com. Teut. = OFris. therf, derf, MDu. derf (Kilian has ‘derf-brood, panis azymus’), OHG., MHG. derp unleavened, Ger. derb solid, compact, rough, coarse, ON. þjarfr unleavened, insipid. With sense 2, cf. the mod.Ger. sense of derb; app. referring to the solid, heavy, or stiff quality of unleavened bread. Pre-Teut. etymology unknown.]
† 1. Of bread, etc.: Not prepared with leaven, unleavened. Obs. exc. in tharf-cake.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 17 Ða forma uutedlice doeᵹe ðara ðorofra [Rushw. ðefra for ðerfa] mæta. c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 210 Þeorfe hlafas we bringað Gode to lace. c 1000 ― Exod. xii. 39 Hi..worhton þeorfe heorþbacene hlafas. c 1000 ælfric Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 153/32 Azimus, ðeorf. c 1200 Ormin 997 Bræd All þeorrf wiþþutenn berrme. a 1300 Cursor M. 6079 Wit therf bred and letus wild. 1382 Wyclif Gen. xix. 3 He made a feest, sethede therf breed, and thei eten. ― Mark xiv. 1 Pask and the feeste of therf looues was aftir the secunde day. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) iii. 10 Þai say we erre þat makes þe sacrement of tharf breed. c 1425 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 657/30 Panis siliginius, tharf⁓bred. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 490/2 Therf, wythe owte sowre dowe. 1483 Cath. Angl. 381/2 Tharfe, azimus. |
2. transf. Lumpish, stiff, heavy, slow; hence fig. reluctant, unwilling, diffident, tardy. dial. Hence ˈtharfish a. in same sense; ˈtharfly adv., in a tharf or tharfish manner.
| 1747 Hooson Miner's Dict., Tharf [is] when a Vein or Pipe alters from its own intrinsical Nature to another, that is more Hask, Barren, and Dry, and more bound up, and stiff. 1828 Craven Gloss., Tharf, stark, stiff, metaphorically, backward, unwilling. 1876 Mid-Yorks. Gloss., Tharf,..Thauf, diffident; unwilling; reluctant; tardy... Also tharfish adj., and tharfly adv. 1876 Whitby Gloss., Tharf, Tharfish, shy, diffident. Tharfly, slowly. ‘The rain comes nobbut tharfly’. 1894 Northumbld. Gloss., Tharf, Tharfish, lumpish, heavy-countenanced, forbidding. Applied to substances it means ‘sad’, heavy, like liver in texture. Tharfly, slowly, reluctantly. |
▪ III. † tharf, thar, v. Obs. exc. Sc. dial.
Forms: see below.
[A Com. Teutonic verb, belonging to the class of preterite-presents, in which the present tense is an original preterite (cf. can, dow, dare, etc.): OE. *þurfan, pres. þearf—þurfon, pa. þorfte, = OFris. *thurva, thurf(thorf)—thurvon, OS. thurƀan, tharf—thurƀun, thorfta, MDu. dorven, dorfte (Du. durven), ON. þurfa, þarf—þurfom, þurfta (Sw. tarfva), OHG. durfan, darf—durfun, dorfta (MHG. durfen, G. dürfen), Goth. *þaurban, þarf—þaurbum, þaurfta:—OTeut. *þarf-, *þurƀ-; corresp. to a pre-Teut. ablaut series *terp-, *torp-, *trp-, which has not been certainly identified. The ME. β-forms had lost the f or v, app. first in the 2nd sing. present þearft, þeart-tu, þer-tu, leaving a stem þar-, þer-, þor-, þur-, which was afterwards often confused with the dar-, dor-, dur- of dare v.1, so that the latter had forms in th, while there are here forms in d, esp. in the 2nd and 3rd person singular of the present: see γ. This confusion of tharf and dare is also found in the cognate languages: see dare v.1]
A. Inflexions.
1. Pres. Indic. a. 1st sing. 1 þearf.
| Beowulf 2007 Ic þæt eall ᵹe-wræc swa..[ne] ᵹylpan þearf grendeles maᵹa. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2176 (Gr.) Ne þearf ic yrfestol eaforan bytlian. |
b. 2nd sing. (α) 1 þearft, 2 þerft, (3 þerf).
| Beowulf 1675 Þæt þu him on-drædan ne þearft. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 180 Ne þearft þu þone wermod to don. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 37 Soðliche ne þerft þu bidden namare. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1160 Þu wenest ȝet þæt tu wenen ne þerf. |
(β) 3 þært, þert, þer(tu), 3–4 þers(tou), 4 þertes(tow), 4–5 tharst, 5 thar, thare.
| c 1205 Lay. 14482 Ne þært [MS. þræt] þu nauere habben kare of uncuðe leoden. a 1225 Ancr. R. 136 Ne þer tu nout dreden þe attrie neddre of helle. c 1300 St. Brandan 626 Ne therstou nothing drede. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 4877 Of Kent ne þertestow fle þat cost. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 61 Me semeth that thou tharst noght care. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 3285 Othure warke thou thare not wene. c 1460 Towneley Myst. ii. 293 Thar thou nowther flyte ne chyde. |
(γ) 3 dert, 4 dars(tou, -tow).
| c 1205 Lay. 22923 Ne dert [c 1275 þert] þu nauere adrede. c 1320 Cast. Love 975 Ne darstou on erþe þenchen elles nouht. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 55 Bi so þat þow be sobre..Darstow [v. rr. Tharst þow, Thardestow] neuere care for corne, ne lynnen cloth ne wollen. |
c. 3rd sing. (α) 1 ðearf, þearf (ðorfæð, -eð), 2 þerf, 3 (Orm.) þarrf, 3–4 þarf, 4 tharf.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxiv. §4 Ne ðearf he nanes þinges. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John xiii. 10 Seðe ᵹeðuæn is ne ðorfæð [c 975 Rushw. ðorfeð] þætte aðoa hine. c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Matt. xxi. 3 Sæcgaþ þæt dryhten heora ðearf. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 9 Nu ne þerf na mon his sunne mid wite abuggen. a 1250 Prov. ælfred 161 in O.E. Misc. 113 Monymon weneþ þat he wene ne þarf longes lyues. c 1330 Amis & Amil. 935 Tharf the neuer haue of him drede. |
(β) 3 þerh, 4 (tar), thars, 4–5 þar, thar, þare, thare, there, 5 tharre, tharth, 9 Sc. dial. ther.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13554 Fra nu thar him namar be ledd. Ibid. 19870 (Edin.) Þat to do þare þe nochte lete. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 2167 He þat hates þis lyfes lykyng Thar noght drede þe dedes commyng. ? 1370 Robt. Cicyle 325 More then thars be an c. folde. a 1400–50 Alexander 5377 Þe thare bot graunt me to geue quat guds as I craue. 1414 Brampton Penit. Ps. (Percy Soc.) 45 Me thar no more but aske and have. c 1425 Cursor M. 10565 (Laud) For to aske there no man Yf they were glad & ioyfull þan. c 1475 Tharth [see B. 2]. |
(γ) 3 derf, 3–4 darf, 4 darh, 4–5 dar, dare.
| a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 187 Hwa derf beon unsauuet þe haueþ se mihti salue. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6471 Me ne dar noȝt esse weþer he were kene þo & prout. a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 315 Ich wene ne darf me axi noȝt. c 1320 Cast. Love 733 Ne dar he seche non oþer leche. a 1327 Pol. Songs (Camden) 250 Of gode knyhtes darh him nout fail. c 1425 Cursor M. 10461 (Laud) To myrthe me dare [early MSS. þar] the not wene. c 1440 Sir Gowther 615 The dare not drede of thi werkys wyld. |
d. pl. (α) 1 þurfon, ðurfan, 1–3 þurfe, 3 þurven (-uen), þorhfe, þurve, þorve.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xiv. §2 Þa ðurfon swiþe lytles, ðe maran ne willniað þonne ᵹenoᵹes. Ibid. xxiv. §4 Hwæt þurfon [v.r. þurfe] we nu ma..sprecan? c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 65 Hwæt þurfe we leng ᵹewitnisse? c 1205 Lay. 24909 We ne þuruen [c 1275 þorhfe] na mare aswunden liggen here. a 1225 Ancr. R. 6. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 106/160 Ȝe þorue [Harl. MS. þore] habbe of heom no kare. |
(β) 3 þore, 4 thore, 4–5 thar, 5 Sc. thair.
| c 1290 St. Brandan 121 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 223 Ȝe ne þore noþing drede. c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶102 Yet thar ye nat accomplice thilke ordinance but yow like. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 6868 Ye thar not drede of hem y-wis. 1438 Bk. Alex. Grt. (Bann.) 9 Ȝe thair nocht dreid na chaissing. c 1485 Digby Myst. iii. 1437 Of þis cors we thar nat a-baffe. 1825 Thair [see B. 1]. |
(γ) 4 dorre, durre, 5 dar.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4 Of fon hii dorre [v.r. heo durre] þe lasse doute bote hit be þorȝ gyle. c 1477 Caxton Jason 42 Ye dar not be aferd of dethe. |
2. Pres. Subj. sing. 1 ðyrfe, 1–2 þurfe, 3 (Orm.) þurrfe, þurve. pl. 1 ðyrfen, þurfen.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxvi. §2 Sam hi þyrfen, sam hi na þurfon, hi willað þeah. c 897 ― Gregory's Past. C. xliii. 312 Oft ðonne mon ma fæst ðonne he ðyrfe. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John iv. 15 Syle me þæt wæter þæt..ic ne ðurfe [c 1160 Hatt. G. þurfe] her feccan. c 1200 Ormin 7766 Þatt ure nan ne þurrfe Ut off þe rihhte weȝȝe gan. c 1275 Woman Samaria 26 in O.E. Misc. 85 Yef me þar-of to drynke Þat ich ne þurve more to þisse welle swynke. |
3. Past Indic. and Subj. a. sing. (α) 1 ðorfte, 2–5 þurfte, 3 (Orm.) þurrfte, 4–5 thurfte.
| α c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xiv. §3 Ne þorfte he him nænne ondrædan. Ibid., Ne ðorftes þu ðe nanwuht ondrædan. Ibid. xxvi. §2 Ne ðorfte he no maran fultomes. c 1200 Ormin 16164 Swa þatt nan mann ne þurrfte off himm. a 1325 Poem Times Edw. II 321 in Pol. Songs (Camden) 338 Thurfte him noht seke tresor so fer. 14.. Sir Beues 4219 (MS. M.) Thurfte he never after to aske leche, That sir Mylis myght ouer-reche. |
(β) 3 þurhte, þorte, 3–5 þurte, 4 þurt, þort, þart, thourt, 4–5 thurt(e; 4 þurste, 4–5 þurst, 4–5, 9 Sc. thurst.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 35 He ne þurte naure þolen hunger ne þurst. a 1272 Luue Ron 95 in O.E. Misc. 96 Ne þurhte þe neuer rewe. a 1300 Cursor M. 23443 Ya forsoth thurt [v.r. thort] naman mare. c 1330 Florice & Bl. 259 Now thourt him neuere ful iwis Willen after more blisse. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. x. 257 Ho so þurste hit segge. a 1425 Chron. R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6389 (MS. β), He ne þurst neuer eft care of drynke ne cloþe. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxv. 256 For no catelle thurt the craue. 1825 Thurst [see B. 1]. |
b. pl. (α) 1 þorfton, -an. (β) 3 þeorte(n, 3–4 þurte(n, 4–5 thurte.
| c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. 9 Hi his sume ðorfton. a 1000 Guthlac 423 (452) No we þus swiðe swencan þorftan. c 1275 Lay. 18650 For ne þeorte þe cnihtes buten biwiten þat castel ȝat. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxx. 473 Thai thurte bot aske and haue thare boyn. |
B. Signification.
1. intr. To be under a necessity or obligation (to do something): = need v.2 6, 8.
| c 890–901 K. ælfred Laws Introd. c. 28 ᵹif..he..ᵹewitnesse hæbbe, ne þearf he þæt ᵹeldan. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 611 (Gr.) Ic hit þe secgan ne þearf. a 1200 Moral Ode 44 Þer ne þerf he habben kare of ȝefe ne of ȝelde. a 1225 Juliana 68 Arude me þat þeos unselie ne þurue nawt seggen. c 1230 Hali Meid. 5 Ha nawiht ne þarf of oðer þing þenchen. 1825 Jamieson s.v., ‘Ye thair n' fash’, you need not put yourself to the trouble. Ibid., ‘Ye thurstn'’, ye needed not. |
2. impers. It needs, there is need, it is needful [= L. opus est, Gr. δεῖ]. Const. dat. of person and inf. a. without subject it.
| c 1200 Ormin 12886 Ne þarrf ȝuw nohht nu follȝhenn me. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 69 Þanne ne þarf us noðer gramien ne shamien. a 1250 Owl & Night. 190 Ne þarf þerof beo no tale. c 1275 Passion 17 in O.E. Misc. 37 Ne þerfþ þer non adrede. c 1275 Duty of Christians 37 ibid. 142 Ne þarf vs neuer a-gryse. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 3053 Who wil lesinges layt, Þarf him no ferþer go. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 4145 Ne neuere þurt hem haue drad no tyde. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 3 Ne thar him nat be idel long. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 361 Sho said hym þurte not be seke her-for. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 538 Me tharth haue nane noy of myne erand. |
b. with subject it. rare.
| c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode i. lxxxvii. (1869) 39 It thurt not recche to wite of this anoon. c 1460 Towneley Myst. iv. 117 Myn ase shalle withe vs, if it thar. |