▪ I. † offe, n. Obs. rare—1.
[ad. L. offa bite, bit, morsel.]
A small piece, morsel, crumb. Hence † offe v. trans. to break into bits, to crumble.
| c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 688 Half a stryke Of barly mele, enoyled offed lyte, In dayes thries x, let make hem slyke And faat ynough, so that theyr appetite Be seruyd wel, and that non offis [v.r. offes] white Englame vppon the rootes of theyr tonge. |
▪ II. † offe, adv. and prep. Obs.
Also 3 oue.
[An early ME. deriv. form from of, on the analogy of inne, ute, oute, uppe: used advb. and at end of a clause.]
A. adv. = off.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 29 Ȝif þin hefet were offe. c 1200 Ormin 14032 To wasshenn offe þeȝȝre lic. a 1225 Ancr. R. 150 Hwonne þeos rinde is offe..hwiteð hit wiðuten. |
B. prep. = of (following relative pron.: cf. inne prep. 1 β.).
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 93 Þat holie gestninge þe he offe specð. c 1200 Ormin 462 Þiss gode prest, Þatt we nu mælenn offe. Ibid. 4097 Amang þatt Judewisshe follc Þatt Crist wass borenn offe. c 1275 Lay. 451 Þat we beoþ oue [c 1205 of] icomen. |
▪ III. offe
obs. form of woof.