Middle English Dictionary Entry
trētẹ̄ n.(3)
Entry Info
| Forms | trētẹ̄ n.(3) Also treti(e, tretei, traitẹ̄, traitie, (late) treatẹ̄ & (errors) thre, tretre, crote; pl. tretẹ̄s, etc. & (error) traturs. |
| Etymology | OF traitié, traitei, AF treté, traité, treaté. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Negotiation, bargaining, discussion; ambassade of ~, ?a mission for negotiating terms of peace; (b) a meeting, conference; a discussion, negotiation; (c) mediation; persuasion, entreaty.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1692 : This Iustyn and his brother..wroghten so by sly and wys tretee [vr. thre] That she..Shal wedded be vnto this Ianuarie.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.Cl.(Cmb Dd.4.24)E.331 : In the Chaumbre while they were a-boute here tretee [vr. tretey]..The peeple cam in-to the hous.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1292 : I purpose to sendyn Anthenor..aman discrete and avisee, And specialy in mater of trete, For he is bothe wyse and eloquent.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)76/9 : The Iuwes withyn the cite toke counseil that thei wold send message & ambassade of tretee to Vaspasian.
- a1500(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Lnsd 699)3620 : Evir thei stood in sich obstynacie..Whan we myht our purpos nat recur, We left our tretee & tooken on our armour.
- c1500 Melusine (Roy 18.B.2)113/18 : In long treatee lyeth somtyme grete falshed, For alwayes wyse men goo abacke for to lepe the ferther.
b
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3731 : Ther was not on..That wold gon on this ambassyat..Til Iocasta made sadyl her hors, to gon for this trete [rime: be].
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.2027 : The kyng..Sent for the pryncis off Cartage, On this mater to han a gret trete [rime: be, beute].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)453 : Tho saugh I grave al the aryvayle That Eneas had in Itayle And with kyng Latyne hys tretee And alle the batayles that hee Was at hymself.
- (c1456) Paston2.167 : As to the tretye, I knowe for certeyn ye wil nought demesne me in þat bihalve oþerwise þanne as conscience requirith, doynge therjnne as ye wolde for yowre-self.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)20/17 : Yn þe forest of Wyndeshore..the provinciale were wone to comyn for alle-maner treeteys holdyne be-twix hem.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)250/18-19 : Erraclyus..send to þys king Cosdre forto haue tretre [?read: tretye], and he prowdly ȝaf an vnswar he wold no trety hold wyth hym tyll he..had forsakyn cristyn faythe.
c
- c1429 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)3994 : A wise womman..turned the prince ire to pece thorgh hire tretee, Be whas counsaile the tovne the heved of Syba of kitte.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)59/24 : Þan was þe mater put in my Lord of Norwych Alnewyk to say if he mygth be trety bryng it to an ende.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)41/24 : By trety of þe pope and of þe kyng of Fraunce, þer was made a faynt loueday bytwene þe kyng of Englond and Thomas.
2.
(a) An agreement; a covenant, contract; an arrangement, a settlement; (b) an agreement or compact between two states, rulers, etc. relating to matters of national interest; a formal agreement to end hostilities between realms, a truce, peace treaty; ~ of (the) pes, ~ of treue.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1288 : Thou mayst..by som auenture or som tretee [vr. crote]..haue hire to lady and to wyf.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.4545 : Anchyses, With his sone called Eneas..han contreued..how þei may her owne lyves save By som e[n]gyn, sleiȝtis, or trete [rime: be].
- (1427) RParl.4.318b : Ye saide Commens graunten..yat my Lady of Gloucestre..be pourveyde fore be way of traitee or in other wise.
- (1440) Visit.Alnwick186b : We charge yowe, prioresse..for receyvyng of nunnes ye exacte none erthly gode otherwyse then thai or thair frendes wyll of thair charitee wyth owten any tretee or covenaunt made or had be fore gyfe yowe.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)131/33 : She..badd hym speke to Guenelete, and if he myght fynde noo tretee that he shuld accorde with hym, so that he myght haue viij days or more respite, [etc.].
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)135 : It shalnot only be goode to owre prince, but also to vs selff..ffor ellis the patriarke wolde not haue made such a trety.
- c1613(1469) Plumpton Let.23 : Sir John Malevera gave me a chalenge for him and said he was outlawd under my trety.
b
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3865 : Vp roos he Iulius the conquerour That wan al thoccident..By strengthe of hond or elles by tretee.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5258 : Egeus..conseil tok upon this thing..So that of pes into tretee Betwen Mynos and Egeus Thei felle.
- (1406) RParl.3.605a : To comune..with..the King of Scotland, and his Conseil, of all maner of matiers, alliance, and tretees.
- (1430) RParl.5.417b : Th'Estates of Fraunce wol not condescende to no traitee of Trieues, but oonlych to traitee of Pees.
- (1430-31) RParl.4.371b : For as moche as in ye Tretee of ye Pees, made nought longe agoo bytwyx ye Kyngs of noble memoire..it is contiened yat noon of ye parties shall entree or make any tretee of Pees, or of accord, with Charles the Daufyn, with oute yassent of the thre Estats of both Reumys.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)118/33 : The kyng of Aragone..tolde hym howe the kyng Brodas had wered vpon hym and howe ther was taken a trety betwen theym to a certan day.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)6 : Thes traturs furters [?read: traities, surtees], and contractes, ended by the counsell and consente of bothe the parties of the Kynges, the Kyng of Scottes..had saufecondit..to return safe..ynto his region of Scotteland.
- a1500(a1470) Brut-1461(1) (Add 10099)491/13 : Þe Frensh men..labored to haue A traitie with þe King of Englond, ffor þe King of Englond wan dayly of þame, townes, casteles, & fortresses.
3.
A written work dealing with a particular subject, an exposition, a treatise; a chronicle, history, etc.; also, a subdivision of a written work, a section [quots. Pecock]; comen to short ~, ?to keep a written work brief; ?sum things up.
Associated quotations
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prols.Esd.(Bod 959)41 : But þat to short treete [L conpendium] I coome, certes þat I am to concluden is most riȝtwise.
- 1440 Add.34764 Chron.in Kingsford EHist.Lit.(Add 34764)169 fn. : This noble King Harri þe Sixt began to regne, In whos xviij yere this short trety was ended.
- c1440 Chaucer CT.Mel.(Eg 2726)B.2153 : Tretee [Heng: In my sentence Shul ye nowher fynden difference Fro the sentence of this tretys lite].
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)47 : Ful weel ouȝten alle persoones of the lay parti..make miche of..The book of Cristen religioun (namelich the first parti fro the bigynnyng of the iije treti forthward).
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)326/10 : Consideryng þe multitude of bokes & tretees drawne in englische þat nowe bene generale cominede, mye wille haþ bene wiþdrawne.
- c1450 How mankinde dooþ (Lamb 853)650 : Now, leeue freendis..Þat haue herde þis trete [rime: aue], Praie for þe soule þat wroot þis tale.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)210/2 : Þei ben noumbrid..and expowned in þe first party of 'cristen religioun', þe ije trety, and in þe ije party of 'cristen religioun', þe ije, iije, iiije, ve, and vje treticis.
- c1475 3 Consid.(UC 85)209 : Yf it be pleasire to my Prince to have..parfyte knowlege of a Princys reule..let him..see Vegecius in hys treety.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.18 : The lak of wynd is the deficultee In enditing of this lytill trety small.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8383 : Þe hend lay In honerable Ylion..Of whiche fairehed & fourme, the fynest clerke Dares Tellys in his trety.