Middle English Dictionary Entry
commū̆nitẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | commū̆nitẹ̄ n. Also communte, commounte, com(m)onte, comente, cominte, comnete. |
| Etymology | OF com(m)unité |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The people of a country, city, etc.; nation, citizenry; commonwealth, community.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.273 : After consuls, tribunes plebis and dictatores rulede the comounte [L rem publicam] anon to Iulius Cesar his tyme.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.161 : Þe senatoures..prayede Silla, the consul, to helpe þe comounte of Rome [L rei publicæ] þat was nyh i-lost.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)141b/b : As a kyng þat takeþ heede of a comynte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)200a/b : Wiþouten Iren þe communete is nouȝt siker aȝeins enemys.
- c1400 Wycl.DSins (Bod 647)148 : A gode comynate makes hom have gode hedis, for þus þei disserven of God.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)185/29 : Al þe communite of Engeland ȝeue to þe Kyng þe 1. peny of alle here Godes moeble.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)33/5 : Hit is graunted by clere resoun þat þe comyn profit schal be defended vppon þe cost of þe comynte.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)p.40 : The sterres..fallen to the erthe, and so is the comounte treuli oppressid.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3142 : Whan a þing toucheþ a commvnte..Of alle þe comoun it ouȝte be confermed.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)342 : Þus þer is oon emperour, and oon heed in a comunnete.
- (1426) Red Paper Bk.Colchester49 : To the profyt of the comunate of the said toun.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.546 : Wherbi enfamyned was the comounte.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.1083 : Tencrece the proffit of the comounte.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)87 : Euery kingdom or comounte dyvidid in him silf schal be destruyed.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)672 : So that none enmye shulde hurte ne offende Yrelonde ne us, but as one comonte Shulde helpe to kepe well aboute the see.
- c1450 Page SRouen (BodeMus 124)p.59 : When they wolde arayse uppe their commente [Eg: comynaltye].
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)578/11 : Þe Duyk hym-self lay a litill from Newname brigge..And þey of Brugges, with þe comyntee of Flaundres, lay besides Saynt Peters Chirche.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)257 : Riȝt as what is necessarie to a comounte is to be purveied fore, so what is waast..and chargeose to a comounte is..to be avoidid.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.10/16 : If a bonde man..in oony towne pryvylegyd haue i-dwellyd, so that in here communite, that is to say in-to þere yilde, haue be receyuyd [etc.].
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)4.41 : Þe knyȝtis of þe comunete..With citiseyns of shiris.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)74/19 : As manye..statys as ben necessarye to þe nede and profite of þe comounte..erþetiliers..craftys men..merchauntys..leerid men..prelatis..þe prynce wiþ hise helpers.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.122 : Wher obedience lacketh in comynte, Prosperite and welthe woll sone and sondre.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)107 : Lower degrees ther been of hors al-so, Do grett profite to euery comounte.
2.
(a) The common people (as distinct from the rulers and the clergy), commonalty; the third estate; the state of the ~, the commons; the ~ of peple; (b) the House of Commons; (c) the laymen.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.115 : Tullia..made hire owne housbonde to conspire wiþ þe comounte [L plebem] of Rome and þe senatoures.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)332a/b : Þe comyn weye..hatte strata, as it were y trede wiþ feete of þe comynte.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ex.19.23 : Moyses seide to the Lord, 'The comounte [WB(2): comyn puple] may not stey vp into the hil of Synay.'
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.247 : Preestis shulden be lyf to quyken þe comountees.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)963 : Ovir large expence..Hath vnwarly brought in Indigence, Bothe in Estatys And in the Comounte.
- c1450 Wimbledon Serm.(Hat 57)11/27 : Þat he haue an eye of loue to þe comunte þat he haþ to rule.
- c1450 Wimbledon Serm.(Hat 57)26/20 : Whanne þu seest þat ben put on þe hi cop of spirytual dignyte, þat schuldyn ben os hillys a boue þe comynte of peple in perfyt lyuynge.
- c1450(?a1402) *?Trev.Reg.Princ.(Dgb 233)7b : And spoile þe comonte and þe regne while he may gadre money.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)363 : To þe þridde persone in trinyte..awnsweriþ þe state of þe comonte, þe whiche owiþ true loue & obedyente wille to þe statis of lordis & prestis.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)387 : Criste..alowid þe comonte her liflode goten bi true merchandise & hosbondrie.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)73 : A Commontye: vulgus, populus, gens, plebs..communitas.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)189/6 : Yn mony contrey knyghtes waken yn worschip of Saynt Petyr as þys nyght; and soo þe comynty takyn ensampull of hom.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)54/22 : Clerkes..hem owede to passe the commente in lyuynge as they do in ordre.
- a1500 Sarum BPrayer(1) (Barl 5)221* : Ȝee schulleþ bidde for þe meir of þis toun and for al þe communite, and for oure parchens.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.393 : Oure seid lorde chargyng the meyre to swere the comente of the Cite after the same fforme as ffoloweth.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.88 : The lordes, gentiles, yemen, and commontee He cherished well.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.121 : With all estates..Assembled there, duke, earle..And commentye of all the regyon.
b
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)231 : In the fifti ȝere of Edward was gadered a gret Parlement..The Commaunte asked..that Dame Alis Pereres schuld be remeved oute of the Kyngis hous as a woman malepert.
c
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)118a/b : Þe comunete [*Ch.(1): þe comon puple; L vulgus] haldeþ oyle of tartir moste souerayne.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)190b/b : There is none hope of curacioun, as þe communete [*Ch.(1): comon puple; L vulgus] saith.
3.
the ~ of the peple, the totality of the people, all the people; the ~ of mankinde, of the worlde, all mankind; the most ~, most of the people; in a ~, as one body of human beings.
Associated quotations
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)128 : Bi ther [Christian men's] withdrawing, the comunete of the puple wold be more encreside in malice.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)prol.5/9 : Y seye þis in certey, þat þe comunte of þe worlde haþ forsaken God & his hestes.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1263 : Þe most comounte seyde, ther is a ordre ful of holynesse, men clepe it cistercien.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)506 : Þe treuþe in comparisonyng to gidere cristen men and heþen men, as it were in a generalte or a comounte, forto seye þus: cristen men ben douȝtier þan heþen men.
- a1450(c1400-25) Legat Serm.PD (Wor F.10)6/21 : Þe hie Kinge of heuen..send his soondis & his lawis..to þe cite of this world, to þe comente of mankinde.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)574 : On the morowe erly wolde he ride toward the plain of Salisbery, where-as the comounte of the peple sholde assemble.
4.
A fellowship or group: (a) a religious community or brotherhood; (b) a guild; (c) the entire body of physicians or medical authorities.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.75 : Þe Chirche, þat is comunte of Cristene men.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)347 : Endewers of eny..comountees, if thei endewiden so richeli [etc.].
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)408/26 : He was servand vnto religious men and vnto þe commontie of Meruernens.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)27 : As al men of a comynte berun punisching for þe defaut of two or on.
- c1525 Rule & T.St.Francis(2) (Fst D.4)576 : The wardens..geve noo lycence to ther bretherne to ete from the communyte.
b
- (1440) in Black Leathersellers25 : On peyne of forfeture of the seid fellys..to the use of the Comynte.
c
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)25b/a : Þe 4a. fourme is, of alle þe comonte [L totius comunitatis], refrenatiue & alteratiue of woundes.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)133a/b : Cold & moiste aier, brede crude & þerf, & leguminez..ar forbedde to hem of þe comontee of leches [*Ch.(2): þe communete of leches; L communitate medicorum].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)180a/a : For gutta rosacea..is praised vnguentum citrinum of al þe comounte in þe Antidotarie.
5.
(a) Ownership in common; ~ of god; (b) the right to use land held in common.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5209 : With hem holdyng comunte Of all her good in charite.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)24592 : I ha noo pocessioun nor nothyng in propurte, but al thyng in communyte; al propurte I ha forsake.
b
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)339/6 : Grauntyd..to the mynchons..j halfe hyde of londe..with all hys pertinences & liberteis in medewys & pasturis..in goynges-out & communitees.
6.
Misc. uses: (a) in communite, as a group, jointly; in public; (b) ~ of kinde, likeness of human nature; (c) bi ~, by association.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 Wycl.Serm.(Cmb Ii.1.40:Arnold)1.110 : Communete [Bod: ȝif Crist wolde for pryde do þis myracle..he wolde in comunalte do þis dede, and not þus oonli in desert].
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)384 : In sum place in priuate persone, and in sum place in comunte or persone aggregate..þe clergi occupier [read: occupien] þe seculer lordeschip seculerli, & so in propre.
b
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)56/19 : Þe lawe of mans felischyp he filys þat comoute of kynde in his neghbur wyrschipis not.
c
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)62a/b : Þay ben accidentes þat comen by comounte [L per comitatem] and by fastynge togedre.