Middle English Dictionary Entry
crēaunce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | crēaunce n. Also criaunce. |
| Etymology | OF crëance |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Belief (in sth.), faith, trust; in (with) ful ~, fully believing, without reservation; (b) commercial credit; bi (to, under) ~, on credit.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) St.Patr.Purg.(1) (Auch)p.99 : And ȝif he ben of gode creaunce..he no schuld nouȝt be þer in [in Purgatory] ful long.
- (c1391) Gower CA Suppl.(Hnt EL 26.A.17)5.7105* : Er Rome cam to the creance Of Cristes feith.
- c1450(c1370) Chaucer ABC (Benson-Robinson)61 : With his precious blood he wrot the bille Upon the crois, as general acquitaunce To every penitent in ful creaunce [vr. criaunce].
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1676 : And bydde hym say wyth fulle creawnce..'God, I crye þe mercy.'
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17220 : I swer to the by my mawmet..In whom ys..My trust pleynly and my creaunce.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)662 : Sle these hethen houndes, that in oure lorde haue no creaunce.
- a1500 St.Kath.(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)399 : Hye kynge in trynyte, Haue now mercy on mee And all þat haue in the creauns.
b
- a1325 Rwl.Statutes (Rwl B.520)1:16/21 : Of hoem þat nimez uitaile, oþer aniþing to þe kinges bihoue to creaunce [F a creaunce], oþer warnestuer of castel oþer elles, ant wan a habbez vnderfonge þe paie ate chekere, into warderobe, oþer elles, withholdez þe paie of þe creaunsurs, hoem to grete harme ant te sclaundre of þe king, ipurueid is of suuche þat habbeth long ant tenement, þat hit be anon riȝt arerd of hoere londes ant of hoere chateus ant ipaied to þe creaunsours.
- (1442-3) Visit.Alnwick131 : Also we enioyne yow, pryoresse..that of euery purveyaunce that ye make for your place vndere creaunce ye do make tayles or som remembraunce writene be twix yow and the sellers.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)118 : Yff a kynge be pore, he shall..by all þat is necessarie to his estate by creaunce and borowynge.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.132 : Þey casteth hem to creaunce þe courte for to plese.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)4.17 : And ȝet, ne had creaunce icome at þe last ende..Þey had be drawe to þe deuyll for dette þat þey owed.
2.
(a) A body of beliefs or doctrines, religion; a doctrine [quot.: a1449]; (b) ?a person's reputation.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1851 : Þou scholdest leue þy false creaunce & belyue on heuene kynge.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.915 : A theef that hadde reneyed oure creaunce Cam into ship.
- (c1391) Gower CA Suppl.(Hnt EL 26.A.17)7.3235* : Thus have I told thee softe and faire Mi feith, mi lawe, and mi creance.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)195/5 : God loueth hem & is plesed with hire creance [F creaunce] for hire gode dedes.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.Ad BV (Hnt HM 744)18 : It is incredible To any wight of catholyk creaunce.
- c1435 Lydg.St.George (Bod 686)221 : Alexandria..ffor soke ydolas and alle hir fals creaunce.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Corp.Chr.(Trin-C R.3.20)175 : Þis hoost is..God and man, Cryste Jhesus verraily..Þis oure byleve and creance feythfully.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)12.41 : He..swor Anon be his Creaunce.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)p.230 : That mayden seyde, as for Creaunce and beleue, that she was of the cristen feythe.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)71/11 : [Diogenes] seith: ther is no..bettir creaunce [Scrope: bileue] thanne good techinge.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)6900 : I mene, by vnyte in substaunce Off our ffeyth and our creaunce.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)5 : This holy man..taught and enformed hem here creaunce and feith.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)220 : He swore by his creaunce.
b
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)358 : If þou yknewe me ariȝt, my doynge & my creaunce, þou noldest profry me no fiȝt for al þat gold of fraunce.
3.
(a) A letter or message; (b) hawk. a cord attached to a hawk or a partridge to keep it from flying too far.
Associated quotations
a
- (1426) Proc.Privy C.3.183 : Be hit said unto him þat upon certain report..of creance committed unto hem fro my said lord of Gloucester..þat my said lord of Gloucester eschewed for þe doubte of riot abovesaid þat þei shold both be a toones in oo towne.
b
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking (Hrl 2340:Halliwell)297 : Lete that partrich that ye have in your bagge fle be a creaunce, so that the hawke nym the partrich fleyng.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking (Hrl 2340:Halliwell)299 : Then tech him to light from thi fiste to the grounde, and fro the grounde to thi fist, both ner and ferrer by a creaunce.
- a1500 *Hawking [OD col.] (Sln 2721)Plut.xcv.C. : How to use her when she will come redeley in the creance.