Middle English Dictionary Entry
crēdence n.
Entry Info
| Forms | crēdence n. Also creda(u)nce, gredense. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Belief, faith, trust; under ~, on faith; betaken of ~, bileven bi ~, yeven to ~, to accept (sth.) on faith; haven ~ in (to), trust (sb.), have faith in (sth.); taken ~, believe; yeven ~ to, inspire (sb.) with confidence; (b) yeven ~ of (to), believe (sth.), trust (sb.), accept.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.867 : Bot yit for al that evere he pleigneth, Elda no full credence tok.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2677 : He may best a man beguile In whom the man hath most credence.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.743 : That suche goddes ben believed..Amonges hem whiche are unwise Ther is betaken of credence.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2132 : The sothe experience To themperour yaf such credence That al his trist..on hem he leith.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3210 : With tho wommen whos innocence Is nou alday thurgh such credence Deceived ofte.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.7011 : Þat who in hem haueth any feith, Hope, credence, or in hem delite, It is no drede, þat þei wil hym quyte.
- (c1422) Hoccl.JWife (Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)426 : Where as þat no credence May been had, wysdam conseillith silence.
- (1425) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.12 : For þe more credens to be had to þese present wrytynge, we han put to owre seales.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)465 : He schal take þanne bi experience what he wole not bileeue here bi credence.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)13/20 : Leerners muste long tyme lerne vndir credence oonli, which credence þei schulen ȝeue to her techers and to her now rehercid bookis.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.169 : The mownte called Atlas..is so eleuate..that is ȝiffen to credence [L credatur] the altitude of hit to towche the cercle of the moone.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1885 : The Eremite..hadde in her wordis feith and credence.
- c1475 O lord omnipotent (Trin-C R.3.21)37 : The world thow dost enbrace, Expellyng vyce from the yates of oure credence.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)201 : Mong many talis is many grett lesyng; Hasty credence hath causid gret hyndryng.
b
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.415 : But they, conuerted at hir wise loore, Wepten ful sore and yauen ful credence Vn to hir word.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)60/1149 : I ȝaf lasse credence to my owne wit þen to oþur mennes ȝit.
- (c1395) WBible(2) Prol.Is.(Roy 1.C.8)226 : Therfor men moten seke the treuthe of the text..and ȝyue not ful credence therto.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)p.97 : If we shulen ȝeve credence to doctours wordes.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)88/18 : Synnars..wole not ȝyue credence but if men swere.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.5.75 : Men oughten rather yeven credence to the more stidfast.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)17667 : He bad a kyng scholde with him ride..that thei myght credence of him ȝeue And the more him leue.
- (a1431) Stonor1.47 : The berer hereof shall enfourme you, to whom y prey you geve credence.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)219/36 : It is not expedient to ȝeuyn redily credens to euery steryng but sadly abydyn & preuyn yf þei be sent of God.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)462 : We schule not ȝeue credence to þe precise nakid pretensioun of wordis..but if it be accordaunt wiþ oþere parties of þe same scripture.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)31 : On bokes for to rede I me delyte, And to hem yive I feyth and ful credence.
- (?1467) Acc.Howard in RC 57558 : Also I pray ȝowe ȝeffe gredense to the brenger of thes bell.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)246/443 : Seche materys þe pepyl doth conseyve To ȝeve credens to his werkys Alle.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)11 : He yaf no grete credence to that she seide.
2.
(a) Trustworthiness; of statements, etc.: authority; of persons: repute; man of ~, a reputable man, trustworthy man; (b) lettre of ~, a letter certifying the validity of information or the trustworthiness of a messenger; oth to ~, an oath to clear oneself of an accusation.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)25/1092 : Þerfore nou his sentence Is of stable credence.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2921 : Som men sein That swevenes ben of no credence.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)150/5 : Als mykill as I hafe herd of wyse men and men of credence..I will tell ȝow.
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)12 : I..spake oones with aman of perfeccion & of credens.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.116 : The worthi excellence Of verray vertu..ye forleten clene For veyne rumours, litell of credence.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)78/2 : Aftir his deth wer certeyn visiones & reuelaciones mad to persones of grete credens.
- a1452 Doc.in Kingsford EHist.Lit.(CotR 2.23)363 : Who so euer speke for the part to excuse hym is to be take culpabull of treson, and neuer to haue credens.
- a1500(1444) Let.Curteys in RS 96.3 (Add 7096)264 : God hath endowed you with grete and notable discrecioun, and with grete credence and reputacioun.
- ?a1500 Primum nomen (Hrl 7526)270 : Tercium nomen dabitur isto dungio, Distruccion of mannys body, name, and credans.
b
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.258 : Þe letter forth þei nam to trowe þer sayng; þis letter of credance [F Lettre de creaunce] þei schewed in his present.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)64/15 : Noo kynges sone shuld make noon othe to credaunce, whylst that he myght fyght.
- (1461) Paston (Gairdner)3.266 : Please you to knowe..of suche tydyngs as my Lady of York hath by a lettre of credens, under the signe manuel of oure Soverayn Lord, King Edward.
3.
An official message, a letter, document.
Associated quotations
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2240 : Vlixes..fully knewe by open evidence, And also in special credence Sent vn-to hym fro Penolope, Þe mater hool declaringe in secre.
- (1440) Let.Coldingham in Sur.Soc.12114 : I have resavyd your lettre and consavyd yowr credence..in the whilke yhe desire the office of the bailyere.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)88 : Sir Lucius..Saluz the as sugett vndyre his sele ryche; It es credens, sir kynge with cruell wordez.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)444 : Þow arte full seruyde Of cunndit and credense; kayre whene the lykes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)191/25 : Whan the Emperour Lucius hadde redde the lettyrs and undirstoode them welle of theire credence, he fared as a man were rased of his wytte.
- a1500 Let.Curteys in RS 96.3 (Add 7096)270 : After þe tenure, effect, and purport of oure oþer lettres..and credences undre oure prive seel.
- a1525(1470) Rebell.Lin.(ArmsV 435)14 : Rufford..[came] with letres credenciales, the credence in effecte conteynyng the seide message.
4.
The tasting of foods to prove them nonpoisonous; ~ of seueres, a group of sewers or tasters.
Associated quotations
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A credens of sewers.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)1199,1207 : Credence is vsed, & tastynge, for drede of poysenynge, To alle officers y-sworne and grete othe by chargynge..Therfore in makynge of his credence, it is to drede, y sey, To mershalle, sewere, and kervere þey must allowte allwey.