Middle English Dictionary Entry
alder-man n.
Entry Info
| Forms | alder-man n. Also halder-. Pl. -men. |
| Etymology | OE ealdorman |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An ealdorman of Saxon England; (b) a civil, military, or religious leader or dignitary; prince, chieftain, magistrate, elder; (c) one of the elders of the Heavenly City as described in the Apocalypse [Rev.4.4, etc.].
Associated quotations
a
- c1120(OE) Leges Hen.I in Liebermann Gesetze 1553 : Episcopi..uicarii, centenarii, aldermanni, prefecti..et ceteri terrarum domini.
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Immine ealdorman..& Herefrid ældorman.
- 1130-35(OE) Leges Edw.Conf.in Liebermann Gesetze 1655 : Sicut modo uocantur greues qui habent prefecturas super alios, ita tunc temporis uocabantur alderman, non propter senectutem sed propter sapientiam.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)75.19/3 : Achilles se ealderman hyre ȝelomlice brucen sceolde.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)130/31 : Hwær beoð þa ealdormen þe boden setten?
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)538 : Princeps: aldermon.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)265 : Þatt Godess follc, Judisskenn follc..Aȝȝ sholldenn habbenn allderrmenn & kingess off hemm sellfenn.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)533 : Hæfedd prestess & allderrmenn & hirdess off Þa fowwre & twenntiȝ gengess.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6304 : Himm [the monk] birrþ beon inn hiss herrte meoc..& buhsum till hiss alderrmann.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1420 : Numbert hehte þe alder mon þe sculde þas ernde don.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8199 : Þe king nom þreo aldere men [Otho: holde men] and sende to Androgeum.
- a1300 Þar þe child is (Dgb 53)p.15 : Þar þe child is kinge and þe cherl is alderman.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)4.4.134a : Þe senatours seyde nay & þer fore he [Nero] exilede meny of þe alder men.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)268 : Knyȝtes and sqwyers..And other aldermen.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)9 : Aldyrmann: Aldirmannus, senior.
- ?c1475 *Trev.Nicod.(Sal 39)131a : Þe aldurmen of þe lawe [Add: þe eldre men of þe Iewes].
c
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)887 : Ryȝt byfore Godez chayere..þe aldermen so sadde of chere.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)48 : They saw also aldermen syttyng aboute hir, whos chere shoon wyth vnspecable fayrnesse of lyght.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)691 : Aungells & Arcangells..And alle Aldermen þat bene ante tronum.
2.
The chief or warden of a guild.
Associated quotations
- [ (1130) Pipe R.Hen.I34 : Ut sit Aldermannus in Gilda Mercatorum de Everwic. ]
- [ (1180) in Pipe R.Soc.29153 : Gilda aurifabrorum unde Radulfus Flael est aldermannus. ]
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.34 : Þe halderman of this gilde.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.46 : To chesen an Aldirman.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.119 : Yis gylde schal hawe an haldyrman, and to screweynys, and a clerk.
- (1418) Grocer Lond.in Bk.Lond.E.196/48 : Hyt is ordeyned..[that there] bie chosyn an Alderman of the same craft, to be Gouernour ovyr the Maystres that ben For the ȝer.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)9/22 : Hir fadyr..was alderman of þe hey Gylde of þe Trinyte.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)413 : An aldirman in londoun hadde leefir þat his prentise or seruaunt schulde abide stille in þe schop [etc.].
3.
An official having jurisdiction over a municipal ward; a member of the ruling body of a city or borough.
Associated quotations
- (a1130) Chart.Hen.I in EHR 14 (Cleo C.7)429 : Ebrardo sellario, aldermann illius Warde.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5095 : Þe alderman Ich wiþ his ward cam.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.372 : Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys..Euerych..Was shaply for to been an alderman.
- (1416) Ordin.Gregge in Hadley Hist.Kingston745 : Ye Mayr and Auldermen of ye sayd Kingston upon Hull.
- (1444) Rec.Norwich 1115 : Euery ward shal chese be hem self an ardyrman and iij commoners for ye commone counseill of ye same Cite..euery aldirman may haue charge and gouernaunce undere ye mair to kepe ye goode rule and peas wihtin his seid ward, and so shal euery ardirmans gouernaunce be knowen.
- (1444) RParl.5.121a : Thei, and her Successours, shall be Aldermen and continuell assistents to the seid Baillifs.
- (1473) RParl.6.83a : John Yonge Knyght, Citezein and Alderman of oure Cite of London.
- a1500(1396) Indent.Francisc.in RS 4.1 (Vit F.12)521 : Thes endentvre made betwene James Andrew, Mayer of the cytte of London, the Aldermen and comnalte of the same cytte..and freer John Malberthorpe, Wardyn of the freers minors in London.