Middle English Dictionary Entry
damisēle n.
Entry Info
| Forms | damisēle n. Also damesele, (early) dameisele, (late) damsel & damoisele & domicelle. |
| Etymology | AF dameisele, OF damoisele, L domicella. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
An unmarried woman, a maiden or maiden lady, esp. one of noble or good family; also, any young woman or girl.
Associated quotations
- c1230 *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)53a : Gurdles ant gurdunge o dameiseles wise, scleaterunge mid smirles.
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(Hrl 2277)273 : Damaisele..Ich wole, if þu tourne wolt, forȝyue þe þi misdede.
- c1300 S.Leg.Faith(1) (LdMisc 108)37 : Þe Iustise biheold þat Maide..'Dameisele,' he seide, 'ȝwat art þou?'
- c1300 SLeg.11000 Virg.(LdMisc 108)75 : Damoysele ourse, þe kyngues douȝhter.
- a1325(?a1300) Interl.CG (Add 23986)2 : Clericus ait, 'Damishel, reste wel!' -- 'Sir, welcum, by saynt michel!'
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)562 : Þo vond he þere damaiseles gent & vair inoȝ.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1492 : Þe nobloste damaisele [vr. damesel; B: dammesele, damysel] þat was in eni londe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8892 : 'Damoysele [vr. Damesel; B: Dameisele, Damysel],' quaþ þe king, 'þou seist wel.'
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)618 : Damisel [Cai: damesell]..whi seistow so?
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)401 : A dere damisele to douȝter þis emperour hadde.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)562 : Swete damisele, þat me sore rewes!
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1978 : Where dwelle ȝe, a deuel wai, ȝe damiseles so long?
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4060 : The faireste [hen]..Was cleped faire damoysele Pertelote.
- a1400 SMChron.(Add 19677)421 : Charles douter þe gret kyng, Damesele Iudith was hure name.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)489 : Of countes, damysel,..Were fayr in heuen to halde asstate..Bot a quene! Hit is to dere a date.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.471 : Tyl þe day dawede, these damseles daunsede.
- (1402) Hoccl.Cupid (Hnt HM 744)287 : For to deceyue a cely damoisele.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)22 : Lordes and ladies..And damisels of mykel pryse.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.34.4 : Tak to me..this damysele [L puellam] to wijf!
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Num.30.16 : Bitwixe the fadir and the douȝtir which is ȝit in the age of a damysel [L in puellari..ætate], that is, not ȝit maried.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Mark 5.39 : The damesel [WB(1): wenche; L puella] is not deed, but slepith.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)776 : Ful fetys damyseles two..Hadde Myrthe doon..Amydde the karole for to daunce.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1622 : These damoysels and bachelers.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)66/13 : Ilk a man sall hafe iiixx wyfes of faire damiselles.
- ?a1425 Wycl.CChron.(2) (Em 85)189/423 : Whan king lowis..felle in to gret sikness, leches..conseilden him to vse a damisselle.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)9 : Gyternynge & daunsynge..to geten þe stynkyng loue of damyselis.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)137 : Ȝif ony burgeys..take a wiff that be damoisele or wedewe.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)26/9 : Þe forseyd monk cam to hir & seyde..'Damsel, I her seyn God spekyth on-to þe.'
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3437 : Daunsyng of Damsele, Dynnyng of trumpys.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13815 : I wold dele with þe, damysell..To know the full kyndly as my clene luff.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)249 : With damesels dere to daunsen in thaire chambirs.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)6/20 : Wher ȝong damesellis be with chateryng tongis.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)263 : Sche broute oute of Frauns xii chares full of ladies and domicelles.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)162/27 : Three damesels syttynge thereby..And the eldyst..was three score wyntir of age or more and hir heyre was whyght..The secunde damselle was of thirty wyntir of age..The thirde damesel was but fiftene yere of age.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)179/16 : Agayne the feste of Pentecoste cam the Damesell of the Laake.
- a1475 Honowre wit (Brog 2.1)2 : Honowre..Be vnto yow, ffayre damseyll!
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1036,1041 : The difference betwene a damysell and a mayde..Maidens were calles..And dameselles kerchieffed aboue and pynned by nethe.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)32b : A Damsell: Domicella, dominella, Nimpha.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)195/34 : Herode and Herodian confedrid..that the damesel schuld play and dawnce afore hem.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)1 : Þer was a knyȝt þat hadde weddid a yong damesell to wif.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)132 : The daunces of the ladies and damsels, and the turnementes of yonge bachelers.
2.
(a) A young woman attending a lady or assisting a superior; maid in waiting, handmaiden; (b) a young nun, a novice.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)1169 : Þo sente heo a damesele [vrr. damysele, damoisele] After þe palmere.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)50 : Here chaumberleyn ȝhe clepede hire to, And oþer dammaiseles two.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1352 : As damoiselles entendant To the goddesses, whos servise Thei mote obeie.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)171 : Leuedyes and damoysele [vr. damoselis] Quyk hem greiþed..Jn faire atyre.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.11 : Þanne hadde fortune folwyng hir two faire damoyseles.
- (c1422) Hoccl.JWife (Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)191 : Men wole han meruaill, That damoisele with hir had shee [the empress] noon.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Judith 13.5 : Judith seide to hir damesele [L puellæ suæ], that sche schulde stonde with outforth bifor the dore of the closet and aspie.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)John 18.17 : The damysel [WB(1): handmayde] kepere of the dore [L ancilla ostiaria].
- a1425 PPl.A(1) (UC 45)10.12 : Dobet is hire damysele, sire.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.49 : With Rethorice com forth Musice, a damoysele of our hous, that syngeth now lightere moedes..now hevyere.
- (1441) Visit.Alnwick9 : An honeste woman seruaund in your kychyne..wythe an honeste damyselle wythe hire.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1501 : This chyldes systur, A damsell, then with that lady was dwelland.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)40/17 : When the horne blooys, ther shall come oute ane old damesell.
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)f.83rb : Judith .. lefte her damoyselle free.
b
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2209 : 'Damisel' þe ȝongest es, Þe elder 'madaum' & 'mastres'; Þe Priores, als principall, Es 'lady' & leder of þam all.