Middle English Dictionary Entry
dēcai n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dēcai n. |
| Etymology | AF; cp. ME dēcaien & CF dechié n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Deterioration, decline in value or capacity to produce income; in ~, of land: no longer productive; fallen into ~, gon in ~, to decline in value or productiveness.
Associated quotations
- (1442) RParl.5.64a : Men of divers Countries in conveyeng of Bullion hath bene gretely hyndered aswell in theire persones as in theire goodes, so that the seide Mynt is fallen into grete decay.
- (1445) Bk.Combermere in LCRS 3149 : [From one void place of land..which used to pay yearly xviij s., now] jacet in dekay.
- (c1460) MSS Penshurst in HMC187 : Where..his lyvelode is not worth iiiijc marc by yere, it was..lytell wers then vjc marc by yere..they have letten it go in dekaye.
- (1465) Paston (Gairdner)4.134 : She consederith the gret decay of youre lyflode.
- (1472-5) RParl.6.157b : Grete multitude of Woll and Wollfell..been caried oute of this Reame..whereby not oonly ensueth grete decay of the Kyng's Custume and Subsidie, but also the anientisment of the price of the Woll.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)149 : The estate off þe Romans..hath ffallen alwey sythyn, in to suche decay þat nowe the lordeshippes off þe emperour bith not so gret as be þe lordeshippes off some kynge.