Middle English Dictionary Entry
dēken n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dēken n. Also deaken, deakne, decan, deckene, deco(u)n, decun, dekne, dekon, dekun, dicoun; (early) dæcne, dæken; (early & S, K) diacne, diak(e)ne; (late) daken. Pl. dekenes & (S, K) deknene, diaknen. |
| Etymology | OE dīacon, dēacon, from L diāconus (ult.Gr.). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Eccl. A deacon; (b) one who reads the Gospel in divine worship; (c) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- 1122 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1122 : Þa munecas sungen þære messe, & se dæcne hafde ongunnan þone godspel.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)3763 : Crist..wollde sammnenn An flocc off menn..Þatt sholldenn wurrþenn hise shep..& sholldenn habbenn oferr hemm Bisscopess, preostess, dæcness.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)127/18 : Habbe þeo abbodesse swa ȝecorene messepreost æȝðer ȝe diacon [L diaconum] ȝe subdiacon.
- c1300 SLeg.Silv.(1) (LdMisc 108)49 : Seint siluestre bi-lefde pope..Preostes he made and deknene.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)41 : Alquin was his rihte name..Dekne he was, and þe ordre he hadde.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)45/1250 : And hys þe syxte al-so ycleped þe holy ordre of dekene.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)49/1372 : Sudeakne..eke þe corperaus Onder þe deakne uealdeþ.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)190/5,10 : He acsede at onen of his diaknen..þe dyacne mid..grochinge yeaf þe tuaye pans.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)235/7 : Þe tende stat..is of clerkes y-hoded, ase byeþ suþdeaknes, dyaknes, prestes, and bissopes.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.547 : Seint Vrban with hise deknes [vrr. dekenes, deaknes] pryuely The body fette and buryed it by nyghte.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.79 : Phelip..took his fadris tresour to Sixtus þe pope and to Laurence þe decoun [Higd.(2): his diacon].
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)prol.92 : I sauh þer..Erchedekenes and Deknes, þat Dignite hauen To preche þe peple and pore men to feede.
- a1400(?c1300) LFMass Bk.(Roy 17.B.17)153 : Þi pater-noster reherce al-waie til deken [vrr. decon, decun] or prest þo gospel rede.
- c1410 Trev.Higd.(Add 24194)2.127 : Wynfrede, Cheddes dekene.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)40/5 : Yef þabbes prais for preste ouþir for dekin.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)117 : Dekyn: Diaconus.
- (1448) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 1213 : All the aparell for Prest, Dekyn, and Sub-Dekyn.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)196/11 : He asked his dekne ȝif he had any siluer.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)74 : He ordeyned..that he that schuld be mad bischop schuld first be a benet..and than a colet; and than subdiacone, diacone, and prest.
- (1472) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum3 : Vestments remayning in the hands of the Daken.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)31 : To þe decoun it perteniþ stond niȝe þe prest.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)162/29 : Seynt Gregory..toke to hym Petyr, his deken, forto wryte as he expowned.
b
- c1390 Treat.Mass (Vrn)296 : Þe Pope wolde synge a Messe..He made a signe to seynt Austyne ffor he schulde ben his dekne digne To Rede þe gospelle.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)75/283 : To þe, Austyn, he mad a syne Fore to be his dekyn dene To red his cospel.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)144/9 : A chanon..happend þat day..to be assigned by þe bisshopp to be his dekyn in serves tyme & rede þe pistle.
c
- (1212) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms170 : Ric. le Diakne.
- (1256) Assize R.Nhb.in Sur.Soc.8844 : Ric. Deken. Juliana uxor ejus, Deken.
- (1257) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms169 : Maud. le Dekne.
- (1270) Close R.Hen.III236 : Adam le Dyakene.
- (1282) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms170 : Rob. le Deakne.
- (1291) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms170 : Rob. le Dekyne.
- (1307) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms170 : Steph. le Deckene.
- (1327) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms170 : Sim. Dekene. Thom. le Deken.
- (1332) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms170 : Elias Dicoun. Will. le Dekon.
- (1426) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms170 : Joh. Dekene.
- (1440) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms169 : Will. Dekyn, wever.
2.
(a) One of the deacons of apostolic times; (b) a Levite.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Phil.1.1 : Poul and Tymothe..to alle the hooly men..with bischopis and dekenes, grace to ȝou.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Tim.3.8 : It byhoueth dekenes for to be chast.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19482 : Steuen..was o þe seuen dekens an.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19509 : Philip, þat was o dekens [Frf: decanis] an, þe neiest fra steuen was slan.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) Prol.1 Tim.(1) (Roy 1.C.8)453 : He enformeth and techith Tymothe..of dekenes office..writynge to hym fro Macedonye, bi Titicus, the dekene.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)31 : Þei were dekunis, lowar þan prestis, as Steuyn and silk oþer.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.145 : There shalle thowe..se godde, yat Peter did..and deken Steven.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)620 : O þatt illke wise comm Aȝȝ dækenn æffterr dækenn..To þewwtenn i þe temmple.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)79 : A mon lihte from ierusalem in to iericho and fol imong þoues..þer com an diacne et cetera.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)81 : Nu cumeð þes diakne..Nu is þes deakne forþe.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.7 : Þis Dauid..made..oþere instrumentis of musik, in whiche þe dekenes [Higd.(2): diacones] schulde seie ympnes and songes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7009 : For luue of a deken [Trin-C: dekenes] wijf, Mani man þar tint þair lijf [cp. Jud.19].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1266 : Nabuzardan..wyth his tulkkes..Diȝten dekenes to deþe.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)347 : In þe olde lawe weren preestis and dekenes myche chargid in berynge of þe tabernacle.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)37b/a : Leuita: a decone.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)117 : Dekyn:..levita.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)364 : Þe people was chargid of god to ordeyn þe prestis and deeknys housis.
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)98a : Þanne Pylate cleped to hem þe eldre men, preostes, and decouns.
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)f.56ra : Aaron thy brother, deken [Vulg. Exod.4.14: levites], I knowe that he is eloquent.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)15.6 : The possessioun of prestes and dekens in the ald laghe was god.
3.
A vestment worn by a deacon; ?also, part of a vestment.
Associated quotations
- (1423) Will York in Sur.Soc.4575 : Pro uno vestimento de nigro panno de baudekyn, viz. j casula, deakyn et subdeakyn, cum una capa..pro uno vestimento albo de damask, continente j casulam, deakyn et subdeakyn.
- (1449) Will Brugco in Nichols Illust.132 : One coope, chesible diacones, for decones; with the awbes and parures.
- (1473) Paston (Gairdner)5.187 : I praye yow sende me a newe vestment off whyght damaske ffor a dekyne, whyche is among myn other geer..I wyll make an armyng doblett off it.