Middle English Dictionary Entry
demī n. & combining element
Entry Info
| Forms | demī n. & combining element Also dimi, demey, abbrev. di. |
| Etymology | OF demi adj. & demie n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A half (of a certain measure or unit); (b) a Scottish gold coin [see quots.]; (c) her. half-and-half, party.
Associated quotations
a
- (1431) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)206 : ij Foþer and demi.
- (1470) LRed Bk.Bristol2.133 : A wall..stretchyng..in the hye stret..v fote and demi.
- (1471) Paston (Gairdner)5.119 : I send yw demi a riale for to by wyth swger..for me.
b
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)10 : The Kyng..did mak an opyn proclamacion..that whoso myght slee or tak hyme, and bryng hym to the Kynges presence, shuld have iii thousand demyes of gold, every pece worth half an Englissh Noble.
- c1500 Money Coins MSS Hast.in HMC (Hnt HU 1051)1.419 : The noble of Scotland of iij d. quad. weight, v s. x d. The demy of Scotland of the sam weight, iij s. x d...A Demy of Scotland, on the on syde a lebard with in and this scriptur: Jacobus dei gra. rex; and on the odir sid a litill sent Andrews crosse and this scriptur: Saluum fac populum tuum Domine; weyng ij d. quad. weight, mad yn Scotland, iiij s.
c
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.5 (Hrl 2169)187 : A beryth demey gold and sabyll a sawter engrelyd of the same.
- 1486 ?Berners Bk.St.Albans (Blades 1881)leaf b v/a : Demy is calde in armys halfe a best in the felde.
2.
Cpds. (a) Nouns. demi-ceint [OF], a narrow girdle of metal scales; ~ celure, ~ ciel, a half-canopy; ~ goune, a gown of some kind; ~ jurẹ̄, ?a minor official who is under oath [cp. OF juré ppl. as n.]; ~ pound, half a pound; ~ purẹ̄, miniver so trimmed as to be of two shades [cp. pured]; ~ sang, a half-blood descendant; ~ viser, a half-visor; ~ yer, a half-year, half a year; (b) adj. & ppl. demi-gilt, guilded in part; ~ round, semi-circular.
Associated quotations
a
- (1356) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.19 : [One hood of scarlet for a woman..furred with] demy pure.
- (1401) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.33 : [A little bed..with a] demysylure.
- (1418) EEWills36/9 : A bed of red and grene dimi Selour wit iij quirtayns of worsted.
- (1419) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)131 : j demi Gowne.
- (1425) RParl.4.268a : My Lord of Stafford yat nowe is, discendit lynealy from Edward the Thridde..not withstondyng his discent of yis Riall hool Blode, and not demy sank, my Lord of Warrewyk hathe his place in Parlement above my Lord of Stafford, withouten cleyme or interruption.
- (1429) Will Braybroke in Ess.AST 5304 : A bedde with a demy ciel..for the chapel an auter clooth..wt a demy ciel of blew with sterres.
- (1459) Doc.in Gilbert Cal.Dublin 1301 : Hyt was grawnt by the sayd semble that every jure that ys weddyt, that ber not hys ball, that he schall pay xl s., and every dymyjure, xx s., and every comyne as he may avordy, and thys fynys to be raryt halfe to the Mayre..and half to the tresowry.
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57215 : ij salates wyth demye veseres ffor yemen, vij s.
- (1465) Paston (Gairdner)4.132 : He dyde hym wrong to make hym pay for the hole yere, for non of the tenaunts had payd hym but for the di' yere.
- (1466-7) Will Sus.in Sus.RS 4247 : I biqueth to the sustinance of a tapre of di. lb. brennyng..before the auter..a cowe.
- (1467) Paston (Gairdner)4.263 : Item, my master gaff her a lytell gerdyll of sylke and goolde, called a demysent, and the harneys of goolde.
- (1487) Will Uvedale in SAC 3165 : I bequeathe to Elizabeth my daughter..my dimysent of goold which hath in that one end thereof ii diamondes with a rubie and in that other end ii Rubies and a Dyamond with a cheyne and a flower of stichework enamelid in the ende of the same cheyne and with a Rubie in the middes of the same flower.
b
- (1459) Paston (Gairdner)3.168 : ij ewers, the oon demi gilt and the othir the bordures gilt.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)516 : Trainguler, or square, or dymyrounde The strength it is to make of hosteyinge.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Our entry label for this word seems odd as does the styling of the sense 2. glosses.--per MJW