Middle English Dictionary Entry
dettǒur n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dettǒur n. Also detour, dettere, debtour. |
| Etymology | AF detour (CF detor) & L dēbitor. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One who owes money or goods, a debtor; (b) money due from a debtor, an unpaid debt; (c) one who keeps account of unpaid debts.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)85a-b : Vre lauerd deð toward us as me deð to uuel deattur, nimeð leasse þen we ahen him..me nimeð ed uuel dettur aten for hweate.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)117 : An vsurer..þat hadde dettores tweyne.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.7 : Þou art dettour [L debitor] to me..it is a fraude for to ȝelde nouȝt what is detty.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.23 : Antonius Pius..forȝaf his dettoures of þeyre dettes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1587 : Tel me alwey..If any dettour hath in myn absence Ypayed thee.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Magd.(Phys-E)p.18 : Þis riche man hauid dettours fel.
- (1427-8) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)165/8 : Receyuid of diuerse dettours for mony due.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)137 : The chieff ballives..may take reconisaunce of dette, but that he have aforn hym the axand and the detour [F dettour].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)120 : Dettere: Debitor.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)5478 : Than ask I þe, symon, wych of þese tuo Dettours þe credytour was moste holdyn to?
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57162 : The wich x marce Thomas Hoo is become detor to my sayd mastyre Howard.
b
- (1415) Doc.Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.25184 : In ye weche assemble shalbe ful declared what good ye comon haþ in debtours & redy moneye, & ye names of ye debtours.
- (1428) EEWills79/17 : The residue of all my godes and catalles and dettours, what so-euer they be aftur my dettes paide..I bequethe [etc.].
c
- a1400 PPl.C (Corp-C 293)2.52 : Detour [Hnt: Reson sholde ruele ȝow alle, And kynde wit be..tutour of ȝoure tresoure].
2.
(a) One who is under obligation to another; (b) one who owes a debt of gratitude; (c) one who owes compensation or atonement to another, an offender.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.370 : He that is dettour to god ne yeldeth nat to god al his dette.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.155 : Myn housbonde shal it haue..Whan that hym list com forth and paye his dette. An housbonde wol I haue..Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Rom.8.12 : He þat arered up Iesu Crist from deþ to lyfe schal quykene ȝoure dedlyche bodyes for his Spiryt þat dwelleþ in ȝow; & þerfore, breþeren, we beþ dettoures noȝt to þe flesch.
- c1440 HBk.GDei (Thrn:Horstmann)300 : God es dettour to þame þat rightwyse ere.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)1/11 : I am detour to oþir simpil creatures þat be not lerned so mech as I.
- a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16940 : Moder Off god..thow art be-kome dettour to Rightfull men and to Synful men also.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.1.14 : To Grekis and barbaryns..I am dettour.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.210 : When noþing was, who was þat gaf hym þan, To whom he is in daunger as dettour?
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)24/14 : We muste be dettours to oure fadyrs and our moders.
c
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)34a : Forȝef us ure deattes, alswa as we forȝeoueð ure deatturs.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)113/19 : Uoryef ous oure dettes, ase we uoryeueþ oure dettours.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)112/1 : Quyte vs oure dettes, as we acquyten oure dettoures.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.9.60b : A wonder greuous thing it semyth to me þat he þat noght owith schal paye for the dettour him self, and he þat noght trespaced schal be put in peyne.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Þo dedtur (Hrl 7322)5 : Þo dedtur [?read: dedstur; L mors] is so fals and falende, Stille and eke stalkinge, Gredy and Crepynge, steorne and eke stellende.
Note: New spelling: dedtur
Note: Might this quot. be a ?fig. under sense 2.(c)?--per REL
Note: Other possibilities?: 1.)'dedtur' = 'ded houre' (the hour of death.)? See houre n. (also ure), sense 4.(b): ~ of deth, the hour of (someone's) death, the moment of dying. 2.)'dedtur' = deth stoure. See stoure n.(2), sense 2.(b): a struggle with death..deth(es ~. See also deth n., sense 9.(f): ..~ stour, death struggle, throes of death.--per MLL