Middle English Dictionary Entry
feutẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | feutẹ̄ n. Also feutee, feaute, fealtye, foialte. |
| Etymology | OF fëauté, fë(e)uté, fëalté, foiauté. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The feudal relationship of a liegeman to his lord, the obligation of fidelity to one's lord, fealty; also, a public acknowledgment of one's obligation to a feudal lord; breken ~, to violate one's oath of fealty; forsaien ~, to renounce one's fealty; service of ~, service performed as a liegeman.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 LChart.Chr.A (RwlPoet 175)30/118 : For homage ne for fewte [vrr. feute, feaute, fewette] Na mare will I ask of þe.
- (1399) RParl.3.424b : For all the States and Poeple forsayd, Homage liege and Feaute, and all Ligeance, and all other bondes, charges, and services that longe ther to..and Poeple fro this tyme forward ne bere ȝowe feyth, ne do ȝowe obeisance os to thar Kyng.
- a1400 God wiht (Hrl 2316)5 : To ȝe fend i owe fewte, Truage, homage, and gret lewte.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.29 : Constantyn of Scotlond..Brak his feaute sone.
- (1442) RParl.5.59a : Purveied also, that William Paston, Robert Clere, and Esmond Clere, by the seid auctorite, have and hold to hem and to the Heirez of the seid William, of yow and your Heirez, as of your seid Duchie, by the service of feaute for all maner of servicez, xxxvi acris and an half.
- c1450 3 KCol.(2) (Add 31042)612 : Nobelely thies kynges makes hym homage..Whilke euery man of heghe and lawe parage Of alle the landes in that þat in hym lyse Possessede hase of fewte and seruyce.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)314/11 : They held of the said Mighell vj meses and xvj acres of lond..by homage, fewte, and the seruyce of ij partis of one knyght fee.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)310/22 : There he profyrd hym his omage and feawte at all tymes, he and his knyghtes to do hym servyse.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)1204 : Þey haue knowleche of homages, seruice, and fewte.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)114/240 : For all the world dose my willing and bane bene, when I byde bringe homage and Fealtye.
2.
(a) don (maken, yeven) ~, to acknowledge one's feudal obligation (to someone); sweren ~, swear an oath of fidelity; (b) taken (receven, underfon) ~, to exact a public acknowledgment of fealty (from someone); (c) oth of ~, an oath of fealty.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.386 : Alle þat held of him lond of fe Deden him omage & feute.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)1732 : He wile nou..Do þe omage & feaute.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.95 : Swane þe kyng of Danes..to whom þe men of þe contre..gefen ostage and sworen feutee [L fidelitatem].
- a1400(a1325) Glo.Chron.B (Trin-C R.4.26)530 : Alle þat þer were þat feute [vrr. feoute, fewte] him dude.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.28 : Þei were fayn to ask pes, & feaute þei him suore.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.63 : For South Wales holy þei mad þe kyng feautez.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)143/33 : He..made þe Englisshemen to done oth & feaute [vr. feautes] unto þe Emperesse.
- ?c1450 Brut-1419 (Hrl 24)19 : But Guyllomor was discomefite and yelde hym to kyng Artur and by came his man and to hym dide foialte and homag and of hym held his land fro that tyme forwarde.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)141 : That no lond tenaunt in the same toun do homage ne feute [OF fealte] to his cheif lord for ony tenement that he holdeth in the toun, and nameleche of that that is holdyn purly in fre burgage.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)112 : Thy fadyr mad fewtee, we fynde in oure rollez.
- a1450 3 KCol.(1) (Roy 18.A.10)117/30 : All þe pepil did..dewe Reuerence and fewte to Preestre Iohn.
- (1454) Paston (Gairdner)3.3 : My Lord of Ely hathe do hys fewthe.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)384/8 : Of this rente truly to be yelded, he yaf to them [the abbess and nuns] fewte in the chapiter.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)121 : He lete make many newe knyghtes with his owne honde, whiche alle dide hym homage and fewtee.
b
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)3 : Ine toke his feaute of alle þat lond helde.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1383 : Alisaunder..took feute of vche toune, Of Duk, Erle, kniȝth, burgeys, baroun.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)183/3 : He rescewid of hym the bonde of Subieccioun and fewtee.
- c1475(a1400) Brut-1333 (Dc 323)13/37 : Sche was here Fadrys eyr & vndirfonge feautes & homages of all þe men of þe land.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)38 : Prince Edwarde..received theire homages and feutees bothe in the name of King Edwarde iij.
c
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)21 : Her othe of ffeute and homage.
- (1439) Proc.Privy C.5.393 : By an oth of feute or homage.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)132/4 : He did make þe oþe of fewte, to be [true] to þe fore-seide churche of Godestowe.
3.
Vassals collectively, the dependents of a feudal lord, following.
Associated quotations
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)47 : For ther were, In that on side, Sixti kynges and dukes of pride, And sythen mo of gret feute, With alle thaire folk and thaire meyne.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)1353 : Lamedon has herd tydynge That thay of Grece with gret feute Ben in his hauene with gret naue.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1460 Oseney Reg.129/17 : Of þe which rente so [to be] i-paide I made sewte [read: fewte; L fidelitatem] with an othe.
Note: Add to sense 2.(a)--per MJW
Note: New spelling (error)