Middle English Dictionary Entry
gelding n.
Entry Info
| Forms | gelding n. Also gilding, geldins, (?error) ȝelding. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI geldingr. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A gelded horse, gelding; (b) a barrow.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.691 : A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot; No berd hadde he, ne neuere sholde haue..I trowe he were a geldyng [vr. geldyns] or a mare.
- (1420) EEWills53/8 : Þat Acris Mersk haue þe grey geldyng.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)190 : Geldynge or gelde horse: Canterius.
- (1448) Will York in Sur.Soc.30128 : Lego Ricardo Clowbek unum bay geldyng.
- (c1470) Stonor1.108 : I have loste vj s..þat I have leyde yn ernyste off a geldyng.
- c1550(?a1475) Otterburn (Cleo C.4)st.19 : Ther he pyght hys standerd dowyn..And syne he warned hys men to goo To chose ther geldyngs gresse.
b
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)123/2 : Take borys greece for þe man, and geldyngis gres for þe woman.
2.
(a) A castrated man, a eunuch; a naturally impotent man; in Old Testament use: a royal officer (whether castrated or not); (b) as a surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.23.1 : A geldynge, þe ballogys brusyd or kut off, & þe ȝarde kut awey, shal not goon yn to þe chirche.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Wisd.3.14 : The gelding [WB(2): a man vnmyȝti to gendre; L spado] that wroȝte not bi his hondis wickidnesse.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Dan.1.9 : God ȝaue grace and mercy to Danyel in siȝte of the prince of geldyngus [WB(2): of onest seruauntis and chast; L eunuchorum].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.19.12 : There ben geldyngis the whiche ben thus born of the modris wombe; and there ben geldyngis that ben maad of men.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 8.27 : A man of Ethiopie, geldyng [WB(2): ȝelding], myȝti of the queene Candace of Ethiopiens..cam for to worschipe in Jerusalem.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.37.36 : Madenytis solden Joseph..to Putiphar, the geldyng [WB(2): chast and onest seruaunt; L eunucho] of Pharao.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)107b/b : Geldyngz ar not podagrez..inmoderate lichery makeþ numerable podagrez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)122a/a : Biholde why wymmen & enuchez i. geldyngez haþ not herez in her berde, And whi þai ar not made caluy i. balled.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)122a/b : Enuchez i. gildyngez.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)359 : It myȝt seeme þat bi lijk skile bitwixe a natural broþer and his natural sister myȝte be verry matrymonye..and also bi twix a gelding man and a woman.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)152 : Geldynge: eunuchus.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)44 : Oon of his chambrelayns, a geldyng of whom was thoffice and the warde of sowers to kepe.
b
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 106 : Galfr. Geldyng.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2148 : Thoma Gelding.
- (1318) Close R.Edw.II45 : Geoffrey Gelding.