Middle English Dictionary Entry
ǧendre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ǧendre n. Also gender. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A class or kind of individuals or things sharing certain traits [sometimes distinguished from species, which denotes a class based upon different criteria]; (b) a race or nation; (c) a sex; (d) ~ of wilde swin, a herd of wild swine [cp. gendren v.].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)120a/b : Byschinynge and liȝt ben diuers as species and gendir [L Lumen differt a luce sicut species a genere], for eueryche bischinynge is liȝt but..nouȝt eueriche liȝt is bischinynge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)325b/b : Oon in gendre, as man and oxe and hors; oon in special kynde, as sortes and plato [L vnum genere vt homo et bos; vnum specie vt sortes et plato]; oon in accident and qualite, as snowe and..oþer white þinges.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.222 : Þus in þre persones is perfitliche manhede; Þat is, man & his make, & moillere her children; And is nouȝt but gendre of o generacioun bifor Ihesu cryst in heuene.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)434 : Al watz wasted þat..Þer ever flote oþer flwe oþer on fote ȝede..Þat alle gendrez so joyst wern joyned wythinne.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.8/4 : iiii gendrys of temptacioun the whiche anumbrith the psalnyst [read: psalmyst].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)108b/b : He takeþ here þe spice for þe gendre [L speciem pro genere].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)190 : Gendyr: Genus.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)150 : It may be trowid wel þat for summe synnys beyng in þis same gendre of kynde, [etc.].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)18 : I certeinly..never thinke..To knowe of hir signifiaunce The gendres..ne the causes [of dreams].
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)29/22 : Off þis mater spekith þis same glorious doctour in a sermon whech he mad of iij gendres of munkys.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)61/13 : His [Aristotle's] entent was þere forto make vs knowe how many knowal vertues ben in her gendris or in her spicis.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)16/27 : Neiþir..of þese seiyngis may be vndirstonde þus: þat þe first of hem iij, or þe al iij to gedir, or her euen to hem comoun gendre is naturali or morali alle moral vertuose dedis whiche a man is bounde to kepe.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)23/5 : In eny table of moral gendris of vertues.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)96/42 : After this maner manyfold good is sayd; that is to saye, good in kynde, and good in gendre, and good of grace, and good of joy.
b
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Phil.3.5 : I am..of þe gendre of israhel [L ex genere Israel], of þe tribe of beniamyn, and Ebrue born of þe Ebrwes.
c
- (1474) Stonor1.142 : His heyres of the masculine gender of his body lawfully begoten.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)2235 : Sythun þat God in wille was monhede to take..In masculyne gendre..noght fourme in feminyne.
d
- a1500 Terms Assoc.(3) (Lamb 306)233 : A Gendir of wild swyne.
2.
Gram. (a) The category of gender in the morphology of nouns and pronouns; (b) the category of voice in the morphology of the verb.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)36/110 : Hire name, þat was femynyn Of gendre, heo turned in to masculyn.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)234a/a : Þe tre is femynyne gendre, and þe fruyt neutre gendre.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.398 : Ac adiectif and substantif..Þat ys, vnyte, acordaunce in case, gendre, and numbre.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)13 : For ma souneþ..To femynyn gendre & moun to masclyn.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)99 : The secunde acorde is by twene the adiectyf and the substantyf. In how many maners schul they acorde? In thre: in case, gender, and noumber.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)102 : How many thynges falleth to a noun? Sixe by the Donet: qualite, comparison, gendre, noumbre, ffygure, and case.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)104 : How many gendres be in a noun? Seuene, viz. masculin, ffemynyn, neutre, comyn of tweyne, comyn of thre, dubie, and epycen.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)108 : How many thynges falleth to a pronoun? Vj by the Donette, viz. qualite, gendre, noumbre, ffigure, person, and case..How many gendres hastow in pronoun'? V: masculyn' as jste, ffeminine as jsta, neutre as jstud, comyn of too as hic & hec..comyn of thre as ego, tu, sui.
- a1500 Donatus (1) (StJ-C F.26)1020 : How many genderys of nown ben þere? Vij. Qwech vij? The masculyn, þe femynyne, þe neutyr, þe comown of to, þe comown of thre, þe duby, & epycene.
b
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)110 : How many thyngys falleth to a verbe? Seuene, viz. moode, coniugacion', gendyr, noumbre, figure, tyme, and person'.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)111 : How many gendres haste of verbes? Fyue: actyf, passyf, neutre, comyn, and deponent.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Add.37075 Accedence (Add 37075)47/146 : How many gendyrs be þer of verbis?..How know ye a verbe actyff?..How knoow ye a uerbe passyff?
Note: Postdates 2.(b)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)40aa : Our lord said to Noe, '..Late goo out with the alle the beestis and fowles lyuyng and all the reptyle euerich after his kynde and gendre.'
Note: Modify sense 'a kind or species of animal'
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450(1438) GLeg.Pope Pelagius (GiL174) (Eg 876) 955/634 : He sent for the childe and aproued hym as his gendre and ordeined hym to regne after hym.
Note: Editor: "gendre: 'son-in-law'."
Note: Cf. DMLBS genus 1(b).
Note: Cf. OED gender, n. 2.b.
Note: New sense.