Middle English Dictionary Entry
ǧē̆st(e n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | ǧē̆st(e n.(1) Also geist, ieste, jest(e, giste, chest & yest(e. |
| Etymology | OF geste, gieste, jeste & ML gesta pl. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A poem or song about heroic deeds, a chivalric romance; (b) a poem or song of any kind; (c) a prose chronicle or history, a prose romance or tale; English geste(s, gestes of Engelond, history of England; gestes of the apostles, the Acts of the Apostles; (d) anything spoken or written, a saying, a writing; (e) ?an inscription, ?a picture.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2328 : Þer mouthe men here þe gestes singe, Þe gleymen on þe tabour dinge.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2984 : Nu haue ye herd þe gest al þoru Of hauelok.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7618 : Who so wille ȝiue lest, Mai now here noble gest.
- c1330(?a1300) Rich.(Auch:Brunner)82/21 : As þis romaunce of Freyns wrouȝt, Þat mani lewed no knowe nouȝt, In gest as so we seyn.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)144 : Trewer loue nas neuer non, In gest [vrr. ieste, gestys] as so we rede.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)774 : It hadde..alle þat euer þer to bifel In gest [Vrn: stori] as y ȝou say.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)5033 : But touche forþ of þe tale, as telleþ þe gest.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5275 : Kyng Mynos hadde..A cruel Monstre, as seith the geste.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)1 : Men ȝernen iestes [Vsp: rimes] for to here, And romaunce rede in dyuerse manere.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)87 : Of suchon shulde ȝe matere take..Of hir to make boþe geest [Göt: ieste; Vsp: rim] & songe.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)30 : Ȝee shullen heren noble geste [Lin-I: ieste] Of Alisaundre.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5206 : Now hereþ gest of grete noblay!
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)16.205 : Ich can nat tabre ne trompe, ne telle faire gestes, Farten, ne fiþelyn at festes, ne harpen.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.83 : They thre Herden a mayden reden hem the geste Of the siege of Thebes, whil hem leste.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.450 : In this while, as writen is in geeste, He say his lady somtyme, and also She with hym spak, whan that she dorst and leste.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)143/36 : Mynstrelles þat syngen songes & tellen gestes.
- c1430(c1395) Chaucer LGW Prol.(2) (Benson-Robinson)87 : For myn entent is..The naked text in English to declare Of many a story, or elles of many a geste.
- ?c1430(a1400) Wycl.Wedded Men (Corp-C 296)196 : Summe techen here children jeestis of bataillis and fals cronyclis.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)191 : Geeste or romawnce: Gestio.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)2054 : Thus tellyth now the french geest.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)32 : Kyng Rychard, þe werryour beste þat men fynde [vr. redis offe] in ony ieste [vr. geste].
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12772 : This Egea, the gest sais, was a iust lady.
- 1457 Bevis (Naples 13.B.29)217/249 : Men tellith bothe in gest & ryme, Thei were leide in maner of shryne.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)484 : An harpor sange a gest be mowth [Ashm: had a geyst I-seyd] Of a knyȝt there be sowth.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)1219 : Yn Rome thys geste cronyculyd ywys; A lay of Bretayne callyd hyt ys.
- a1500 Bevis (Cmb Ff.2.38)185/3 fn. : Now begynnyth a yeste ageyn.
- a1500 Octav.(1) (Cmb Ff.2.38)80/279 : The emperowre gaf hur xl pownde Of florens that were rownde, In yeste [Thrn: romance] as we rede.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.315 : Þere [in Sicily] was commedy, a song of gestes, firste i-founde.
- c1390 Cato(1) (Vrn)637 : Wise men may a-mende þis ieste, And resouns puten and eche.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2123 : Lat se wher thow kanst tallen aught in geste, Or telle in prose somwhat, at the leeste, In which ther be som myrthe or som doctryne.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)54a : A Geste: Carmen, liricium [read: liricum]..gestus.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.461 : Oon cherle..tolde þe geest [L tragediam] how it was byfalle.
- c1390 Mannyng HS, Mir.CC (Vrn)810 : Þis tale telleþ vs seynt Bede In his gestes [Hrl: þe gestys of Inglond] þat we Rede.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)289/2 : In Engelonde..were kynges vii, as Jestes schawes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1126 : In the olde Romayn gestes [vr. storyis], may men fynde Maurices lyf.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6359 : Of Rome, among the gestes olde, I finde hou that Valerie tolde, [etc.].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.62 : In the geste as it is founde, Nature so the cause ladde, Tuo douhtres ek Dame Eve hadde.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.642 : He often tymes wolde preche And me of olde Romayn gestes [vr. talis] teche.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2284 : The Romayn geestes [vrr. Iestis, bokes] eek maken remembraunce Of many a verray trewe wyf also.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.6 : Þerfor þis Henry is cald a compiloure; He wrote þe Englis gestes [F gestes des Englays].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.111 : Henry of Huntyngton he wrote þe gestes olde, & sais in his sermon þat newe ere now tolde.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)400 : Þe wordes of þe reding make mensioun of oþere inpertynent geestis or stories or prophecies.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)16698-9 : Now of Englische wil we telle..Þat toke þe lond þorow Godes heste: Þeyr tyme we calle al Englische geste; Al ys cald geste Englische Þat on þis langage spoken ys.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1434 : The Ebrayk Josephus..of Jewes gestes tolde.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)153/1 : As I redde in the gestes of the apostles, he was scourgid and turmentyd with other apostles.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)406 : Seynte Bede tellethe, in gestes of Englonde, that there was a kyng in the northe contre.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)46 : Þei ben but jugulers..And byiapeþ þe folke wiþ gestes of Rome!
d
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)88/60 : Al he folueþ þe lawe of gode And prophetene gestes.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.229 : Cithero made gestes [Higd.(2): menciones and writenges; L invectiones] in blame of Salustius.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)11.23 : Iob þe Ientel in his Ieestes [vrr. gestis, geeste] seide, Quare via impiorum, [etc.].
e
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5161 : Off gold and syluyr were þe penseles; Manye was þe noble geste [vr. jestes] þeron was wryten of wylde beste: Tygrys, dragouns, [etc.].
2.
(a) A noteworthy deed or event, a heroic action, an exploit, a military enterprise; (b) an action; a way of acting; pl. actions, doings, conduct, behavior; (c) entertainment, festivity; a game, an amusement; ?a disreputable prank [quot.: c1450]; (d) a bodily movement, a gesture.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.141 : He [Cicero] wroot alle þe gestes of Troye [L Iliadem; Higd.(2): the batelle of Troy] sotelliche, as it myȝte be closed in a note schale.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)123 : Al þis werld..Wit cristes help I sal ouer-rin, And tell sum gestes [Göt: ieste; Trin-C: geste] principale.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13687 : Yeit forþermar sal i tel yow Sum geftes [read: gestes; Trin-C: dedes] o þat suet iesu.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Petyt 511)38 : After þe Bretons þe Inglis camen; þe lordschip of þis lande þai namen..þat calle men now þe Inglis gest.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.266 : Þe Normanz com now eft & mak a newe gest..þe folk of Normundie aryued vp at Douer.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Corp-O 4)69 : Y shal com to Jhesu of Naue, the which berith the figure of the Lord, not oonli in gestis [WB(2): worthi dedis], but also in name.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.145 : But the Troian gestes [vrr. geestes, Iestes] as they felle, In Omer, or in Dares, or in Dite, Whoso that kan, may rede hem as they write.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.11/14 : Kynge Edwarde the confessoure..replete with..vertu, as the boke of his Gestys declarith.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)362 : The seid epistle ascriued to Costantyn, and also the storie of Siluestris gestis ben not but vntrewe apocrifis.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1737 : Yet preye we That we mowe han as good a fame..As they that han doon noble gestes, And acheved alle her lestes, As wel of love as other thyng.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)620 : This glorius gyste & this grete mede..ye hete me so hyndly to haue at my wille.
- c1460 Chaucer TC (Hrl 1239)4.1421 : Thus wryten thoo that euer the Iestes [vr. werkes] knewe.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.9 : Hauenge inoppinable appetite to beholde gestes [Trev.: greet men dedes; L facta majorum] of antiquite, y was movede, [etc.].
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.215 : An arche made of marbole, in whom the gestes [L gesta] of Augustus Cesar be wryten.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)93/15 : Now we will turne agayne to oure knyghten gestis in Irland.
b
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)412 : Olympyas..telleþ to Neptanabon Alle þe affers of Amon, And he to hire..Alle þe gestes [Lin-I: iestis] of Amon his lorde.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4837 : Ac by þat þou vnderstonde þe gestes, Boþe of men and ek of beestes..Þan miȝth þou haue merueile.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2959 : Þe Werldis joye & hys jentyl jeste Is now þyne, now myn, boþe fere & nere.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2026 : When þai had..made þere offrond..Antenor Amyt..To the palis..Among Lordys full light..ffull glad of þat gest.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3286 : Yet sesit not hir sorow for solas of hym. Ne noght glad of þat geste, but greatly anoyet, Paris..gird out in yre.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)857 : Now have y shewyd yow, my son, somewhat of dyuerse Iestis Þat ar remembred in lordes courte.
- c1475 O lord omnipotent (Trin-C R.3.21)140 : With this psalme, my yest of meditacioun, Myne hert, my wyll, my love, and lyvely gost, In to thyne handys..I holy yelde.
c
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)29/478 : Tomoreȝe is þi feste; þer bihoueþ geste [Ld: gestes].
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)31/522 : Murie was þe feste, Al of faire gestes [Hrl: for muchel wes þe geste].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.161 : Þe þrid day of þe fest, Sir Bernard of Bayoun Newed eft þer geste; þe quene he gaf þe coroun.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)87/10 : His bukys spakk of vnclennes of liffyng & of gestis & enchawntementis.
d
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.Barlaam (Vrn)756 : Þe deuel..manaced him..in forme of wylde beestes, Grennynge on him wiþ mony chestes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)631 : He þat sadly forsoke such a sure proffer And so gracius a gyste, þat me is graunt here, He might..be a fole holdyn.
Note: Additional quote(s)