Middle English Dictionary Entry
gọ̄d man, gọ̄d-man phr. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | gọ̄d man, gọ̄d-man phr. & n. Also, esp. in early quots., (acc.sg.) godne mon, guodne man, (dat.sg.) gode men, (gen.pl.) godene manne, godere monnen, goddera manne. |
| Etymology | From gọ̄d adj. & man. Cp. OI gōð-menni. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A good man, righteous man; excellent or worthy man; valiant man; ~ and treue; ~ of armes; (b) as item of address.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Swa hwa swa ure gife ouþer oðre godene manne gyfe wansiaþ, wansie him seo heofenlice iateward.
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1066 : Se abbot wæs goddera manne.
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1128 : Þær he wæs underfangen of ealle gode men.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1135 : God man he wes & micel æie wes of him.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)8/12 : Þe sylfæ Gast cymeð into þam gode men þe Godes Gast underfechð.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)7027 : Baþe tacnenn opennliȝ þa gode menness herrtess.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)151 : Iob wes..swa godmon þet ure drihten him solf hine herede.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5705 : Heo loseden monie þusend godere monnen.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)186 : We ben of sodenne, ycomen of godemenne [Cmb: gode kenne].
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)56 : Nu biddeþ Laweman echne godne [Clg: æðele] mon.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2279 : Godman he was ynou, & gode lawes uorþ caste.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)77/26 : Þet is þe guode man þet þe holy gost alyȝt.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)238/28 : Þe dyeulen ham gledieþ þuanne [read: huanne] hi moȝe..do ualle into zenne ane guodne man.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1348 : Þe duk hadde..an host of gode men of armes.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.323 : Þey beeþ to gode men and trewe [L innocentes] boþe esy and mylde.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2247 : Of a thousand men, seith Salomon, I foond o good man, but certes of alle wommen, good womman foond I neuere.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)8.61 : Cryst..ȝiue ȝow grace on þis grounde good men to worthe.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)99 : For God ne any godeman appreved never this symonye.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)12/97 : Þis gudman Nicholas Vnto god euir prayand was.
- (a1440) Let.Coventry in EHR 55645 : He must nedes make hym chevysshauns in short tyme of the same thyng wyth some othur good man.
- c1450 Dc.Prov.(Dc 52)p.54 : For defawte of a goode man me settus a shrew on benche.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)26/4,17 : He wolde brynge fyve thousand good men of armys on horsebak..and on foot ten thousand of good mennes bodyes.
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.123 : Of a scrod boey comyt a god man; De prauo puero cepe peritus homo.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)13 : Kynge Albryght..was a gode man and a trewe, and loved well peese, and in the viij yere of his regne he was martred.
- a1500 Sarum BPrayer(1) (Barl 5)221* : Ȝee schulleþ bidde for þe gode mon and þe gode wif þat þis day brouȝt þe loof and þe candul.
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)11 : Gode men, nu beoð icumen þa bicumeliche daȝes.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1 : Herknet to me, gode men, Wiues, maydnes, and alle men.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of ihu (Hrl 913)21 : Godmen, takeþ nou gome Of tokninges þat commiþ bifor.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.502 : 'Godeman,' seyd þe pilgrim þo, 'What hastow to frein me so?'
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2416 : Now, goode men, I pray yow to be glad.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11853 : 'God men,' he said, 'quat es your sight?'
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)524 : Be noȝt so gryndel, god-mon, bot go forth þy wayes.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)665 : Goode men, wyttyrly, Wole ȝe haue ony mynstralsy?
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)436 : And, gudman, [on] þe gold rynge þe thre..ere þus mekill to mene.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)636 : Al hayle, godeman, Whider wiltow goo?
2.
(a) The male head of a household, a householder, master; (b) a citizen of a town, a master in a craft or guild; a burgess.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)220/202 : For so seyth ure lord, ine þo godspelle of to dai, þet on goodman [F pruzdom] was þat ferst uut yede bi þe Moreghen.
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)1758 : He cleopen þane guode man And to him seide þis resun.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.361 : If that the goode man that the bestes oweth Wol euery wyke..drynken of this welle a draughte.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1536 : Þe gudeman percayued of his wiue, How þat she rase o nightes him fra.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6654 : God bad The good-man [F li prodons] selle al that he had.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1391 : For evere as tendre a capoun et the fox..As shal the goodman that therfore hath payed.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)360/18,20 : Þe gudeman come vnto þe dure & callid, and sho..hid hur lemman..and þan lete hur gudeman com in.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)134/9 : Ponthus dysgysed hym in the gounes of the goode men of the subarbes.
- (1463-4) Acc.Howard in RC 57247 : Item, to the goodman of Cardenallys Hat, for horsemet the same day, vij s. vj d.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.66 : Þer gromes and the goodmen beth all eliche grette.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)697 : Ȝe xall goo..On-to þe goode wyff when þe goode man ys owte.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)1122 : As for a nyght ther toke she hir loggyng, And made on calle the good man of the place.
- a1500 Jhesu that arte jentylle (Chet 8009)196 : The goodman an hys lade to the plow be gone.
b
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)58/4 : Þis broþerhed was bi-gonnen in london of godemen of Colman-stret.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.72 : Sexe godemen [F prodeshomes] shulde be y-chose by þe commune grauntynge.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.82 : Twey godemen of þe fowre and twenty y-swore sholle kepe þe two, and a godeman [F prudome] of þe commune þe þrydde.
- (1428) Doc.in Sur.Soc.857 : Ye Mairr and ye gudemen abouen sayd gaf yam to answer yat yis mater touched all ye gude men of ye consell of ye chambre.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)151 : Thanne be he by the ballives and the goodemen [F les bons gentz] of the toun for-iuged of his fraunchise.
- (1457) LRed Bk.Bristol2.185 : Hit shall be laufull to euery Maistur..to make a debite for tyme of his absence, a gode man of the seid craft.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1708 : With that cam in the goodman, with contenaunce disgisid.
3.
As surname; also, as place-name element.
Associated quotations
- (1220) Bk.of Fees302 : Ricardus Godman.
- (1255) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)1.178 : Robert Godman.
- (1296-7) Acc.Cornw.in RHS ser.3.6697 : Et de 3 d. de Iohanne Godman pro [secta sua hoc anno relaxanda]..Et de 3 d. de Alicia Godman quia non venit.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10159 : Thom. de Godemanneston.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10170 : Hen. Godman.