Middle English Dictionary Entry
gǒnne n.
Entry Info
| Forms | gǒnne n. Also gon, goon(ne, gounne, gun(ne. |
| Etymology | Prob. ON; cp. OI gunnr battle.?Shortened form of Gunilda (OI Gunnhildr), pet name given to a specific siege engine, perh. later generalized as a common noun. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. gonnilde.
1.
A siege engine that casts missiles; ballista, mangonel, trebuchet; also, a ram; gret ~, a mangonel.
Associated quotations
- [ (1330-1) *Acc.Exch.Q.R.Bundle 18 No.34 [OD col.] : Una magna balista de cornu quæ vocatur Domina Gunilda. ]
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3263 : Summe scholde schete to þe frensche rout with gunnes & boȝes of brake.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5176 : Þys tour..Tobroken ys..wyþ gonnes & cast of gynne.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3219 : Wiþ mangenels, gunnes [LinI: slyngis], and bowe, Hij duden þe ost mychel howe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.614 : At euery tourn wer grete gunnys sette.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)6434 : Þei with-oute an ordinaunce haþ founde, What with gynnys deuised for þe nonys, And gonnys grete, for to cast stonys.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4191 : And eke withynne the castell were Spryngoldes, gunnes, bows, and archers.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)3249 : Þeo oþre..þe kynges men wiþ gonnes [Ld: gynnes] sleyȝ.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1489 : Ther myhti wallis with gunnes wer cast doun.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)30/18 : He ordeynde oþer foure hundreth men for to bett doun þe walles wit..Engynes and Gonnes.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2651 : Gunnes he hadde on wondyr wyse, Mangneles off gret queyntyse.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2227 : Sum with gunnes of þe grekis girdis vp stanes.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)186/1061 : With all maner of gonnys [vrr.engyn,gynnes], þey did kast.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.429 : Vespasian trowblede the walle soore with gunnes and with oþer engynes [L ictu arietis].
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)203 : Gunne: petraria, Mangonale, Murusculum, Gunna.
- a1500 Gloss.Garland (Hrl 1002)130 : Mangonalia: grete gunnys.
2.
(a) A cannon; (b) gret ~, a cannon of large caliber; serpentine ~, a kind of cannon, a serpentine; staf ~, a cannon balanced on a short pole for firing; (c) a small portable firearm [=hond ~ q.v.]; quarel ~, a gun which fires a bolt like that of a crossbow; (d) ~ maister, ?a chief cannoneer, ?a master gunsmith; ~ maker, one who makes cannon or small firearms, a gunsmith; ~ shot (shet), gonnes shot, the firing of a cannon; ~ spanne, some kind of fastener used on a gun carriage; ~ wale, the upper edge of the sides of a boat or ship (over which cannon are fired); ~ whel, one of the wheels on which a cannon is mounted; gonnes blasting, losing of ~, a cannon shot; fig. a fart. [See also ~ poudre, ~ ston.]
Associated quotations
a
- (1339) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.205 : Item, in Camera Gildaulæ sunt sex Instrumenta de latone, vocitata Gonnes, et quinque roleres ad eadem. Item, peletæ de plumbo pro eisdem Instrumentis..Item, xxxii libræ de pulvere.
- (1346) Doc.in Archaeol.32381 : Et eidem Thomæ de Roldeston..ad opus ipsius Regis pro gunnis suis ixcxii lib. sal petræ et Dccc iiiixxvi lib. sulphur vivi.
- 1371 *Acc.Exch.K.R.Bundle 178 No.16.lf.4 [OD col.] : Hugoni Brasier pro iiij Gunnes eneis ab eodem empto, xx s.
- (1384-5) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103594 : Item pro Salpetre emp. pro Gonnis, 7 s. 6 d. In 2 Gunnis empt., 33 s. 6 d.
- (1384-5) Rec.Norwich 248 : [To Nicholas Hubert for a] gunne [..11 pounds..To the master of the] gunnes [for carriage from London to Cambridge..10 s.].
- (1385-6) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99133 : In diversis armis empt., vz., in iij gonnys, ij palets, j brestplat.
- a1400 Mirfeld Sinonoma (Pmb-O 2)3 : Pulvis pro instrumento illo bellico sive diabolico quod vulgariter dicitur gunne.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.293 : Setteþ..brasene gonnes And sheteþ out shot ynowh.
- (1404) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100395 : Item, unum gun cum pulvere pro guerra.
- (1406) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)8.447 : ii Gunnes; xl Libras Pulveris pro Gunnes; xl Petras pro Gunnes.
- (1407) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)8.498 : Plenam Canoum seu Instrumentorum Anglice Gunnes vocatorum.
- (c1423) Will York in Sur.Soc.4599 : j gunne de aeneo, cum iij cameris.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)96 : In this same yere was slayn sir Thomas Movntagu, Erle off Salisbury, thruh a shotte off a gonne before Orliaunce.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1643 : Thrughout every regioun Wente this foule trumpes soun, As swifte as pelet out of gonne, Whan fyr is in the poudre ronne.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)578/18 : Þei of Gaunt..shott gunnes in-to þe toun.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1850 : But now it is vnwiste, Al this aray, and bumbardys thei cary, And gunne & serpentyn that wil not vary, Fouler, covey, crappaude, and colueryne.
- (1460) Let.Warw.in EHR 37545 : Men of Bolen bette owr men of with gonnes fro þe Schippe.
- (1470) Paston5.73 : On Wednysday last past ye and I, Pampyng, and Edmund Broom were endyttyd of felonye at the Sessyons her in Norwyche for shotyng of a gonne at Caster in August last past, whyche goone slowghe two men.
- c1475(c1420) Page SRouen (Eg 1995)5 : In every toure iij gonnys [vr. gunys] lay..þer lay on lofte viij gounnys smalle þat myght schute ofte.
- c1475(c1420) Page SRouen (Eg 1995)15 : For schot of goonne [vr. guns] and quarelle bothe, Sawe I nevyr gretter wothe.
- a1525(?1451) Cov.Leet Bk.260 : Ther shulde be made iiij gonnes of brasse, ij greter & ij smaller; the gretter arn called serpentynes; and euery gonne shuld haue iij Chamburs.
- a1605(c1471) Arriv.Edw.IV in Camd.1 (Hrl 543)18 : Bothe parties had goons, and ordinaunce..th'Erls fields shotte gunes almoste all the nyght.
b
- (1365-70) *Acc.Exch.Q.R.Bundle 395 No.1 [OD col.] : ij gunnes magna de cupro et ix gunnes parva de cupro.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2759 : Round aboute he sette many Gonnys Grete and smale and some large as tonnys.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)637 : With grysely soun out goth the grete gonne.
- c1450(?1436) Siege Calais (Rome 1306)37 : With gonnes grete and ordinance, That theyme myght helpe and avance.
- (1440) Wars France in RS 22.2587 : My saide lorde desirethe..vj grete gonnes of divers sortis and, for every gonne, iiij douzaines of stones of maideston stone..and also xij last of salte petire withe the brimstone according therto.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)106a : Also grete gunnes þat schete now adayes [stones] of so grete peys þat no walle may wiþstonde hem.
- (1456-8) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.521 : Paid to John Boldyng for byndyng of the grete gunne, the serpentyne, and for irone had ther too, 18 s.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1227/25 : He layde a myghty syge aboute the towre and made many assautis, and threw engynnes unto them, and shotte grete gunnes.
- a1525(?1471) Cov.Leet Bk.363-4 : Delyueryd to Rob. Onley a serpentyne gun & a staffe gun, & xvj pelettes & a chambur to a gun. Delyueryd to Joh. Wylgrys a grett gunne & a chambur therto & a staffe gunne.
- ?a1525(1465) Event Edw.IV in Camd.10 (Arms L.9)38 : My Lorde lieutenant had ordennede alle the Kinges greet gonnes that where charged at oons to shute unto the said Castelle, Newe-Castel the Kinges greet gonne, and London the second gonne of irne..Dysyon, a brasin gonne of the Kinges, smote thouroughe Sir Rauf Grey's chamber oftentymes.
c
- (1372-4) Doc.in Nicolas Navy 2479 : [Payments for] helvyng [of eight guns and ten hatchets..in the making of powder and] pelottes [of lead for] gunnes.
- (?c1388) in Camd.25219 : j petit gonne de feer.
- (1400) in Camd.25219 : [Payments for] quarell gunnes [at 7 s. each].
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)138 : The erll whas hurt with a gon thorow the ancle.
- (1495) Statutes Realm2.632 : Traitours..levied batell..with baners..Bowes, Billes, Haubertis, Curesses, Gonnes, Speres, Marespikis, Crosbowes.
d
- 1371 *Acc.Exch.K.R.Bundle 178 No.16.lf.4 [OD col.] : Johanni Gunmaker pro 14 gunnes ferri ab eo emptis precium cuiuslibet v s. vij d.
- (1385) in G.Otto Handwerkernamen30 : Gonmaker.
- (1385-6) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100390 : It. Joh'i Gonmaker ex precepto d'ni Prioris, 3 s. 4 d.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4315 : The noyse, hydousher than thonder, Of gonneshot and Arblastys ek, So loude out-ronge.
- (1423) Acc.Issue Excheq.382 : [To Gokyn Gunner, Walter Lokyer, Walter Hermanson and Gerald van Ewe,] Gunnemeysters, [40 pounds].
- (1450-2) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xlvii : The seid mysdoers with gunshott & othir engynes breke the gates & doores of youre seid besecher.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)578/19 : Many tymes þai shot al ouer þe toun, but al þeire gunshot did neuer harm.
- (1456-8) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.521 : Paid to the gunne makers on Sunday nexte byfore Seint Thomas Day of Inde, 11 s. 8 d..William the gunne maker.
- (1463) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.523 : For gunne wheles, and a whele for the bekene 4 d.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57205 : Item, the same day my mastyr paid to Roger Fuller for tymbre for colers of the maste, and gonne walles, xx d.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57214 : He axseth for viij gonne spannes and xvj plates for the whele and nayles for bothe, and a bolt for the stenme.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)304 : And alle wey be ware of þy hyndur part from gunnes blastynge.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)207 : And that goode knyght Syr Wylliam Lucy..hyrde the gonne schotte, and come unto the fylde to have holpyn þe kynge.
- c1500 O Mossie (Trin-C R.3.19)21 : Bawsyn buttockyd, belyed lyke a toune [read: tonne], Men cry seynt Barbara at lowsyng of your goune [read: gonne].
- ?a1525(1465) Event Edw.IV in Camd.10 (Arms L.9)38 : If ye suffre any greet gunne laide unto the wal, and be shote and prejudice the wal, it shall cost yowe the Chiftens hede; and so proceding for every gunne shet, to the leest hede of any persoune within the said place.
- a1605(c1471) Arriv.Edw.IV in Camd.1 (Hrl 543)29 : He and his fellowshipe were sore annoyed..as well with gonnes shott as with shot of arrows.
3.
A missile fired from a cannon or a siege engine.
Associated quotations
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)1023 : Þere come fliand a gunne, And lemet as þe leuyn.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.61 : [2] goynnes [with] peletis [therfor].
Note: New spelling
- 1339 *Pipe Roll (PRO) 13 Edw.III m.50 d [OD col.] : ix barrell gunne.
Note: Antedates 1.(a)