Middle English Dictionary Entry
heremī̆t(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | heremī̆t(e n. Also hermit(e, hermet, herimet, eremite, ermit(e, eremete, ermet(e, ermid, armite, (errors) herment, hernit, ermiȝte, (early) æremite, h)earmite & (in place names) heremet, heremed, ermeth, ermot, ermothe, armet(e, armate, armethe, h)irmet, irmeth. Pl. heremī̆tes, etc. & (early) heremīten, eremīte. |
| Etymology | ML her(e)mīta & OF h)ermite; cp. CL erēmīta, from Gr. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A man who, from religious motives, lives in relative solitude; a male Christian recluse, a hermit; (b) holi ~, a pious hermit; (c) a false hermit; one who has not renounced human society, or one who poses as a hermit to avoid working for a living; (d) hermites hed, the heraldic representation of the head of a hermit; (e) observaunce of hermites, a company of hermits.
Associated quotations
a
- (1196) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.7192 : Et heremite bosci de Eston' vij s., quos consueuit habere ex dono Jordani de Clinton.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)18763 : Ȝurstendæi me com to an æremite [Otho: heremite] wel idon.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)18800 : Sone þe armite com in.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27914 : Bi-bured he wes þere..imong heremiten [Otho: heremites].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29851 : Comen to þan Æluric kinge munekes and eremite [Otho: heremites].
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)85 : Iohan baptist, þe on his childhode bicom eremite.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)73/27 : Eremite ne owh on wilderne te wunien bute he arst bie ȝefanded ðurh regule.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)11/28 : Ah hwer se wummon liueð, oðer mon, bi him ane, hearmite [Nero: eremite] oðer ancre.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)615 : Þis heremite [Hrl: ermite] þat was so old man, a-ȝein hem cam a-non.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)245 : Þe heremite held vp boþe his honde..And bar þat child in to his chapel.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.87 : Paule, þe firste heremyte, wente into wildernesse.
- c1390 Treat.Mass (Vrn)137 : His Masse schal be a good to heere As Monk, Chanoun, Hermyte, or ffrere.
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52277/7 : Item in elemosinis domini datis cuidam hermite.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Devil Phys.(Phys-E)p.148 : An ermyt, an hali man..woned in wasti bi him an.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8135 : An heremite [Göt: armyte] þar þai fand at ham, In þat montan, was halt and lam.
- ?c1400 Cursor (Arms 57)17900 : Coom a mon wiþouten lite, þat semed wel to haue ben eremyte [Ld: Ermyte].
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)prol.28 : As ancris & Ermytes Þat holden hem in cellis, Coueite not in cuntre to cairen aboute.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)6.147 : Ancres and heremytes, þat eten but at nones..myne almesse shul þei haue.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)32a/a : Heremita: an heremite.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)154/11 : He red also of Richard Hampol, hermyte, in Incendio Amoris.
- c1440 HBk.GDei (Thrn:Horstmann)304 : The fende..come flyand ouer a place whare an herymet duellyd.
- (1444-6) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7843 : Item rec' of an ermyȝte to the chirche.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)266 : Þe secund maner es ful perfite, Als to be anger or eremete.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)659 : Thou sittest at another book Tyl fully daswed ys thy look, And lyvest thus as an heremyte, Although thyn abstynence ys lyte.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4020 : Þir Exidraces as Ermets inhabet in caues.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)123 : He fled into a wildirnesse and lyved as a heremit, with wif and childirn.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)891/29 : He tolde the eremyte how a monke of an abbay called me wycked knyght.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)63b : An hermett: anachorita, heremita.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)245 : The Erle..Cladde hym in armytes wede, Thogh he were of ryche kynne.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)195/35 : Then ȝede þys ermyd hom to hys ermytage.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)165/38 : He was euer a virgine and ladde an heremytis lyf in desert.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)112/8 : Þe engel..heold his nease..nawt for þet rotede lich þet he healp þe hali earmite [Nero: eremite] to biburien.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.201 : Alle þese holy eremytes..For-soke londe and lordshep, and lykynges of þe body.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)8724 : Þai salle se..haly heremytes and doctours.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6481 : Thou semest an hooly heremyte.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)47/18 : Þe life of þe haly armitis..alle suilke þingis salle ȝe filiȝ.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.394 : The hooli hermyte..callid Antonivs, Lyued in desert ferr out in wildirnesse.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.11 : Þere was þat tyme an holy heremyte.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)13 : Quod the holy Ermyte, 'Yef ye do by my counsele,' [etc.].
c
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)prol.3 : I schop me in-to a schroud..In Habite of an Hermite [vr. herment] vnholy of werkes.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.177 : An Hep of Hermytes henten heom spades.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)prol.50 : Ermytes [vr. hernytes] on an hep, wiþ hokide staues, Wenten to walsyngham, & here wenchis aftir.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.188 : Ac eremites þat en-habiten hem by þe heye weyes And in borwes a-mong brewsters, and beggen in churches.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.167 : Summe ben now holi men, as ancris, heremytes, and freris, and efte þei ben apostataas and dien enemyes of Crist.
- (c1438) MKempe B (Add 61823)226/23 : Her is longyng to þis chirch an ermyte, a ȝong man.
d
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.9 (Hrl 2169)174 : [Gules three] ermytys hedys [of silver cut off at the neck, their cowls thrown back].
e
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A n[o]bseruans of hermytes.
2.
A member of certain fraternal monastic orders, a friar; Heremites of Seint Austin, the Order of Augustine Friars; Heremites of the Mount Carmele, the Order of Carmelite Friars.
Associated quotations
- c1450(?a1402) *?Trev.Reg.Princ.(Dgb 233)1a : Frere Gyles Romayn of þe order of frere heremytes of Seint Austeyn.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)28/16 : Of þis same Simpliciane took he [St. Augustine] þe forme of an habite whech his heremytes vsed aftirward, and he eke.
- c1452 Capgr.Aug.Orders (Add 36704)146/1 : Þis Iudas eke may be referred on-to þoo heremites þat Seynt Augustin mad ny iij ȝere be-for þat he was bischop at Ypone, and mad þere chanones.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)144 : The othir too Ordres, Heremites of Seint Austin, and Heremites of the Mount Carmele, were longe befor.
3.
In cpds. & combs.: ~ lif, the life of a hermit; ~ place, a wilderness; prest ~, a priest living as a hermit.
Associated quotations
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)73/30 : Ðese twa lif, hermite and ansæte lif, ðe we nu clepeð anker, hie wæren hwile ferr fram mannen wuniende.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)170b/a : In heremyte [L heremiticis] places and solitarie, wylde bestes walkyn more fresshelyche..þan in oþere places.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)128/7 : Þe maister of his felowship went & shrafe hym vnto a preste hermett.
4.
(a) As surname; Richard ~, Richard Rolle; (b) in place names.
Associated quotations
a
- (1196) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.7172 : Willelmus lermite.
- (1208) CRR(2) 5262 : Willelmus le Heremit'.
- (1259) Court R.Ramsey55 : Andreas Ermite.
- (1276) Hundred R.Tower 2228 : Gerardus Heremite.
- (1312) Cust.Battle Abbey in Camd.n.s.41158 : Heres Thomae Hermite tenet unum cotagium.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3143 : Alicia Eremyte.
- (1415) Will in Bdf.HRS 232 : A bible in Frenssh of ij voloms and a sauter glosed of Ric. Ermyte.
b
- (c1130) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)337 : Bechermet.
- (1160) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Becheremet.
- (1180) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Beccheremed. Beckirmeth.
- (1189) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Bekirmet.
- (c1210) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)82 : Hermitebec.
- (c1227) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)28 : Armategill. Armetgile.
- (1246) in Ekwall PNLan.133 : Armetheriding.
- (1262) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Bechirmet.
- (1279) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Bekyremet.
- (1291) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Beckermeth.
- (c1308) Deed Yks.in YASRS 39190 : Le Armeteholmes.
- (1332) in Ekwall PNLan.133 : Ermetridinge.
- (1385) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Beckermot.
- (1387) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)338 : Beckermothe.
- (1495) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)264 : Armethwaite.