Middle English Dictionary Entry
hīred-man n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hīred-man n. Also hird(e-, irad-, hurde-, hered-, herd(e-, heord- &(early gen. pl.) hirdemanne, (dat. pl.) hiredmonnen. |
| Etymology | OE hīred-man & hȳr-man. In early quots., hīred- represents OE hīred household; in later quots., the first element is usually associated with hīred p.ppl. of ME hīren to hire. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. hire-man.
1.
(a) A member of a king's household, a retainer, one of the king's attendant knights or noblemen; (b) a vassal, knight, gentleman; (c) a household servant; a hired servant; a hireling.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3513 : Is swien he forð sende, þe wes iradmon [Otho: hiredman] hende.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4409 : Þa Brennes hauede ihirde his hirdemanne [Otho: cniþtene] lare, þa gladede is mod.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14097 : Ich habbe ofte ihærd hohfulle ronenen imong þine hired-monnen [Otho: cnihtes].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)18182 : Wa wes þan kinge, swa wes al his duȝeðe and alle his..hird-men.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)28570 : Þer weoren of-slaȝe..Ardures hered-men [Otho: hiredmen].
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2139 : Loke þat hirde-men wel kepe þe komune passage.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)302 : Stiller were þanne Alle þe hered-men in halle, þe hyȝ & þe loȝe.
- c1425 Liber de Hyda in RS 45158 : And to all myn hyrede men, I wyl that the good that over thys be quest is, that they take hyt to my kynnys folk that yn specyal nothyng y have ȝyve.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)44 : Þare myghte hirdmene [vr. haþeles], hendely forsothte, herdis byhalde.
b
- ?c1335 Elde makiþ me (Hrl 913)p.171 : I was heordmon, nov am holle; Al folk of me beþ wel folle.
- c1440 Thos.Ercel.(Thrn)697 : [Of swilke] an hird mane wolde j here, [Þat couth] Me telle of swilke ferly.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)643 : As ȝe are herdmen hinde, Ȝe marre notte me!
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)32/2 : Ða isæȝen þa hiredmen hu þe þeȝen dyde embe ðone oðerne.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)28/448 : Þah þu..habbe monie vnder þe, hirdmen in halle.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)2215 : Ich am her, þu hatele gast, mid alle mine hirdmen.
- a1350 Ne mai no lewed (Hrl 2253)40 : Hyrdmen hem [summoners] hatieþ, ant vch mones hyne.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Job 14.6 : And as of an hirid man [L mercenarii] the dai of hym.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 15.19 : Make me as oon of thi hyrid men [L mercenariis].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28396 : Myn hirdmen and als oþer maa Haf i þaire seruis halden fra.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)17/10 : Lo! how Crist likneþ ȝow to werk-men, to hyred-men, to oxen & nouȝt to kynges.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)241 : Hyryd man, or servawnte: Conductius, conductia, mercenarius, mercenaria.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)88 : His hirde-mene [vr. hurde-men] mett he everylkone.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)42b : For þere were oþer ordeyned to þese werkes þe whiche were hured þerto, and þerfore þey were clepid hired men [L accensi].
- (a1475) Fortescue Dial.UF (Vit E.10)486 : The natural son is betyn of his fadre within the howse when he trespasseth, but the hired man is utterly put out of the hous withouten stroke.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.1289 : Thi seruantis and othir hired men alsoo Whiche be to the true, feithfull, and kynde, Hem þou loue and cherisshe euermoo.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)64b : A hyryd man [Monson: an Hired man]:..stipendiarius.
- a1500 Medit.St.Aug.(Hrl 1706)378 : Make me on of thy hyrede mene yeff hit be thy wylle.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)231 : I haylsede þat herdeman & hendliche y saide.