Middle English Dictionary Entry
homāǧe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | homāǧe n. Also hommage, omage, umage, ummage. |
| Etymology | OF omage, hom(m)age, humage. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The ceremony or act of acknowledging one's faithfulness to his feudal lord; feudal allegiance of a vassal or tenant; ~ and feute; ~ and servise; ouen ~, to be obliged to render (sb.) homage; proferen ~, offer (sb.) one's allegiance; withclepen (withseien) ~, refuse to pay (sb.) homage; yelden (yeven) up ~, renounce homage (to a sovereign); (b) the right of a feudal lord to exact a tribute from his vassal or tenant as part of his acknowledgment of tenure; also, the payment made by the vassal; an offering made by a vassal to his lord at certain times of the year.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)1294 : Mine men ȝe beþ & to me swore; Omage ȝe schul me þer-fore.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1080 : His sondes..he sente..to alle þe lordes of his land..þat ouȝten him omage.
- (1397) RParl.3.379a : I among other communed..to ȝyve up myn hommage to my Lord.
- (1399) RParl.3.424b : We be charged by hem..ȝeld ȝowe uppe, for all the States and Poeple forsayd, Homage liege and Feaute, and all Ligeance.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)7334 : Saule haue þai made king wiþ homage [Vsp: smerl; Göt: anoynting] and wiþ corownyng.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.19 : Ethelbert held Estsex, Southsex, and Kent, For homage & feaute to Adelwolf it went.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2906 : Homage nolde hym non wiþsaye, Ac alle hij duden hym feute.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7228 : He wiþclepeþ al homage.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)187/26 : Sir Iohn..Kyng of Scotland..witsaide homage.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.105/13 : [I] ȝafe..to þe church..vij s. off rent in Hensynton ȝerly to be take..of iiij ȝerdis of londe þe which Eustache..Richard..Symon..sumtyme helden..with homage and seruice of þe same.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)310/21 : The Rede Knyght..profyrd hym his omage and feawte..he and his knyghtes to do hym servyse.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1086 : I yeve the..an erledome of [my] lond..Omage thou shalte none [nor] ffyne.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)364 : Omage..Homagium, nefrendicium.
- (a1450) in Scrope Castle Combe [OD col.]258 : Item, to wete how many homagys, rewardys, and relevys, have be lost and necligently over-renne thys xxxvi wyntyr.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.163/28 : I..confermyd..to Nicoll..j plowe of londe..with all his pertinences..Medes, pastures..and..the rentys of my free tenauntes and homages, wardis and relefs and eschetes.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)42/5 : Milo Basset remitted and..quyte-claymed..to the abbesse of Godestowe and to the mynchons there..all the right and clayme that he had..toward the forsaid abbesse..vpon homage, relefe, warde, and sute of courte of the tenement that þei held of hym.
- (c1475) Doc.in Bk.Brome (Brm)143 : I..hath ȝowyn and grantyd..to John..my maner of Cryssygham with all hys pertinences..as in medowys, ffedynges..relyvyes, maryages, hommages, rentes, [etc.].
2.
In phrases: (a) beren (don, maken, yelden, yeven) ~, to acknowledge one's allegiance (to sb.), pay homage; also fig.; (b) haven, lacchen, nimen, taken ~, to accept a pledge of allegiance (from sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)600 : Homage he [the prelate] scholde don to him [the king].
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2851 : Hii made aureli king & omage him dude echon.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)35 : Þer nas no king, Þat ne hel[d] of him sum þing Or dude him omage or feute.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)1713 : Let me..goon Bi-fore king charles..& don him omage wiþ myn hon[d], To holden of him al mi lond.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1306 : Þemperour..freyned hem..ȝif þei wold of him holly halde alle here londes & þei graunted..omage him dede.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2968 : The Pope..seide he [the King] scholde don hommage Unto the cherche bodily.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Nativ.(Phys-E)p.61 : Alle kinges yald trouage Til rom, a[n]d seruis and homage.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7500 : And we to þam ma siþen homage [vr. omage].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.15 : He..mad þe kyng homage; Egbriht for his curteisie gaf him his heritage.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7426 : Ȝeldeþ me homage alle Oiþere ȝou shal qued bifalle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7541 : Hiȝe and low..Hadde openly in a parlement Made feith to hym and y-don homage.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1952 : Þe erl sware..to be hir frende; Umage made he to þat hende.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)2195 : All þe lordes of dignite Dede her omage and feaute.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)24 : The lordys..Yeldyn the keys to the emperour off this..cyte, Yeuyng hym omage and possessyon Off alle this..regyon.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2373 : Saye your emperour..that he come..And..Homage by yere me yeld or bere.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)129 : Harald swore to duke William that he schuld be to him trew ligeman, and ded or mad onto him homage.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)38/34 : An erlis doughter..came thidir for to do omage.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)356/28 : I woll do you omage and feaute.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)7.457 : William helde Normandy of the kynge of Fraunce and made to hym homage.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)10586 : He shall do Aulof ther homage, And yeld hym for hys land trewage.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)76 : He made his omage..Tyll hym..the kynge.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)105 : Of that ye sey ye will do to me youre homages and holde youre honoures of me, I may it not receyve.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)3131 : Arthour aros..to haue of hem vmage.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1309 : Þemperour..sente..sondes to saxoyne..& nomen omage in his name.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)5403 : Þemperour..omage arst of hem alle hendeli..tok.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)5474 : William..rides þurth þempire of rome..lauȝt omage of eche lud þat longed to þe reaume.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5382 : Coronyd is the kyng this cuntre to weld; Hade homage of all men.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)130 : This Kyng William rod into Scotland and took homage there of Malcolyn the Kyng.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)314/21 : Ye shall have homage and feawte of me.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)325/16 : Hit were fayrer of hym to take omage and feaute and lat hym holde his londys of you.
3.
(a) The act of honoring or paying respect to a person; don (maken) ~, to acknowledge one's allegiance or faithfulness (to Christ, Mary, the Devil, or a pagan god); pay one's respect (to sb.); taken ~, accept a pledge of allegiance; (b) a religious faith or allegiance.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Theoph.(LdMisc 108)41 : Bi-com mi Man and do me homage.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.314 : He..sholde..yeue his body and al his herte to the seruyce of Iesu Crist and ther of doon hym hommage.
- c1390 NHom.Theoph.(Vrn)240 : Ȝif he..Omage to me [Devil] make, Þen wol I make him mi kniht.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2687 : The yonge ladi was forth fet, To whom the lordes don homage.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)216 : Certys he dede grete outrage To make þe deuyl so moche omage [vr. suych seruage].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.155 : Clerkes..comen with here presentz And deden her homage honourably to hym [Christ Child].
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2044 : I [God of Love] have..taken fele homages Of oon and other.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4524 : I was in rage Whonne I to Love dide homage.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6023 : If riche men don you homage, That is as fooles don outrage.
- ?c1430(?1383) Wycl.Curse (Corp-C 296)302 : Sathans, fadir of lesyngis, to whom þei [clerks] maken sacrifice and omage for þis falsly geten lordischip.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)770 : I have..Be tributarye and yiven rente To Love..And..become his thral..and dide homage.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)34/10 : A monke..afterward..made homage vnto þe devull.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)151/152 : Ȝe herd-men..For ȝoure omage and ȝour syngynge My sone xal a-qwyte ȝow in hefne se.
- c1475 Tydynges trew þer (Brm)122 : With most demver and goodly wysse to hyr he did vmmage.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)228/7 : Þe seyntys þat wern yn Heuen comyn wyth processyon aȝeynes hur, beryng rosys and lylius of paradise..and so dyddyn vmage to hure [Mary].
b
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)27.160 : Manye Oþere that weren but of tendre Age Tooken Aȝen to here ferste homage.
4.
The body of vassals of a feudal king; also, the body of tenants attending a manorial court.
Associated quotations
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)87/1497 : Þe king & his homage [vrr. baronage, barnage] Ȝeuen Arnoldin trewage.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.10/6,11 : Soc is sute of your homage in your courte after the custome of þe Reame..Tol is that ye and youre men and all your homage be quyte in all mercates of tol i-axid of thynges i-bowghte or solde.