Middle English Dictionary Entry
honestẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | honestẹ̄ n. Also oneste, honesti(e, onesti. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Honorable position; worthy or respectable status; eminence or the personification of it; also, wealth; (b) good name; reputation; (c) honorableness of character, conduct, or action; honor, dignity; (d) respect towards (sb. or sth.); reverence, honor.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Wisd.7.11 : There camen to me alle goodis togidere with it, and vnnoumbrable honeste [WB(2): oneste; L honestas] by the hondis of it [wisdom].
- (1418) EEWills34/19 : Ȝif Ionet my wif kepe here soole..Twelf-monthe after my decese, than she ffounde be of my goddes durynge þat ȝere in alle here costes, after þe same honeste and degre as she is founde þe day of makynge of this testament.
- (c1422) Hoccl.JWife (Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)90 : Fy þat yee..Sholde any swich tale to me begynne, Which wer ageyn his and your honestee [rime: yee].
- (1423) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)109/10,11 : [Physicians and surgeons] putten vp to þe Maire and Aldermen..a peticion in Englissh, contenyng þe honeste of þe Faculte of Phisyk, and þe honeste of þe crafte of Cirurge, and þe commune proffit of þe Cite in these wordes.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1673 : Whi lykede me thy yelwe her to se More than the boundes of myn honeste?
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)10b : Honeste forsoþe makiþ a kniȝt couenable, bot schame þat for bediþ hym fliȝt in bataile makiþ him a victor.
- c1450(c1370) Chaucer Pity (Benson-Robinson)40 : Aboute hir herse there stoden lustely..Beaute, Lust and Jolyte, Assured Maner, Youthe, and Honeste.
b
- (1424) Stonor1.39 : Seeth that yowre..son Rychard duly ensele þe same endenture, for yowre son Jonys honestie hanketh theron.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1576 : Thynketh on myn honeste [rime: be], That floureth yet, how foule I sholde it shende.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2965 : Hit were..semly for wemen..Kepe hom from company &..þer onesty attel to saue.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)473/3 : His frendis prayed þe preste at he mot be berid in som noke..of þe kurk-garth, becauce of þer honestie.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1195/24 : Hit were nat the Popis worshyp nother my poure honeste to know you distressed, nother the quene nother in perell nother shamed.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)253 : For þe honour of myn honeste of heghest enprise, Þai coronyd me þe kidde kynge of kene justises.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.25 : Fabricus..is hardere to be i-torned out of honeste [L honestate] þanne is þe sonne to be torned out of his cours.
- a1400 Cato(3) (Frf 14)152 : Þat þou has gitin to þe, vse hit in honeste & be noȝt calde niþing.
- c1400 Vertues & (Bod 416)5 : Pride is clepud honeste, and coueityse wisdom.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.4358 : He schulde rather, of kyngly honeste [rime: degre] And of knyȝthood, haue weddid hir þerfore.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3594 : Whi were þou [Helen] wery to liue at home in pes And wentist out straungeris for to se, Takyng noon hed to þin honeste?
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5033 : Her part they may not elles quyte, To save hemsilf in honeste.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2701 : Yit is it bet for me For to be ded in wifly honeste Than ben a traytour lyvynge in my shame.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.53.36a : Out of þis ymage springen steringes of pride..þe wilke kesten þe doun from þe honeste of man in to a bestes liknes.
d
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.12.23 : Tho membris that ben vnhonest han more honeste [WB(2): oneste; L honestatem].
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1027 : Who that is not to hem [parents] debonayr..Hem to obeye in honeste and drede..he shall..be infortunat In alle his werk.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2861 : [They] lyuet after law of þe lell gentils, Þat Venus the worthy worshippit for god And most honouret of other with oneste þere.
2.
Propriety of behavior; good manners; decorum or the personification of it; also, the sense of propriety or decorum.
Associated quotations
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3902 : So manly was this Iulius of herte And so wel louede estatly honestee [rime: priuetee].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.932 : A wyf..sholde eek seruen hym [her husband] in alle honestee and ben attempree of hir array.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1267 : This noble frere..made alwey a maner louryng cheere Vpon the somnour, but for honestee No vileyns word as yet to hym spak he.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)216a/a : Wommen..vsede to bere wiþ hem þe fruyt of þis herbe [Agnus Castus] in dyrige and seruice for dede men whanne þey moste nedes lyue chaste for comyn honestee [L honestatem].
- (?1410) Hoccl.Somer(2) (Hnt HM 111)48 : Thogh yee in good habownde, Dooth as yow thinkith for your honestee [rime: libertee].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1175 : Ȝe may me not denye Of honeste my massage to declare.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2207 : Love in his lawes often schulde erre And wynden out of honestes cheyne.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)144/32 : The Ordynance ne the expenses in mete & drink ne the honestee ne the clennesse is not so arrayed þere as it is here.
- c1425 Chaucer CT.Pars.(Petw 7)I.1046 : This orison most eke be saide wiþ gret humblesse and ful pure honesty [vrr. honestee, honestly] and not to annoyance of eny man or womman.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1736 : Hire teres, ful of honeste, Embelished hire wifly chastite.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)94/37 : Wymmen..in golde & dressynge of here to pryde & wantonhede þa go sarifand..also agayns mans honeste & kynde be god ordand, brode horns & in gretnes horribyll, of here wroyght þat grw not þer, on þer hedis þa sett.
- c1440(?a1375) Abbey HG (Thrn)57/5 : Honeste es Maystresse of þe nouyce and teches þam alle curtasye.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)293 : Of plesaunce She was þe wel, and eke of oneste [rime: she] An exemplaire.
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.272 : Whan any sustir is dede, the dede body schal be leyde bare, al possible honeste saued and kepte, upon a bare borde.
- c1460 Chaucer CT.Pars.(SeldArch B.14)1.429 : That foule parte shewe thei vnto the peple proudely in dispite of honeste [Heng: honestetee].
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)9/1 : Ye alle owe..aftur evesonge for to go to your sopper with all honeste and withowten rybawdrie.
- a1500 3rd Fran.Rule (Seton)49/8 : The..bretherne..shall haue vesture clasped close and not opyn before, as honesti requirith.
3.
(a) Splendor, honor; elegance, comeliness, fairness; (b) ?freshness, newness.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.151 : He sent his sister Jone with mykelle honeste [rime: cite], With his barons ilkone, to Mischines.
- c1425 Chaucer CT.Pars.(Petw 7)I.431 : I say not þat honeste [Heng: honestetee] in cloþinge of man and womman is vnconable.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1210 : Vnder suche clothus of honeste..Mowe ben virtwys werkus gret pleynte.
- c1460 Chaucer CT.Pars.(SeldArch B.14)I.436 : I speke thus of the sinne of superfluite & nat for the resonable honeste [Heng: honestetee] whan reson it requirith.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)128b/b : Ester day is tyme of gladnesse and of ioye, tyme of honeste [L nouitatis] and renewinge.
4.
(a) Moral purity, uprightness, virtue, justness; (b) purity, virginity; chastity.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 PPl.B (Trin-C B.15.17)9790 [15.90] : Holynesse and honeste Out of holy chirche spredeth Thorugh lele libbynge men.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2940 : [Medea] hathe forbore Hir maidenhed..And ȝet sche ment nat but honeste..sche wende haue ben his wyfe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.364 : Ay in prayers and in honeste, Sche ladde hir lyf.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)5829 : A gude castelle..kepes he, Þat his body kepes in honeste.
- a1450(a1401) Chastising GC (Bod 505)179/22 : It is..shewid to hym in suche visions hooli techyng acordyng to honeste and to uertuous lyueng.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.142 : Thise dignitees belongeþ properly Only to vertu and to honeste.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)28/29 : Fleschly knowlech by-twen husbonde and wyffe es synful and dedly when it comes be fleschly luste of lechery, and than passez it the boundez of honeste and of reson.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)236/29 : Of no-thynge he schal be ferd from honeste.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)228/19 : They, consyderynge the religion & the honeste of þe holy mychons..grauntyd & yafe..to the fore-seyde holy mynchons the churche of bloxham.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.53.36a : Oute of þe ymage of Ihesu..schulden steien vp in to heuene as brennende disires, clene affecions..and all honeste of vertues.
b
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.89 : For pure chastnesse of virginitee Or for she witnesse hadde of honestee And grene of conscience and of good fame The swote sauour, lilie was hir name.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.77 : Ye [governesses] been set in gouernynges Of lordes doghtres..for two thynges: Outher for ye han kept youre honestee Or elles ye han falle in freletee.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4257 : He saugh never..Ne noon [wife] so ful of honeste That she nyl laughe and mery be, Whanne that she hereth..A man speken of leccherie.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)3156 : Vrsula..Louyd cleennes & maydynly honeste [rime: beute].
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)57/15 : The honeste of thy body passe all men or wymmen.