Middle English Dictionary Entry
archēr, -iēr n.
Entry Info
| Forms | archēr, -iēr n. |
| Etymology | OF; cp. AF archer CF archier. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
One who is trained in the use of bow and arrow: (a) a soldier armed with a bow or longbow, longbowman, archer; also, crossbowman [quot. 1509]; archers and arblasters, longbowmen and crossbowmen; (b) one who hunts with bow and arrow, bowman; (c) as surname [see Thuresson, ME Occup.Terms 161].
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)179/47 : He let archers to him scheote..With quareles and with Arewene heo maden him woundes starke.
- c1300 SLeg.11000 Virg.(Hrl 2277)139 : Archers he let hire schute anon to deþe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4096 : Wiþoute archers & votmon.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)45 : An archer..nom his boȝe and ssat an heȝ a-ye god.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.241 : Foot men and archeres were i-set in þe bataille.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)2 Kings 8.18 : Archeris and alblasters.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2946 : And archers arowes to hem drowen.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)83/5 : Archers and alblasters.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)37/25 : Good Archers and Arblasteres.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)539/31-2 : And lx Archers on horsebakke, and xxti Archers on foote.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2351 : Make vp a tour and putte archerys there, For to defende tho that watir brynge.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)107/16 : And one with a bowe, an archer, smote sir Gawayne thorow the arme.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)4b : An Archer: Architenens, Arquites, sagittarius, sagittator, Arcipotens.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)812 : Architenens..sagittarius: a harchere.
- a1509(?1468) Marriage in Archaeol.31 (Add 46354)333 : One ether side ane archere; one with a crosbowe bende..one..with a longe bowe drawen.
b
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)425/182 : Plouȝ-Man with his Aker-staf, Archer mid bouwe and knyue.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1929 : He koude..ride an haukyng..Ther to he was a good archeer [vrr. archier, archer, archere; rimes: deer, peer].
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1797 : The God of Love, with bowe bent..never this archer wolde fyne To shete at me.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)165/1 : Men of þat contree ben all gode archeres & schooten right weell, bothe men & wommen.
- c1425 Twiti Venery(1) (Vsp B.12)152 : Another chace ther is, whan a man hath set up archerys and greyhoundes.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)142/13 : For thou shuldist þan teche hym the place where he shulde smyte, liche as þe white is in a butt for to teche the archieres.
2.
Astron. The zodiacal sign Sagittarius.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.207 : Þese beeþ þe names of þe signes: þe Wether, þe Boole..þe Archer, þe Goot.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)111a/a : Þat signe hatte Sagittarius, þe archier.
- c1440 *Astron.Cal.[OD col.] (Ashm 391) : Sagittari, þat is þe signe of an Archier.
- a1500(?a1425) Laud SSecr.(LdMisc 685)74/27 : Wynter bygynnes when þe sonne entres þe first de-gree of Archer.