Middle English Dictionary Entry
lā̆bǒurer(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lā̆bǒurer(e n. Also laborē̆r, laborier, laborour, laberer, loburer & (?errors) laborel, labrereer. |
| Etymology | AF labourer, laborer & OF laborëor, labourierre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A manual worker; esp. an unskilled laborer, casual laborer; (b) an agricultural worker, plowman, digger, etc.; (c) a female laborer; (d) a member of the laboring class, the lowest social rank; statut of laboureres, the statute of 1351 attempting to peg wages of servants and laborers at the 1345 level.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1409 : He chaunged his array And cladde him as a poure laborer.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)3.276 : Kynde wyt shal..make of lawe a labourer [vrr. loburer, (?)labrereer].
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.135 : For laboureris [vrr. labouros, laborelis] & louȝ folk..Þe beste in my bedchaumbre lay be þe wouȝ.
- (1423) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.152/371 : Item, to Robert Cok, laborer, for dj day yn þe brekyng of j wall..j d.
- (1428-9) *Mun.B.Bridgewater15 : For þe mason ys werke, ij s..ffor alaberer to þe same xiiij d.
- (1443) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 828 : A laborar, john Walkeleyne, v day ys ii s. i d.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)56/24 : Alle þat takyn vp..here expensis..tyl it be first..tythed..saaf of chaffaryng, of labourerys, of men of craft.
- (a1452) Doc.Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.25185 : And that alle artificers and laborers xull be payd abouen at the Gyldehalle on the Seterday.
- (1458) Cart.Oseney in OHS 91249 : Ioh. West, laborour.
- (1460-65) Acc.St.Andrew Hubbard in BMag.31396 : Payde to dyuers dawbers and laborers, for lombe & sonde & for thayre hyre.
- (1465-6) Acc.Howard in RC 57323 : Item, for ij tylers iij dayis, every day viij d. ob..Item, for a laborer iij dayis, xvj d.
- -?-(1381) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.9678 : Will. de Blyton, de Walmegate, laborer.
b
- ?c1350 Why werre (Peterh 104)p.30 : Thei take thus wit a pore man..Other of a wreched laborer That lyveth by hys hond.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.136 : It makth me drawe out of the weie In soulein place be miselve, As doth a labourer to delve.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.222 : Of alkin libbyng laboreres lopen forth somme, As dykers and delueres.
- c1405 Chaucer CT.Kn.(Elsm)A.2025 : Ther were also of Martes diuisioun The laborer and the Bocher and the Smyth.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1198 : The plouh was treuli holde; Abak stood idilnesse ferr from the laboreer.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)6 : The þird ȝer folowyng..was remus slayn with a laboureris rake.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2995 : Yonge, and statured wel, of vp o londe And laborers be taught to pace & renne.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)114/14 : Kynge Pellynore..mette with a poore man, a laborer.
- (1474) Will Sus.in Sus.RS 43142 : To pouer husbondes ploughmen..and other such pour diligent labourers in pour villages..cc li.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)127 : The labourer is gladder at his plow..to feede hym on bacoun, Than som man is that hath tresour inow.
c
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)283 : Labowrere:..laboratrix.
d
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.246 : Ȝif þou be a preest..teche treuly..ȝif..a worldly lord, defende Goddis lawe..and ȝif þou be a laborer, kepe þou treuþe and traveile fast.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.891 : Laboreris..Shal this bodi bern up..As feet and leggis..And ner the plouh vpholden be trauaile, Off kynges, pryncis farweel al gouernaile.
- (1450) Doc.in Kingsford EHist.Lit.(CotR 2.23)362 : Also vnto þe statute of laborers and grete extorcioners beyng in Kente, that they be punysshed.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)31 : Þer ben but þre maner men callid of hooly chirche:..goode preyers & techers of goddis lawe..goode defenders, as lordes & men of armes..þe þridde men ben trewe laboreris.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1462 : I can not be-þenke..why þe comun shuld Contre þe king-is wil..I carpe not of knightz..But hit longeth to no laborier.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)539 : Lete..the pouer Comyns..obserue a resonable mesure In their arraye..Accordyng to degree of Laborours.
- a1500 Religious pepille (BodPoet b.4)41 : All true laborerres paide daili þe hire, And stabilnesse foundun, specialli in atire.
- a1500 Ther ben iij poyntis (Tan 407)58 : In iij degreis þe werd kepis with presthod, knyghthod, and labourere.
2.
(a) One who works hard at a task; one who strives (to do sth.); (b) one who advocates an action, a proponent, mover; (c) fig. a laborer in Christ's vineyard, a good Christian; also, one of the clergy.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)131 : Þis hool beyng of vs is þe hool worcher and þe hool deserver of þis souereyn good..And he is þe hool laborer forto gete it.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)241 : Þe now seid loues..ben gendrid so tymely..in a considerer and laborer to be þe seruaunt of god.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)473 : If þe laborer toward contemplacioun dwelle among oþere men, he muste nedis be entermetyng anentis hem or vertuosely or viciosely.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)54/8 : Augustin was..þe grettest labourer in study and þe grettest enmye to heretikes.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)65/25 : Eche of hem was oonli a scoler and a lerner and a laborer in dyuynyte.
- (1463) Paston (Gairdner)4.75 : He seyd that he supposyd that D. wold don for ȝou; but he seyd he was no hasty laborer in non mater.
- a1500 Orch.Syon (Mrg M 162)16/17 : Grete laborer was I neuer, bodili ne gostli.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1039 : Tonsile was a laborer in fyer thre score yere and more to wynne his desier.
b
- (1469) Paston (Gairdner)5.38 : Her aftyr ye xalle wete and hoo wer laberers ther in; The schanseler was not so gylty her in as I wend he had ben.
c
- c1400 Wycl.Dominion (Dub 244)289 : Þe laboureris of cristis chirche han leffully rentis & worldly possessiouns.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)63/30 : Ȝe ben my lond tilieris and laboreris, which I haue hyrid.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)191/27 : My seruauntis, whom I haue sent as laboreris for wynnynge of soulis in þe mysterial body of holy chirche.
- a1450(c1400-25) Legat Serm.PD (Wor F.10)5/26,28 : Þe fadur sei to þe at þe dai of dome voca operarios, sone, 'clepe þi laborers,' þi seruantis..'þat tei mowe take þe bihest of gladnes þat tus ben clepid trewe laborers.'
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1348 : Swych laborer þe kythe heere in þys lyf, Þat god þi soule..Reioise may.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)911 : Pylgryms & palmers, with trew laborers, Hooly heremytes, goddes solycitours.