Middle English Dictionary Entry
ladder(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ladder(e n. Also lader, lad(d)re & ledder(e, leder, led(d)re, lheddre, (early) leaddre, læddre, læddræ; pl. laddres, etc. & laddren. |
| Etymology | OE hlǣder |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A ladder; also, Jacob's ladder; ?also, a stone stairway; (b) a removable framework attached to the body of a cart; cart ~ [see cart 8. (b)]; (c) ?a splint used on broken bones; (d) ladder(es ende, the top of a ladder; also fig.; ~ staf, one of the rungs of a ladder; ~ stale, one of the sidepieces of a ladder; -- used fig.; crist(es ~ [see Crist 6. (c)]; scalinge ~, q.v.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)80/30 : He bið ilic þam men þe summe læddræ aræreð & astihð.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)71/34 : Machouns..Bi laddren cloumben up and doun.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)287/327 : Hym þouȝte..þat he a gret laddre i-say.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1607 : Iacob..sag, an soðe drem, fro ðe erðe up til heuene bem, A leddre stonden.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1459 : Laddren hi hadde on eyþer half; oure lord vp hi bere.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6830 : Þe king bi an laddre to þe ssip clam an hey.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)2429 : Þemperour..hete..His folk asayl þat cite Wiþ schot of bowe and alblast..Wiþ laddren steye.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2406 : Wan he cam to þe castel wal, oppon wend he by sleȝþe; Wyþ a laddre of lethere & crokes smal, sone had he þe heȝþe.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2971 : By þat was Gyoun vp a-stoȝe oppoun þe laddre an heȝ & þe rop y-knyt þe tree aboȝe.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.28.12 : Iacob..seeyȝ in his slepez a laddre [WB(2): laddir; L scalam] stondyng vpon þe erþ & þe heyȝte of it touchyng heven & aungels..steying up & going doun by it.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3624 : He made laddres thre To clymben by the ronges and the stalkes, Vnto the tubbes, hangyng in the balkes.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1644 : He fond the ladre, and doun he goth.
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.158 : [At the manor of Molton he had 2] ladders [worth 20 d.].
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)632 : A shorte ladder before was fet..Cryst..hys body vpp stey By þat short ladder.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)3779 : In slepe he [Jacob] sau alleddir him by Stand fra his hefd vp to þe sky.
- (1400) Let.Hen.IV in RS 18.1 (Cleo F.3)38 : We shalle do the a pryve thyng: a roope, a ladder, and a ring, heigh on gallowes for to henge.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1777 : Þay..Lyfte laddres ful longe and upon lofte wonen, Stelen stylly þe toun.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)2087 : Men made..Ladders of leþer and of corde.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)485 : Into that gardyn..Who so that me coude haue brought, By laddris or ell by degre, It wolde wel haue liked me.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)103b/b : Put þe pacient his armehole in a gree of a scale, i. in a rong of leddre.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)249 : There are sette two leddres on the side of the crosse..and Joseph gooth vppe..and besieth hym to drawe oute the nayle of that hande.
- (1435-6) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7837 : Item, for i loke & i chayne for to loke the laderes, viii d. for berynge away.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)131/6 : Þe women tokyn a leddyr & set up to þe wyndown & ȝouyn hir a pynte of wyn.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)293 : Leddere, or ladder: Scala.
- c1440 Bonav.Medit.(3) (Thrn)205 : Some bryng forthe ledders and oþer Instrumentes..to do hyme [Jesus] one the rode wyth.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)50/36 : More peril it is to hym þat clymbiþ on a hiȝe laddir þeron to snaper.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1194 : Sir Sabyn of Surrye..Leyþ a ladder to þe wal & alofte clymyþ.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1439 : And qua sa leddirs had nane..Wald gett þam hald with þar hend & on-loft clyme.
- (1461) Paston (Gairdner)3.317 : They..brek down ȝour bregg, and make that no man go in to [the] place but on a ledder.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1131/7 : He had spyed a ladder..and sette hit up to the wyndow.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)p.310 : Þan joseph doth set up þe lederys.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)120a : A Ste or A leddyr: scala; scalaris, scalare lignum quod extran[s]uerso in scala ponitur.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)366 : He fownde an olde man sittyng atte fete of a laddere, þat was sette to a walle.
- a1500(1465) Leversedge Vision (Add 34193)27 : My seid saule lokyd by syd hym and ther aperid from the top of the seid hill strecching in to the sky as a laddir with flatt stanes broder then a mannes hand, appering whyȝt as crystall.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.414 : These ben the names of theim that [be] admitte in euery ward for to make the ffyrehokes, rynges, Ropes, & ladders..Ric. Plompton, Joh. Knyght.
b
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)858 : Eschelez [glossed:] laddres [vrr. leddres, laddres of cart, carte-ladderis].
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)876 : Lappareyle pur charette..Eschele, founs, et crossers -- Laddre, botme, and crosse-bredes.
c
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)67/3 : Make a plaster of broke-longke and chyke-mete..and ley þer-to..and..spilke hit wel..to þe ledres tille hit be hol.
d
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)80/30-1 : He bið ilic þam men þe..astihð þonne uppon þære læddrestæfæ, a þet he up cume to þære læddre ende.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)181/7 : Sheome & pine..beoð þe twa leaddre steolen [Nero: leddre stalen; Recl.: ledder steles] þe beoð up iriht to heouene.
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)638 : Whan he [Jesus] com to þe laddres ende, Toward þe cros hys bak he layde.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)293 : Leddyr stafe: Scalarium, scalare.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)51/14 : Man..schal..warly clymbe fro steire to steire, euere to þat he come to þe ladder eende, þat is for to say, clymbe wiþ werkis of penaunce & deuocioun.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)211 : A Ledder staffe: scalare.
2.
Fig. (a) A means or process by which one attains a certain state or condition; (b) theol. the ladder as a symbol of the communication between heaven and earth, God (or Christ) and man, and earth and hell; also, a step or stage in the soul's ascent to everlasting life [quot.: Orch.Syon 68/23]; (c) ~ of heven, name of a church.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6933 : If we seen hym wynne honour..or preis..Full fast, iwys compassen we, Bi what ladder he is clomben so.
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)129 : Ðis [the cross] is sunfulla monna leddre, þurh hwam ure drihtan teh to him al moncun.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)149 : Fleises lensing..is alle sunfulle monne leddre, þet heo sculen in to heouene stiȝen.
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)207 : Lichames helsing..is cleped..Scala peccatorum, þat is, sinfulle manne leddre, þe hi shulen one stien to heuene.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)181/11 : Dauið hefde þe twa steolen of þis leaddre [Nero: leddre]..he clomb uppard & seide..to ure lauerd, [etc.].
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)2/40,48 : Þe riȝte woneȝyng Ine heuene hyt his to manne..Howe scholde we þider þanne? Bi leddre..Þis ilke laddre is charite, Þe stales gode þeawis.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)246/19 : Þis [the gift of wisdom] is þe laste stape of þe lheddre of perfeccion.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)915 : Þorw þis laddre God..From heuene in to eorþe alihte And nom of hire his monhede.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.44 : Þe fende..leith a laddre þere-to; of lesynges aren þe ronges.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.6 : He [Christ] ravisheþ þis castel bi a ladder maad of vertue.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)68/20,23 : This brigge, myn oonly-bigeten sone, haþ þre laddirs in hymsilf..In þese þre laddris þou schalt knowe þre staatis of þe soule.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)174/1 : Þei [God's perfect children] ben rise aboue hemsilf into þe heiþe of heuene by þe laddir of vertu.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)146/418 : Þe cownsel of conseans þis boke I calle, Or þe ladder of heuen.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)51/2 : Þe lijf & þe deuocioun of goode religious is as it were clymbyng on a hyȝe laddir þat sette were toward heuen.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)8/25 : The eght table tretez..of two ladders, that on redressynge to heuen and that othyr to helle.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)141.196 (v.2:p.400) : Marie .. ys the leddere of synneris and here most singuler trost.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)572 : Seyn Benet..brouht a ladder long, In the wych men myhte se xij grees off humylyte, By wych..ffolk off hys relygyon..Ascendyd vp..to that cyte.
c
- c1390(?a1300) Stations Rome(1) (Vrn)119 : In þat place a Chapel is; Scala celi clepet hit is; Laddere of heuene men clepeþ hitte In þe honour of vr ladi.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 *Medulla (Hrl 2257)74a/b : Interscalaris: bitwyne stoles or stiltes or leddres stafes.
- a1500 *Medulla (Hrl 2270)138a/a : Interscalaris: bitwene stayres or ladders.
Note: Perh. =one of the uprights of a ladder: see Medulla quotes in steire n. 1.(b), and staf n. 1e.(a).--per REL