Middle English Dictionary Entry
lēge n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | lēge n.(1) Also liege, leuge & leke, leuk(e, leuck. |
| Etymology | ML leuga, leuca, from Celt. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A measure of distance, a league; French ~ [cp. F ~ Franceois].
Associated quotations
- [ (1373) RParl.2.320b : Vous pleise ordener que nul Franc' Priour Aliene soit demurrant pres les Costes de Meir par vint leukes. ]
- [ (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)332a/b : Þe leuca conteyneþ a þousand paas and fyue hundred. ]
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.11 : Bretayne is eyȝte hondred myle [L octingenta millia passuum] in lengþe..from þe Penwythis strete fifte leges [Higd.(2): leukes; L leugis; vr. leucis] byȝonde Mochel Stowe..anon to Catenesse.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.245 : Þe feeldes Cathalmytes..conteyneþ an hondred leges [vr. leuges; Higd.(2): lewkes; L leugas] in lengþe and seventy in brede.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)174b/a : Þe walles [of Babylon] were in tweye leges and in tweye dele offe oone lege.
- (1420) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)9.910 : He Remeved toward the Town of Sens, xvi Leges thennes.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)28/18 : Cicile..es cccl leeges [Man.(1): frensche myles; F lieues Franceois] aboute.
- (1442) Let.Bekynton in RS 56.2213 : He leied seige to your town and castel of Rieul, which is but vij leucks from this your cite of Burdeaux.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)775 : xxx legeez from Egremour By londe for south it is.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)256/29 : Þai..come ad Montem Gaudii, whilk þat is bod halfe a lewke fro Saynt Iamys.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)140 : On candelmas day the lorde Scalis hadde a full fayre distresse at a place iiij leges owȝt of Rooen.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)113/11 : The Cristen..be bot a leke frome the toune.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)148/11 : He convehed theym a liege, whethre they wold or not.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)565/5 : They were not passet thens xij lekes, but tithynges come to þe Duyk.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)113.77 (v.2:p.193) : Aftir the space of an houre .. or aftir his estimacion by the tyme that a man with a mevable [?read: menable] paas myght haue riden tweyn or thre french lenkis [read: leukis; L (Reames, Speculum 80:1 (Jan 2005), 169): duas leucas vel tres gallicas], they commen ageyn to the place where the childe felle oute.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)260/26 : In such a convenient place fro Oxenford by viij lekis or myles.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)397 : The queen rode in to the wode alone the space of iij leges.