Middle English Dictionary Entry
lēse n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | lēse n.(1) Also leise, leies, les-, (?) lẹ̄s; pl. leses & lesen. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. WS lǣs, A lēs. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. leswe n.
1.
(a) A place of pasturage, pasture land; fig. lusti (bad, lene) ~, favorable (unfavorable) circumstances; (b) grass and herbage used for food by grazing livestock; (c) ~ penies (silver), a customary payment for pasturage of livestock; (d) in local surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.11].
Associated quotations
a
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)130/50 : Monye riche men..habbeþ al hore ese Wanne hi habbeþ to muche iȝete, as best in vatte lese.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)15 : Of wellen swete & colde inouȝ, of lesen [B: lese] & of mede.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7704 : He..binom hor lond..& made it al forest & lese, þe bestes uor to dede.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)175 : Þis litel barn..couþe ful craftily kepe alle here bestes, & bring hem in þe best lese whan hem bi-stode nede.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.303 : Theodoricus..fedde hym and hise in þe leese [L in pascuis] of Aquila.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.408 : Fro the leese which is plein Into the breres thei forcacche Her Orf.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)138a/a : Corrupt eyre..infectiþ gras & herbes of leeses and of pasture [L herbas pascuales].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)251b/a : The brere..gadereþ of wolle of schepe þat goþ in leyse [L pascua] þerby.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.752 : I am myn owene womman..and stonde unteyd in lusty leese.
- a1450(1411) Many man (Dgb 102)150 : Ȝe may not serue two lordis to plese, ffede fatte shep in greceles lese.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1768 : Tak out thy trumpe..And blow as they han axed me, That every man wene hem at ese, Though they goon in ful badde lese.
- c1450 Wast bryngyth (Add 31042)p.194 : Whene he has nede he mone go bare And pastoure appone þe leene leyes [vr. leese].
b
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Horst.)144 : Fairere hi beoþ þan ȝoure scheep..For murie weder is her ynouȝ & lese suyþe riche.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (Hrl 2277)236 : Ho so hadde suche kyn ynowe, he nere noȝt to bymene, Þeȝ his larder were neȝ ido & his somer lese lene.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1005 : So euene hot þat lond is..Lese [B: leese] last þer alle winter.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)164a/a : In hillis is plente of herbes, gras, and lese; þay ben acordynge to pasture of shepe and of oþer bestes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)183b/a : Korsica..hath many corners and forlondes þat beren beest leese and pasture [L letissima pabula].
- (c1425) MSS Middleton in HMC109 : Qwo sumever hase any leyse within the cornes..let gar hem to dele hem oute.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)37/22 : Þe tythe of þe pasture to þe drye beestys owȝte to be payid as wel as to þi melche beestys, for þei spende leyse as wel as þi melchebeestys.
c
- (1284) Cust.Battle Abbey in Camd.n.s.4160 : Debet etiam quilibet eorum, pro quolibet animali ætate duorum annorum vel amplius, dare domino ad festum Sancti Johannis Baptistæ unum denarium quod vocatur Lesselver.
- (1287) Abbrev.Plac.Edw.I212 : De..aliis pascentibus..pro quolibet equo ii den. pullano..quinque bidentibus i den. que præstacio vocatur Lessylver.
- (1349-61) Cust.Rent in OSSLH 278 : De lesselver ad festum S. Iohannis hoc anno ij s. viij d.
- (1358) *Acc.R.Goring : [Another customary payment] Lesepans.
d
- (1203) CRR(2) 2213 : Robertus de la Lese.
- (1282) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames120 : Rob. de la Lese.
- (1294) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames120 : Rob. atte Lese.
- (1311) Pat.R.Edw.II406 : Richard atte Lese.
- (1381) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)4.88 : [Thence by] la Lesedych [to Shulforde].
- (1385) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)4.184 : [John Boterwyk holds..2 acres of land by] Lesemed.
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.148 : [Pannage for pigs on] le Doune [called] Oxenlese.
- (1401-06) in Sundby Dial.Wor.229 : Ruysshelese.
- (1418) in Sundby Dial.Wor.229 : Somerlese.
- (1435) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)286 : Holmeles.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)158/4718 : Turne thi whele my langour to apese…For yet thou [Fortune] baytist me in noyouslesse.
Note: Glossary suggests these possibilities for gloss: ?trouble (error for noyousnesse); ?harassing snare (noyous lesse); ?harmless (in-noyouslesse).
Note: Steele's note suggests 'evil pasture.'
Note: ?Quot. belongs to sense (a) (fig. ..lene ~, unfavorable circumstances).
Note: ?Quot. actually belongs to lēs(e n.(2). (See sense 2.(a).)
Note: ?In sense (c) gloss, change cpd. ~ pans to ~ penies. (If so, correct the same cpd. in penī n., sense 4.)--notes per MLL