Middle English Dictionary Entry
lēs(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | lēs(e adj. Also (early) læs, leas(e, (late) leesse. |
| Etymology | OE lēas adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
Of persons, etc.: (a) mendacious, untruthful; (b) faithless, disloyal; also, as noun: those who are disloyal; (c) ?unjust.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)542/15 : Fallax, uel mendax: leas.
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Hat 116)24 : Leasbrædnesse: breideð him leas.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)9/28 : Ðar ðu luȝe, ðu lease dieuel, and swa ðu diest ȝiet, of al ðat tu aure behatst.
- a1225 PMor.(Eg 613(2))255 : Þa ðe were swa lease [vr. lese] þet me hi ne mihte ileue.
- ?a1300 11 Pains(1) (Dgb 86)405/206 : Ac trichiours þey weren and les.
- ?a1300 Thrush & N.(Dgb 86)67 : Fowel, me þinkeþ þou art les; Þey þou be milde and softe of pes, Þou seyst þine wille.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)428 : For me were swetter to swelt..Þen lede lenger þi lore, þat þus me les makez.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)328/13 : He droff fro me þe fendes lees.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)1092 : So are ye lythyr and lees!
b
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)2/2 : Þu [the body] were leas ond lutiȝ ond u[n]riht lufedest.
- a1350(1307) Execution Fraser (Hrl 2253)34 : Bysshopes ant barouns come to þe kynges pes, ase men þat weren fals, fykel, ant les.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.34 : Þe Northeren men held him no leaute..& forsoke Edrede; Þer were þei les.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3254 : Jn ylke gaderyng and in ylke pres, Markes is fals traytour and les.
- c1475 Salue wyth all (Rwl C.48)5 : Vita to quekyn to helpe leall and les.
c
- a1350 Of a mon (Hrl 2253)45 : Ȝef y may betere beode to mi latere leode, to leue nam y nout lees.
1b.
Of idols: false, not genuine, spurious.
Associated quotations
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1762 : Leaueð to leuen lengre on þes lease maumez.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1719 : Lovande þeron lese goddez þat lyf haden never.
2.
Of statements, reports, witness, belief, etc.: contrary to truth or fact; untrue, false; maken ~, to prove (sth.) untrue or false, refute.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)751 : Heo wenden þat his sawen soðe weren, ah alle heo weren lease [Otho: lesinge].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15537 : He hit ilefde þah hit læs weore.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15869 : Ȝif ich..mid soðe hit bitelle, þat heore talen finde [?read: sinde] lese.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)19235 : Ȝet wende Ygærne..þat hit læs [Otho: les] weore þat þe king Vðer æuere weoren icumen her.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)71 : We shule..no þing seien þere þat les beo, and no þing of þe soðe forlete.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)23/15 : Ne slean man..ne stele; ne fylie yfoles lustas; ne bere lease [L falsum] ȝewitnesse.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1009 : Ah ȝef þu wult siker beon þet soð beo þet ich segge, leaf þi lease wit þet tu wlenchest te in.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)756 : Ac þu nost neuer wat þu menst, Bute lese wordes þu me lenst.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)333/346 : Hit was al les þat þov seidest to bringue me in luþer fame.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)378 : Hit is soþ and noþing lees, as hit ywrite is.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3351 : 'Dame,' he sede, 'ne sikstou wel þat les it is al þis?'
- a1350 God þat al þis myhtes (Hrl 2253)46 : Fals y wes in crop ant rote when y seyde þy lore wes lees.
- c1390 RSicily (Vrn)2 : Princes proude þat beþ in pres, I wol ou telle þing not lees.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17400 : We trou yow noght..Your sagh es lese [Göt: Ȝur saues er les; Trin-C: Ȝoure sawes ben fals].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.129 : Þat suilk was not lees, it com to þe kynges ere.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1142 : Al he makeþ his dames pes, And al sklaunder he makeþ les.
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)449 : Signes þat he schewed made þai lese [vrr. les, leese] with þaire fals enchaunting.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)163/1560 : For a lesesynge [read: lesynge] þat was stronge, Scho was flemede owt of londe; I proue þat it was lese.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)66 : I have founde ȝou folk faiþful of speche, Me to lere of ȝour lif withoute les tale.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2141 : I know in parcell hir tale is nat al lese.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)133 : Seyde þe emperour, 'Dame, þat ys leesse, And therfore, moder, hold your pees!'
3.
(a) Of life, love, dreams, etc.: deceptive, illusory, vain; (b) of an action: worthless.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)29/291 : Lead me þurh þis lease, þis lutle leastinde, lif to þe hauene of heale.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)33/333 : Iblescet beo þe time þet tu ibore were, nule nawt þi leofmon þoli na leas [Roy: les] þing ta lihe þe longe.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)67/724-5 : Al nis bute aleas wind þet we i þis worlt liuieð; leaueð þet leas is.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)36/5 : Ich leade ham wið leas luue lutlen & lutlen in-to se deop dunge þet ha druncnið þerin.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)138/4 : Hit bringeð to noht al þes deofles wiheles..alle his ȝulunges, ase lease swefnes, false schawunges, [etc.].
- a1300 A Mayde Cristes (Jes-O 29)12 : Þis worldes luue nys bute o res..vikel & frakel & wok and les.
- ?a1300 Loue is sofft (Dgb 86)6 : Loue is lecher and les.
- a1350 Maximian (Hrl 2253)166 : Þis world is wok & les; Ynam noht as ych wes.
- a1350 Heȝe louerd (Hrl 2253)52 : Whil mi lif wes luþer ant lees, Glotonie mi glemon wes.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)8 : This may I drawe to warraunt An authour that hight Macrobes, That halt nat dremes false ne lees.
b
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)288 : And i shall tech þe play -- When tyme comys, þou shalt asay -- Whilke play be not lese.