Middle English Dictionary Entry
lieu-tenaunt n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lieu-tenaunt n. Also lieutenant, -tene, lieuetenaunte, lietanant, lieftenaunt, -teneaunt, leutenaunt(e, -tenant, leuetenaunte, leuftenaunt, leuȝtenaunt, lē̆ftenaunt, -tenant, lefetenaunte, levetenaunt, leif-, lu-, luftenaunt, lufetenande, luffetenand. |
| Etymology | OF lieu-tenant |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One who acts for another, one who takes the place of another, deputy, legate; also fig.; (b) the governor of a country, town, prison, etc.; an officer of the Order of the Garter [? = Garter King of Arms, quot.: a1600]; ~ of fraunce, ~ of irlond; (c) a military rank conceived as equivalent to the Roman primipilus.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.143 : Aboute þat tyme Hubert, archebisshop of Caunterbury, was leeftenaunt [vrr. lutenant, levetenaunt; Higd.(2): havynge auctorites; L gerens vices] of þe pope and of the kyng of Engelond.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.947 : The myhti godd..Anubus..save the..I his grace have so poursuied That I was mad his lieutenant.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1319 : This sorghfull king..made Edwyn his lieutenant..That he the lond in his absence Schal reule.
- (1403) Let.Hen.IV in RS 18.1 (Cleo F.3)159 : And for salvation of ȝoure Schire and Marches al aboute, treste ȝe nought to no Leutenaunt.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)107 : Þe mayster of þe game..or his lieuetenaunte or which of the hunters þat hym lust oweþ to sette þe greihound.
- (1415) *Choosing Mayor Norwich (Cleo C.10)42 : Þe meire or his lefetenaunte to be asingned schall declaren þe cawse.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)2 Mac.4.31 : The kyng hastili cam for to swage hem and lefte oon of his eerlis suffectus Andronyk in dignyte ether lutenant [vrr. lutenaunt, leuȝtenaunt].
- c1432 Bishop Notes in PMLA 49 (Cmb Dd.14.2)458 : Sire Iohn Cheyne..Thomas his broþer..buþ a restud..at þe comaundement of Duke of Glowcestre, lew tenaunt of kyng Harry þe sixt.
- (1440) Wars France in RS 22.2591 : If..any inconvenient be happed to falle..whiles my saide lorde shulde stonde the kingis lieutene there..grete noise and charge shulde be laied therfore..ayenst hyme.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)646 : Sir Mordrede hym seluen Sall be my leuetenaunte, with lordchipez ynewe Of all my lele lege-men þat my landez ȝemes.
- (1447) Shillingford23 : Also y charge Germyn, under rule and commaundement of J. Coteler my lutenant, þt he do that he can do.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)356/31 : King Richarde..ordeyned and made Ser Edmunde of Langeley his vncle, Duk of York, his Lieutenaunt of Engelond yn his absence.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)398/15 : The cheeff capteynys and gouernouris of the cite Rone..Moune-seighnoure Antony, he was leue-tenaunte to Moune-seighnoure Sir Guy the Botelere.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)204/6092 : Mi woful hert..Go thou..logge in..the body of hir..As of hir hert hir leef tenaunt.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2194 : Oon singuler man to make thy leyf tenaunt..He may..Thy pepil..destroye, and also the.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)66 : Item, that the Sergeauntes and Clerkes offycers..appere before the Steward, Thesaurere, Countroller, Cofferer, and theyre lyeutenauntes at the grene-cloth.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)76a : A luffe tenand [Monson: Lufe tenande]: locumtenens.
- a1486 Ordin.Lists in RS 55.1 (Lnsd 285)321 : The conestable and mershall shall avoide all maner of poeple oute of the listes, excepte their luftenauntez [OF lieutenants; vr. luftenauntz] and two knyghtes.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1254 : Then made Vertu Reson hys lyeftenaunt And yaue hym a gret charge.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.47 : Fondeth þe fende my fruit to destruye..Ac liberum arbitrium..is lieutenant to loken it wel by leue of my-selue.
- c1450(?1436) Siege Calais (Rome 1306)55 : The lietanant, ser Iohn Radclyf..Kept full gode gouernance.
- (1441) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)255 : Lowly compleyneth..Henry Dene, keper of the prison of luggate..that it please your wisdams..to graunte your seid suppliant his seid office..in like maner, forme, & condicion as othir kepers and leuetenauntes there have hold hit.
- a1450 Forest Laws (Dc 335)242 : If the wardeyn or the liefteneaunt or ony other minister of the forest rewseth ony maisterfull bowes of the kinges okes..ye shul do vs to wite.
- (1450) RParl.5.186b : Richard Duk of York, nowe beyng Lieutenaunt of Irlond.
- (1450) RParl.5.204b : John Newport sewith dailli to the King..to be Lewtenant, Steward, Resseyvour, and Baylly within the said Ile [of Wight], the whiche God defend.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)143 : The kyng had..the Erll of Warwyk made leuftenaunt of fraunce.
- ?c1450 Brut-1447 (Trin-C O.9.1)469/10 : In this same yere..the Duke of York and þerle of Suffolk, with oþer lordes..went ouer the see into Normandy and Fraunce, as lieftenaunt vnder the Kyng of England, forto gouerne and kepe þe landes of Fraunce and Normandy.
- (1461) RParl.5.472b : We have ordeyned and made hym..oure Lieftenaunt of oure Ile of Wyght, and of oure Castell and Lordship of Caresbroke within oure seid Ile.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)582/17 : They had passynge good chere tyll the lyefftenaunte of that castell that hyght Berluse aspyed kynge Marke of Cornwayle.
- (c1470) Cart.Tropenell in BGAS 23214 : Richard of Bowys, lewtenaunte of the fforestes of Blakemore and Peuesham.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.58a : It is ordeyned..that all Souldeours and Artificers, and all other persones beyng in the said Tresorer's of Calice retenue..shall be obeisaunt to the Capitaigne and Lieutenaunt, and their or his Depute, in all thynges as all Souldeours be used and accustumed or sworn to be.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)41 : That highe and mighty prince Richarde, duke of Yorke, youre father, being at two voiages lieutenaunt and gouvernaunt in Fraunce.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)133/19 : Thomas of lancastre..that now is lyeutenant of Irland, makyd Stephyn his depute, Irland to governe.
- a1600(1472) Rec.Bluemantle (Jul C.6)380 : Into the chapter howse come the Kinge, the Duke of Glocester, therle of Essex, the lord Berners, the lieutenaunte of thorder, therle of Doglas, the lord Duras, and sir John Asteley.
c
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)806 : The principal prince of the legioun, Sumtyme it was, and yet is a like gise, To make a Primypile, a centurioun; A Lieutenaunt men calle him in our wise.