Middle English Dictionary Entry
liǧeaunce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | liǧeaunce n. Also legeance, liga(u)nce, ligauns, ligiauns, ligence, liegeaunce, lieg(e)ance, leg(e)a(u)nce, legauns, legia(u)nce, legg(e)aunce, lejance, leigeaunce, (error) legeaunte. |
| Etymology | OF lijance, lig(e)ance, ligence, liegeaunce, lejance. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Allegiance of a feudal vassal to a lord or of a subject to a sovereign; the total of obligations, services, privileges, etc., entailed by such allegiance; (b) don (maken) ~, don oth of ~, to swear allegiance; (c) fig. fidelity to God.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4096 : Syre, be my liegeance, Þou ne dost noȝt ase þe wys If þow y-lyuest sir Alorys.
- (1386) RParl.FM (C&D)36/78 : We haue be comaunded oft tyme vp owre ligeaunce to vnnedeful & vnleueful dyuerse doynges.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.39 : Þei shullen makyn no..confideracie ageyn þe kyngis right..be þe feyth þat þei owen to god and þe ligeaunce þat þei awe to oure lord þe kyng.
- c1390(1377) Death Edw.III (Vrn)67 : In his leggaunce worþili He a-bod mony a bitter brayd.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.895 : Alla, out of drede, His moder slow..For that she traytour was to hir ligeaunce [vrr. ligeance, legeaunce, legiaunce, legance].
- (c1391) Gower CA Suppl.(Bod 294)prol.25* : A bok for king Richardes sake, To whom belongeth my ligeance With al myn hertes obeissance.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.3058 : To him [a king] belongith the leiance Of Clerk, of knyght, of man of lawe.
- (1399) RParl.3.424b : We..ȝeld ȝowe uppe, for all the States and Poeple forsayd, Homage liege and Feaute, and all Ligeance, and all other bondes, charges, and services that longe ther to.
- (1400) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.2.13 : By the feith that I owe un to my ligeaunce, I shall trewely do my power to do our liege lorde the Kynges commaundement.
- c1400(?a1384) Wycl.Eucharist(1) (Bod 647)503 : Þat..alle þo ordiris of freris, in peyne of lesynge of alle hor legeaunce, telle þo kynge and his reume..what is þis sacrament.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.865 : His leges..hym with-hilde bothe septer & crovn, Her duete and her olde lygaunce, And hym denye trouþe and obeissance.
- (a1422) Hoccl.Hen.V.& KG (Hnt HM 111)37 : God wolde so; so wolde eek your ligeance.
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)527 : Off sevyn thinges I preyse this citee..Off stablenesse ay kepte in lygeaunce.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.1919 : Bessus..was assured be feith of his legiaunce To kyng Darie to be trewe in deede.
- (1442) Let.Bekynton in RS 56.2217 : We wol and charge you that..ye comforte our said subgetts, exhorting and sturing theym to continue their true leigeaunce unto us wards.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)475 : Palamedon..Them off the cyte chargyd redy for to be, On ther legauns and promysyd obedyens, Alle present.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)704 : God forbede but eche were othere brothere, Of one ligeaunce dewe unto the kynge.
- c1450 Page SRouen (Glb E.8)419/31 : To the Kynge the keyis they brought, and of legaunce hym besought.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)6/17 : Alle tho that ben vndir his regne ben of oon obeyshaunce, and in on subieccioun of trewe ligeaunce vnto her liege kyng.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)24 : By his letturs..long tyme afore he had defyed the Kyng and renouncid his legeaunce.
- (1459) RParl.5.366a : And also that all youre Letters Patentes..which were lawfully made to ony persone or persones which were with youre Highnes accordyng to their trouth and Liegeaunce in the Feldes abovesaid, be to theym good and effectuell.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)246 : These were charged befor the Kyng, upon her feith and ligauns, to answere to swech poyntis as schuld be layde before hem.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) Ctn.(Hrl 2261)469 : The duke, willynge to kepe his ligence and lyfe also, toke with hym a myȝhty hoste.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.24 : Legiance without loue litill þinge availith.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)74 : The second is theire rebellion..be turned awaie frome her ligeaunce and obedience to youre adverse partie.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)185/35 : That no man [of Ireland] sholde presume folyche to departe fro the liegeaunce and the fayth of the kynge of England.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)174/272 : Now wyll I [Herod]..All the flowre of knyghthede call to legeance.
- a1500(a1470) Brut-1461(1) (Add 10099)494/19 : His fader had deposed by his labour þe gode King Richard..& for þe offense done to hym Ayens his legeance, he had sent to Rome to be Assoiled þer-of.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)425 : Euer remembre olde Sarueyeres..That hathe be feithfull & trewe welewyllers To thair ligeance withoute feintnesse.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.55 : He and his successoures and men of Scotlond schulde doo homage, legeaunce [vr. lygiauns; L ligiamentum], and feaute to the kynges of Engelond.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)80 : This assoilide the lige men of king Jon fro his obedience, agens here ligeaunce and solempne ooth and fidelite maad to king Jon.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)141 : But of this be not the burgeysys of the toun excusyd..that they ne doon to her ligelord othe of ligeaunce.
- (?c1436) Duke Burgundy (Rome 1306)22 : To king henry there thou did thy ligeance.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)46.446 : Therto ben ȝe bownden Echon be the legaunce ȝe han me don.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)4767 : A letter he sent..comaundyng fast Alle his Ooste..homage to do to the king of Fraunce, To whom he had made his lyegeaunce [vrr. legaunce; alygeavnsse].
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) Ctn.(Hrl 2261)481 : The kynge requirede of theym by the feithe and ligence made to hym that thei scholde answere to certeyne questions.
c
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)19.202 : Ac looke þow leyue hit leelly al þy lyf-tyme, That þre by-longeþ to on lorde that lygaunce [vrr. ligeance, leggeaunce] cleymeþ.
2.
The authority of a feudal lord over his vassals, or of a sovereign over his subjects; lordship, sovereignty.
Associated quotations
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1270 : We..buþ Charlis men, þe Emperere, & vnder his liegeaunce.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1822 : It were a wonder wierde To sen a king become an hierde, Wher no lif is bot only beste Under the liegance of his heste.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2698 : What is a king in his ligance, Wher that ther is no lawe in londe?
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1391 : Diomede þus gan wexe stronge..Þat enmy noon..Durst abide, but he hadde grace, To his ligaunce so he made hem loute.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2258 : Secrely a-nyȝt þei wer conveied To hem þat han his ligaunce disobeied.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)21 : I, Richard..quyte and assoyle..alle myn other Liege me[n]..ffrom her othe of ffeute and homage..And ffrom all maner bondes of Liegeaunce and Regalye, or Lordship, in which they weren or ben bounden to me.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)244 : Thane þe conquerour to concell cayres thereaftyre Wyth lordes of his lygeaunce þat to hym selfe langys.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2791 : And oþire many of oure men, miȝtfull kniȝtis..Ȝoure lore & ȝour legaunce lethirly forsaken.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)231/8 : So thou say me the soth..what lorde or legeaunte thou art undir.