Middle English Dictionary Entry
assailǒur, -er n.
Entry Info
| Forms | assailǒur, -er n. |
| Etymology | OF assailleur. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An assailant or invader; (b) a hostile critic; (c) a chastiser.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)69a : Þi principal aduersarie..wheþer þei ben hastyf assaileres oþer slye.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)82 : An espyour thou art of weyes and an assaylour of pilgrimes.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)5 : They bring assailours uppon this lande and begynneris of the trewis breking.
b
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)134/35 : Y am not constreynyd forto abide and forto fiȝte aȝens myne assailers.
c
- a1400 Ancr.Recl.(Pep 2498)98/30 : Þis londe is departed in þre..Þe wynners, þo ben þe commune poeple..Þe defendoures, þat ben þise grete Lordes..Þe assailours, þat is þe clergie þat schulde chastise hem, ȝif þat hij duden amysse.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Mirror(Htrn 250) 1:9/11 : Þerfor God ordeined þre ordres in holi chirche, of winners, & of defendours, & of asailours [Holk 40: assailyours; Hrl 5085: assoillours].
- a1400 Mirror(Htrn 250) 1:9/14 : Þe asailours [Holk 40: assaylours; Hrl 5085: assoillours]..ben men of holi chirche þat schuld techen boþe þat on & þat oþer wiþ fair speche & wiþ reddur.
Note: This could be a new example of sense (c) 'a chastiser' OR could be a misreading of the noun conseillurs, with the abbreviation for con- misread as an a. The Holkham reading (taken from Blumreich's edition) can likely only be read as the former; the Hrl reading ('assoilours' = 'absolvers') is probably an attempt to substitute a less problematic word, albeit a very rare one. Blumreich gloss: 'chastiser; assailant or invader; hostile critic.' Duncan gloss: 'asailours n. pl. chastisers'.