Middle English Dictionary Entry
martiren v.
Entry Info
| Forms | martiren v. Also martir(e, martiri, marter(en, martur, martre(n, martri(e & matir, matren. P.ppl. ȝemartired, i)martired, i)martered, i)martred, i)martird, marterd, matred. |
| Etymology | OE gemartyrian & OF martiriier & martirer & ML martyriāre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Eccl. To put (sb.) to death as a martyr, make a martyr of (sb.); torture and execute (sb.) for professing the Christian faith.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10901 : Maximien..martrede seint Alban & seint Julien.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)133/7 : Ða hali children ðe waren ȝemartired for Criste, hie bieð mid rihte icleped innocentes.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)335/396 : Seint petre..wuste þat is tyme was neiȝ þat he Imartred scholde beo.
- c1300 SLeg.11000 Virg.(LdMisc 108)123 : Huy miȝhten in trewe loue to-gadere i-martred beo And wonye in heuene with Ihesu crist.
- c1300 SLeg.Jas.(Hrl 2277)22 : Þu scholdest beo in ioye in heuene aboue, & þu woldest beo ymartird & þe silue matir [Ld: martri].
- c1300 SLeg.Jas.(Hrl 2277)24 : Seint Jame haue merci of me, & ic wole me martir for mi synne, & for þe loue of þe.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1640 : Suþþe he was ymartred and hey halwe in heuene is.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1601 : Vor he worrede cristendom, as þe luþer nero, & let martri [B: martir] seint denis.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4648 : Þe relikes nolde hii noȝt bileue..Vor raþer hii wolde ymartred [B vr.: matred] be þan hii yperissed were.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9767 : In þe churche riȝt Hii martreden [C: martryd] sein tomas an tiwesday at niȝt.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)111/24 : Strengþe þet armeþ godes knyȝt and him deþ yerne to by martired and makeþ ham leȝȝe betuene þe tormens.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.19 : Þat ȝere Eustas..was y-martired [Higd.(2): suffrede passion; L passus est].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.49 : Seynt Leonides..was i-martired [L martyrizatur] at Alexandria.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10398 : Þe tuelue apostels..tholod for crist bath soru and sare, And martird for his luue þai war.
- a1400 Cursor (Vsp A.3)985/58* : He wald for vs marterd bee, þat time when þe moyn wor ful.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.551 : In sauacion of þe fayth seynt thomas was ymartired.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.337 : Lest þei wolde hym martrye [vrr. martiry, martre, martir].
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)36/5 : Peter..was made Pope til þat Nero, þe Emperour, lete him martre.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)150/5 : & him þere þai matrede, at seynt Benetes auter.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)4374 : Parfite men..Þat agayne þe worldes ende martird sal be.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)47.230 : Josephes..Alle xij Martires be berrede there..To forn the..Cros..there As his Cosines I-Martired were.
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)37/18 : And Seynt Mark was in that cete martyred and dolue.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)188/4 : He vnderstude at þies holie saynttis was martyrd & putt to dead.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)41 : Helie lyveth ȝet in Paradise, whom Antecrist schal martire in the ende of the world.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)78a : To martyr: martirizare, martiriare.
- a1500(c1380) Wycl.Papa (Ryl Eng 86)460 : God..criede his lawe bi his prophetis, þat weren martrid in goddis cause & for profit of his chirche.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)266/262 : To whome now may I make my mone when thay thus martyr me?
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)8 : He seruyd god erly & late..Hethen men to hym had hate And marteryd hym.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)41/33 : Thomas the archebisshope of Cantrebery, was martirid in England.
2.
(a) To kill (sb.), put to death; slaughter (people); ~ to deth; (b) to torture (sb.), torment, afflict; (c) to ruin (sth.), destroy.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Chris.(Hrl 2277)218 : Of þi wrecchede ic habbe reuþe, & þat ich wole cuþe þe, For mie louerd to morwe wole þat me martir me.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (Hrl 2277)101 : Oure louerd nold noȝt þat he scholde so liȝtliche ymartred beo.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (Hrl 2277)188 : Þis liþere man smot of his heued..As hit godes wille was þat he ymartred scholde beo.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)560 : I sall sette kepers..To mete hym..& martyre hys knyghtes, Stryke þem doun in strates and struye them.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)84/13 : Antheon was slayn & martired wiþ greet woo wiþ his owne meyne, þe which within a litil while had al deuourid him.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1663 : Edwarde was cronyd kyng..he regnede not foure ȝere..Þat he nas martrid & leyde on bere.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5553 : What mighty were marrit & martrid to dethe..That þaire lyues here lost for a light cause!
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6452 : Mony on he martrid at the meane tyme..Breme was the batell.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12424 : Hir modur & hir myld Suster martrid to dethe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12985 : Þat he his fomen shuld fell..And his moder for hir malice martur to dethe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13050 : How Orestes..Hade marterid his moder for malice þerof.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3644 : Þare was þe Medis martird, & many of Perses..grysely woundid.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1005/15 : The bodyes of all the good maydyns which were martirde for the syke lady.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)232 : These other hem slowgh and martered all that thei myght reche.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)1268 : For maisters & ministers..Þat wer in morsellys made & martyred by hundrethis.
b
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)285 : Lauedi, moder and meiden, Þu..was wiðinne martird i þi moderliche herte.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1562 : Wrecched Palamoun, That Theseus martireth in prisoun:
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)272/452 : My moder mylde..Sease of thi sorow..It syttys vnto my hart full sore; The sorow is sharp I suffre here, Bot doyll thou drees..Me marters mekill more.
c
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)1116 : They hewe thorow helme and basenet..And martyrd many a mayle.