Middle English Dictionary Entry
mā̆sǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | mā̆sǒun n. Also mas(s)on, maco(u)n, masun, mazoun, mach(o)un & (in surnames only) macun, mazon, mazun, machon, mascun, masz(o)un, maschaun. |
| Etymology | OF maçon, maçun, mas(s)on, machon; from Gmc. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A mason, worker or builder in stone; one who dresses, lays, or carves stone; (b) chef (maister) ~, a chief mason, mason charged with supervising and overseeing other masons; fre (maister) ~, master mason, mason who has served his time as an apprentice [see also fre-masoun]; rough ~, ?mason who rough-hews stone; ?mason who sets stone or lays brick; (c) masoun(es axe, a mason's ax [see also ax(e 1. (a)]; ~ chippe, stone chipping, fragment of stone; ~ craft, stonework, masonry work; work of masons; practice of the craft of masonry; masoun(es devis, ornamental stonework; ~ hak, cutting tool used in masonry or quarrying; ~ hous, masounes logge, the lodge or workshop used by masons at a building site or quarry; ~ line, mason's line, for keeping walls straight, etc.; ~ reule, mason's rule; ~ werk, masonry, stonework.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15478 : Of machunes [Otho: machuns] þer wes wunder fif and twenti hundred; A dæi heo leiden þene wal.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)71/33 : Seint wolston..liet a-rere A bel-hous of swiþe strong weork..And Machouns a-boue and bi-nethe..Bi laddren cloumben up and doun.
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1785 : Nichodemus was macoun god; To Iesu he com with milde mod.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)503 : He hete chese carpenters..& masouns [LinI: masons].
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)93/1971 : We beþ mazouns queinte of cast.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Esd.3.10 : Þanne grounded of the masownes [vr. masonus; WB(2): of stoon leggeris] þe temple of the lord.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Par.22.2 : He ordeynede of hem masownys to stonys to ben hewyn & poolischt, þat þe hous of þe lord be bild vp.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2427 : Hise Macons..sholden crave..of what Ston his sepulture Thei scholden make, and what sculpture..therupon.
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.165 : [12] formoures [for] masons..[24] chiselles [and] squareirnes.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7201 : Alisaunder..deuiseþ to his masoun Þe toures maken and þe torels.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.178 : Of alkinnes craftes I contreued toles Of carpentrie, of kerueres, and compassed masouns, And lerned hem leuel and lyne.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.496 : Mason, hewer or crafty quareour.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4148 : Aboute hym lefte he no masoun That stoon coude leye, ne querrour; He hirede hem to make a tour.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)650/16 : Hic sementarius: mason. Hic littamus, idem est.
- (1429) J.Boys in Nrf.Archaeol.15150 : On ye wedenysday we leddyn marle al day to ye masunnys in Holme strete.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)329 : Masone, werkemann: Lathomus.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)6700 : Ston þey dide gadere & graue, & masons alle..made þe wal.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3644 : Mony werkemen he sette to amende þat chirche, & masonus & carpenters.
- ?a1450(?1350-75) Origo Mundi in Norris Anc.Corn.Drama (Bod 791)2411 : Masons ha karpentorryon.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1108 : With mynours & masouns myne, þey bygonne Grobben faste on þe grounde.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)226/27 : Hym happend to be herberd at a mason howse.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57259 : My mastyr payd to the masonys for makynge of a chymny, in parte of payment, ij s.
- (1472) Grant Arms in Antiq.49289 : The Hole Crafte and felawship of masons.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)326 : That hevenly ffayr cyte..excellyde..Al other..ffor God hym selff was the masown.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)78a : A mason: Crementarius [Monson: cementarius], lathomus.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)346 : Ionathas..hired masons [vr. masyns], that thei shold enhaunse his Chambre with morter and stone.
- a1500 Leg.Cross BC(1) (Wor F.172)219 : Al the werkmen, both carpentiers and masons, the last beame whiche was neicessary in al the Lyban..thei cowde nat fynde.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)128 : Comaunde ȝoure masouns redy be..Stones redy forto leie.
b
- (1370) Doc.York in Sur.Soc.35182 : He sall be chastyde with abatyng of his payment atte..devys of ye maister masonn.
- (1379) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms237 : Rad. de Holdernesse, rughmason.
- (1415) Doc.in Bk.Lond.E.232/6 : By the Maiste[r]s Mason & Carpenter, the Mason called Water Walton & William Wilteshire Carpenter.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)p.261 : The mayster mason moste be..Bothe stedefast trusty and trwe.
- (1428) in G.Otto Handwerkernamen35 : Maistre mason.
- (1434) Indent.Fotheringhay in Med.Mason245 : This endenture maad bitwix Will. Wolston, sqwier..and Will. Horwod free-mason..Will. Horwod hath granthid..to mak up a new body of a kirk joyning to the quire.
- (1434) Indent.Fotheringhay in Med.Mason248 : Yf..Will. Horwode..say..that the two sayd setters..be noght..suffisant workmen..then by oversight of master-masons of the countre they shall be demyd.
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1378 : For the Clerk of the werkes, xiij li. vj s. viij d., for the chief Masons, xvj li. xiij s. iiij d., for the chief Carpenter xij li. viij s.
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1379 : For the Maister of the werkes 1 li. for the Clerk of the werkes xiij li..for the chief Mason xiij li. vj s. viij d., for the chief Carpenter x li.
- c1450(c1420) Proph.Becket (Hat 56)8 : Thomas..fyndes..masons..makand A belfrey of alabastre..Thomas called þe maister mason, þat þe werk makid.
c
- (1370) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2952 : ij stane axes, iij mason axes.
- (1412) in Salzman Building in Engl.487 : For to make the kirke of Katrick newe, als werkemanschippe and masoncrafte will.
- (1412) in Salzman Building in Engl.487 : A wyndowe in the gauill of fife lightes, accordaunt to the hight of the kirke, couenably made be werkemenschippe and mason crafte.
- (1412-13) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103610 : Pro factura de masonaxes, pickes, [etc.].
- (1416-17) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2991 : In custodia prepositi..j mason hak.
- (1421-2) in Salzman Building in Engl.497 : A brigg' of stane..quilke forsaide brygge..sall' be mad' Sufficiant and workmenly in masoncraft.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)36b/a : Lapidicia: a mason house.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)34/4 : And þei ben made of ston full wel made of Masounes craft.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)p.269 : And ȝef they..no mendys wol make, Thenne most they nede the craft forsake; And so masonus craft they schul refuse And swere hyt neuer more for to vse.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)329 : Masonys ex: Lathomega. Masonys logge: Lapidicina.
- a1450(?1418) The herrere degre (Dgb 102)42 : Þe wyseman his sone forbed Masouncraft and all clymbyng And shipman craft, for perile of dede.
- (a1450) Shillingford141 : Whiche brigge is..of the same mason werk as London brigge, housyng apon excepte.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1645 : Toures..Made all of marbyll with mason deuyse, With ymagry full honest openly wroght.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)10584 : A toure, triedly wroght, Meruelously made with masons deuyse, With Jemmes, & iuwells.
- (1461) Will York in Sur.Soc.30239 : Volo quod executores mei edificent..unum campanile de masoncrafte.
- (1462) Doc.York in Sur.Soc.35208 : j masson ax, j chesell.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)78a : A mason axe: ascis, asciculus; lathomega.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)120a : A stane ax, vbi mason ax.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)687/31-5 : Hec latomega, a mason ax. Hic petro, a mason schype. Hec regula, a mason rewlle. Hoc perpendiculum, idem. Hec amussis, a mason lyne.
2.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1125-30) Anc.Chart.in Pipe R.Soc.1026 : Johannes Macun.
- (1201) Fine R.King John114 : Alanus le Mascun.
- (1221) in Fransson Surn.175 : Joh. le maszun.
- (1226) Feet Fines Oxf.in ORS 1276 : Godefridus le Mazun.
- (1250) Bk.of Fees1171 : Ricardus le Masun.
- (1252-53) Cart.Oseney in OHS 89246 : Eustachius le Machun.
- (?1287) Rec.Crondal in Hamp.RS 3103 : Willelmus le Masson.
- (1296-7) Acc.Cornw.in RHS ser.3.68167 : Et de 12 d. de Roberto le carpenter et Roberto le machon.
- (1297) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 16151 : Gilb. Macone.
- (1328) Sub.R.Der.in Der.ANHSJ 3092 : Roger le Mazon.
- (1332) in Fransson Surn.175 : Symon le Mazon.
- (1334) in Fransson Surn.175 : Wm. le Maschaun.
- (1360) R.Arms Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.14307 : Nicholaus maszoun.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (c1390) Doc.Beverley in Seld.Soc.1433 : Ordinatum est…quod quilibet artifices…viz. mercers et drapers, tannatores, masons, skynners…and workmen habeant suos ludos et pagentes paratos…qualibet die in festo Corporis Christi.
Note: Additional quote(s)