Middle English Dictionary Entry
men indef. pron.
Entry Info
Forms | men indef. pron. Also (early) mæn. |
Etymology | Phonetically reduced form of OE man pron. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. man pron. & me pron.(1).
1.
(a) One, a person; people, they; -- usually with singular verb; belles that ~ ringes, bells that one rings (they ring), bells that are rung; etc.; (b) ~ calleth (callen, clepeth, nemneth), one calls or names, they call, is (am, etc.) called or named; ~ callede (clepede), one called or named, they called, was (were) called; one called it, it was called; ~ mai callen; ~ seith (seien), one says, they say, it) is said; ~ seide, one (they) said; ~ sen, ~ mai sen, one sees (can see), is (are) to be seen; ~ tellen, one tells, they tell; no ~, no one, nobody.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)3/12 : Þæt syndon sa ysene, þa mann mid cnifun hæle menn.
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)155 : Nis nefre no stede..ne hure riht time þenne men fasten shal.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)45/4 : Æfter þan utsangan, reden mæn þa becc gudcundre lare.
- a1250 HMaid.(Tit D.18)11/116 : Hit is tah in wedlac summes weis to þolien, as men schal after iheren.
- c1225 St.Kath.(1) (Tit D.18)1552 : & swa men [Bod: me] dide sone.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)20/378 : Ne reche y wat men [Cmb: me] telle.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)28018 : Me mette þat men me sette vppen one halle.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)390 : But þat ich wille, þat þo[u] suere..On þe belles þat men ringes.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1427 : Siðen men hauen holden skil First to freinen ðe wimmanes wil, Or or men hire to louerd giue.
- a1350 Prov.Hend.(Hrl 2253)168 : 'Vnder boske shal men weder abide,' Quoþ Hendyng.
- c1330(c1250) Floris (Auch)280 : Þanne scholle men [vr. Me] fechche doun of þe stage Alle þe maidenes of parage.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)6880 : Men miȝt hem heren þre mile way.
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.49 : And Men ȝaf [vr. þer was ȝoue] to vchon of hem a stole.
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.50 : Men seiden to hem [F l'en lour dist] þat þai resten awhile.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2381 : Se þere men miȝt Many a bold burn after þat best prike.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.313,314 : Men sholde hym brennen..If he were founde or that men myghte hym spye.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.11.2 : Whenn men schulde gone [WB(2): thei ȝeden; L proficiscerentur] fro þe est, þey founden a feld in þe lond of Sennaer.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.5.15 : Nether men tendyn [WB(2): me teendith] a lanterne and putten it vndir a busshel.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2777 : What is this world? what axeth men to haue?
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.149 : But soore wepte she..if men smoot it with a yerde smerte.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1401 : So that men [vrr. me; they] myghte dyne, and that anon.
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)1 : Ne thurst men neuer in londe After feirer children fonde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.166 : Men myȝte wite where þei went.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)728 : Tyt schal hem men þe ȝate vnpynne.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)147/18 : Þat was a stinkinge place þer men hongede þeues.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.Sum.(Hrl 7334)D.2002 : Ther nys I-wis no serpent so cruel, when men trede [vr. man tret] on his tail..As womman is.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.866 : The pleye, the laughter, men was [vr. were] wont to fynde..Ben fled.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7076 : Alle þat pomp..Es passed oway..als foghel fleghand..Of whase gate men may na trace fynd.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)105/30 : And men [Man.(2): A man] schall bere the dyamaund on his left syde.
- c1430 Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Cmb Gg.4.27)F.958 : It may wel be he lokede..In swich a wyse as men [vr. man] that askyth grace.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2537 : Aforn mele men mete schul tyle.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)13785 : He..gatt gold to his awn behoue, More þen men myȝt tell.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1066 : Men shall nat, with both his hondis, vnnethis make it growe [read: bowe].
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)98.62/1 : Þeos wyrt, þat men gladiolum..emneð [read: nemneð].
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)25456 : Þorh none cunnes spelle ne couþe no men telle.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)647 : Soth it is þat men seyt and suereth.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)637 : God gat it: a token of luuen Taunede him in ðe wakene a-buuen, Rein-bowe, men cleped, reed and blo.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)750 : Men calið it ðe dede se.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1293 : And morie, men seið, was ðat hil.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1810 : Ðe daining her nu men mai sen.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2004 : Bissop in eliopoli Men seið he was siðen for-ði.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2178 : Oc nu ic wot ge spies ben, For bi gure bering men mai it sen.
- a1350 When þe nyhtegale (Hrl 2253)14 : Ȝef þou me louest ase men says, lemmon, as y wene..þou loke þat hit be sene.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)109 : And seþþen men cleped him so.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job prol.71 : Hauyn þat wiln olde bookys & in rede skynnes with gold & siluer writen or with capital lettres, as comunly men seyn [L vt vulgo aiunt], chargis grauyn out more þan bookis.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.659 : Miself have ofte sithe Desired thou wolt, as men seith, Receive and take a newe feith.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2926 : Wher ben thi bokes, as men telleth, Whiche of long time thou hast write?
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9018 : Þey come to a tounne men calles Colbek.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19512 : He com intil a bi Þat men cleped [Frf: callis] samari.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21862 : Men [Phys-E: Manne] mai þam se nu ilk dai.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)161 : For men [vr. mon] seiþ by north and south Wymmen beeþ euere selcouþ.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.12 : Concupiscencia-carnis men called þe elder mayde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.199 : Mennes sones men called vs vchone.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1063 : Men [vr. ffolk] sen alday and reden ek in stories That after sharpe shoures ben victories.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)39 : Als men may se in þis boke contende.
- a1425 LChart.Chr.C (Roy 17.C.17)647/282 : Wen þis lewes ere togeder knytte, A 'trew-luf' men may calle itt.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)1/2 : The holy lond, þat men callen [Man.(2): þat men calles; F qe homme dit] the lond of promyssioun.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)9/33 : For men seez ofte tymes men þat ere in heghe astate com to lawe degree.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)3761 : Þus seide men..Þat Morpidus slow mo men.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)811 : In þe whilk sides, als men may se, Er xij steles ordand to be.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3375 : Men saye Englyssche-men loue gyffte.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)661 : Men [vr. They] clepeþ me Vyolette.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)1240 : Men clepeþ hyt Yle d'Or.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)935 : Men told hym holly al the wrake.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)57 : To a lady was hyt sente That men kalled Abro.