Middle English Dictionary Entry
mēne adj.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | mēne adj.(1) Also mein, mean(e & (place names) man(e-, mon(e-. |
| Etymology | OE gemǣne |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Shared by all, common; (b) in common.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)179 : Þe riche..struien þe wrecche men..hundes and hauekes and hors..and estliche metes and drinkes, and al þat hie bi ben, hie hauen of here mene swinche.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)32/303 : Of þe seli sunderlepes sumhwet sei us nu hwuch blisse is to alle iliche meane.
- a1250 HMaid.(Tit D.18)19/277 : Þa ilke þinges..beon to alle men o liue iliche meane.
b
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)112 : Þe first is þe fader..Þe secunde is þe sone..Þe þridde..is þe holy goste, Neþer merked ne made, bot mene [vr. euyn] fram hem passyþ.
2.
Of people: (a) inferior in rank; of low rank or status, poor; menere estat, lower rank; (b) inferior in attainment or skill; ~ carpenter, not a master carpenter; (c) short in stature; (d) ordinary.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1937 : Þe grete..in þe gaiest wise, & menere men as þei miȝt.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.18.33 : Ne be þou mene in þe strif for monee [WB(2): Be thou not meene in the stryuyng of looue; L Ne fueris mediocris in contentione ex faenore], & þer is not to þee no thing in þe world.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.245 : He departed atwynne þe grete and þe mene [L majores..et minores]..Þe mene [vr. ȝongere; Higd.(2): inferior parte; L Inferiores] men were i-cleped þe secounde classis.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13272 : Nu ches felaus wil he bigin, Bot noght o riche kinges kin..Bot mene men o pour lijf.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.168 : Þe mene folk [F le pople], comonly fulle gode men & wise, Com to his mercy.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)prol.18 : A fair feld ful of folk..Of alle maner of men, þe mene [vr. pore] & þe riche.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)1.108 : Criste..ouer his mene meyne made hem archangeles.
- a1425 PPl.C (Cmb Ff 5.35)4.25 : Menest [Hnt: mede..gaf hem..riche ȝiftes, The leste of here meyne a moton of golde].
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)11202 : Wyþ hym..cam þe legat And oþer bischopes of mener stat.
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)83/30 : They shere awey the ton pappe of a woman of greet stat..and of othere menere women thi shere awey the right pappe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1267 : Þe Messedones..Makis þar mane..For maistris & mynistris, menere [Dub: meyner] & grettir.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.49a : Aswell men of grete worship as other mean persones.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.7 : Take black sugur for mener menne.
- a1475 PPl.A(1) (Hrl 875)8.45 : [Men of lawe] were laft oute, [for] þey beþ loþ To mote for mene men but ȝif þei hadde money.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)419 : Alle the mene peple fledde the contrey.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)138/691 : Bot the angell sayd, In a cryb wos he layde; he was poorly arayd Both mener and mylde.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.93 : Þe comyn lettre of Mathew is ful skars, for mene men myȝte vnderstonde..for it schulde be contynued in þis manere þat mene men myȝte vnderstonde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.166 : Alle myȝtest þow haue made none mener þan other And yliche witty & wyse.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)114 : A-mongis grete men he was ful wel I-tawt, A-mongis the mene, meke of spirith & goost.
- (1444) RParl.5.112b : A maister Tyler or Sclatter, rough Mason and meen Carpenter.
c
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)849 : Þe kyng of grece..A litel, mene mon he wes.
d
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)orig.draft 382 : Y am her a meyne knyȝt y-comen out of..fraunce.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)428/9 : He hath done overmuche for ony meane knyght lyvynge.
3.
(a) Of things: inferior, unremarkable, second rate; small; contemptible; ~ lore, some little learning; ~ mong corn bred, bread made of a mixture of coarse grains, not wheaten bread; comp. mener, as noun: an item of less worth; (b) of feast days: not major, lesser.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4512 : Þow makes me now but þis mene semblant..to litel þow me knowest or kinhed me kiþes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)6.185 : Lete hem ete..benes and bren..Or elles melke and mene ale.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1241 : He brek..þe burȝ..And enteres in..what! þe maysterry watz mene, þe men wern away.
- (1419) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xvi : Considere the grete power and rychesse of the forsaid Abbot..and the mene power of the said person.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.81 : Too kyndes are of hem [vines], a more & mene [L maior et minor].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3464 : Al be þe metire bot mene, þus mekill haue I ioyned Forthi, lordis, be ȝour leue, list ȝow to suffire.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1925 : Þys boke..ys Imade hem to schowne Þat haue no bokes of here owne, And oþer þat beth of mene lore, Þat wolde fayn conne more.
- (1452) Lin.DDoc.62/34 : iij federbeddes (that is to say oon of the best and ij meners).
- a1475 Leve lystynes (Brog 2.1)p.29 : The secund wyffe sett her nere, And seyd, 'by the rode, I haue a ware That is two so mene.'
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)12/111 : My wynnyngis ar bot meyn; No wonder if that I be leyn.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)786 : Þei schulden deluen & diggen..And mene-mong corn bred to her mete fongen.
b
- (1474) in Salzman Building in Engl.65 : The holydais..which be nother principall festeis nor Vygyll, but meane holydais.
- a1500 Rule Serve Ld.(Add 37969)13/30 : In a mene day festyuall þe surnape and towelles rynne vppon þe borde.
4.
In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.33].
Associated quotations
- (a1135) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)107 : Mantone.
- (1170) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)79 : Manwuda.
- (1230) EPNSoc.34 (West Riding Yks.)135 : Menwit.
- (1240) in Sundby Dial.Wor.51 : Menemedwe.
- (1242) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)246 : Manedone.
- (1275) in Sundby Dial.Wor.51 : Meniate.
- (a1300) in Sundby Dial.Wor.51 : Menestocking.
- (1301) EPNSoc.34 (West Riding Yks.)135 : Derlemoneswith.
- (1315) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames130 : Joh. atte Meneheye.
- (1327) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames129 : Nic. atte Mene.
- (1332) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames128 : Alic. de la Manewod.
- (1420-1) Deed Yks.in YASRS 39163 : [5 1/2 acres of land in] le menefield.
- (1426) EPNSoc.13 (War.)76 : Monwode.
- (1476) in Wallenberg PNKent119 : Le Meneparishe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1350 Weping haueþ (Hrl 2253)44 : Nys kyng, cayser, ne clerk wiþ croune þis semly seruen þat me ne [read: mene] may seme.
Note: New gloss: 'mean, undignified'--per HWK