Middle English Dictionary Entry
Merchene laue n. & phr.
Entry Info
| Forms | Merchene laue n. & phr. Also mercheine-, marchene-, (early) mercene-, mercena- & merchenelage, marchen-, merchen(e)laga, merchine-, marchene- & (early) merchene laȝen, mærcene laȝe. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. Be Mercena Laga & Be Mircna Laga in Liebermann Gesetze 1 462. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. Merce.
1.
(a) An Old English code of laws, Mercian Law; (b) the area governed under this code in late OE and early ME times.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1140) Geoffrey of Monmouth Hist.Regum Britanniae (Cmb Ii.1.14)3.293 : Hanc etiam rex alueredus inter cetera transtulit, & saxonica lingua merchenelage uacauit.
- (1178) in Stubbs Select Chart.208 : Propositus igitur legibus Anglicanis secundum tripartitam earum distinctionem, hoc est, Merchenelage, Denelage, Westsaxenelage.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6320 : Alfred þe king..wrat þa laȝen on Englis ase heo wes ær on Bruttisc..and cleopede heo Mærcene laȝe [Otho: Marchene laȝ-].
- 1400(a1363) Higd.Polychronicon (Cmb Ii.3.1)2.86 : Lege..quæ Anglice Merchenelaga [vr. Marchenelaga] vocabatur.
- 1400(a1363) Higd.Polychronicon (Cmb Ii.3.1)2.92 : Merchenelaga [vr. Merchenlaga].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.87 : Þese eiȝte myddel and west schires were somtyme i-gouerned and i-ruled by þat lawe þat hatte Mercia in Latyn, and Mercheyne lawe [Higd.(2): Merchenelaga] in Englisshe.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.93 : Marcia..made a lawe ful of riȝt..i-cleped Merchene lawe [L lex Marcia]; Gildas..turnede þese tweie lawes [that of Marcia and that of Dunwallo Molmutius] out of Bretoun speche in to Latyn, and afterward kyng Alredes turned alle in fere out of Latyn in to Saxon speche, and was i-cleped..Merchene lawe.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)3713 : Þey calde þat lawe Marcyene..Marchenlage [F Martenelaga] þe Englisch hit calde; In eyghte schires þat lawe ȝit men halde.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)21/23 : Kynge Aluredus aftirward translatid hit owte of latyn yn to Saxonye, þe whiche was clepid Merchinelaga.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)30935 : A king þe hehte Penda..biwuste a þan daȝen þat folc of Merchene laȝen [Otho: Marchene lawe].
- a1300 Hundreds Engl.(Jes-O 29)146/39,51 : Þes xxxij schire syndon to-delede on þreo lawan: On is west-sexene lawe, Oþer Dene lawe, þe þrydde Mercena lawe..To Mercene lawe bilimpeþ viij schiren: Gloucestre schire..wyricestre schire..Hereford schire..warewik schire..Oxeneford schire..Slobschire..Chestre schire..Stafford schire.