Middle English Dictionary Entry
misgovernen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | misgovernen v. P.ppl. misgoverned, misgoeverned, misgovrnet. |
| Etymology | From governen v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To misuse (sth.), mismanage; temper (iron) badly; (b) to give (sb.) false counsel; ppl. misgoverned, ill-advised, misguided; (c) refl. to misbehave; ben misgoverned ayenes, be disobedient to (rules); ppl. misgoverned, badly behaved; (d) to be sinful; ppl. misgoverned, sinful, wicked; (e) to be lawless, commit crimes; ppl. misgoverned, criminal, lawless.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)148/12 : He techyth his dyscyples to mysgouerne here tungys.
- a1475 Cato(2) (Rwl G.59)449 : Discretly vse thi wonnen thing And wast it noght mysgouernyng; When men here good han wasted al, Aftir other mennys good seken thei schal.
- a1525(?1435) Cov.Leet Bk.181 : He shall com to his girdulmon and sey to hym..'Lo, here is a stryng or ij, that hathe ben mysgouerned atte herthe.'
b
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)223/30 : Grete pitee hit was also þat soche a noble Kyng shulde ben desceyuede and mysgouernede þrouȝ false Spensers.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)72/18 : Þe desier of hem is not sett vp þe stoon of liif, but raþir..on a mysgouernyd loue.
- (1439) *Proc.Chanc.PRO ser.C 1 file 9no.121 : If þe children of þe seid William Auncell and Katerine happened to ouer lyf and be mysgouerned in hor tendre, þai shulden be holpen & releved with þe landes & tenementz aforeseid.
c
- (1450) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.323 : Ȝef eny man..revile or reproof eny man of the same craft, that is to seye, for to lye him on wyth other dishonest Wordes misgouerne him..shall paye..v s. viij d.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)270/25 : Petir seyth, ȝe seruauntys and subiectys, beeth subiectys to ȝoure lordys and maystrys, noȝt only to gode & sobre souereynes but also to mysgouernyd, so it be in no synne ne in wyckydnesse.
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.315 : For to correcte hem that ben misgouerned aȝens the good ordinaunce of the craft.
d
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)108/14 : He had ben a ful rekles man & mys-gouernyd, & þat sore rewyd hym.
- a1500(a1475) Ashby Dicta (Cmb Mm.4.42)438 : Misgoverned men and vicious..Wol tendre thair owne proper volunte, Hauyng no regard to other bounte.
- a1500 St.Jerome (Lamb 432)331/45 : But forasmuche as he had vsyd to blame the ffleshlynesse of mysgouernyd clerkis and religeouse peple, thay with gret indignacion lay in wayte to do hyme repreve.
e
- (c1431) Let.Hen.VI in Archaeol.23340 : The mysgouerned men of dyuers Shires..robbers & pillers..were in grete noumbre & in ryotous wyse gaderyng in the said Shire of Kent.
- (1437) Proc.Privy C.5.83 : Þer are in þise dayes within þis oure reaume gaderinge of greet routes and divers conventicules of mysgoeverned men assembled in diverse places.
- (1442) RParl.5.55b : Trespaces, Mischiefs and Offences doon upon the water by misgoverned Maisters, Maryners, Servauntes, and other misruly poeple.
- (?a1443) Let.Urswyk in Chet.n.s.6067 : Dan George, yowr monke..has ben ryght mekill mysrewlet and mysgournet..in speciall in feghtyng and strikyng of seculares.
- (1447-8) Shillingford78 : The most, or one of the most, mysgoverned man of all the cite of Excetre..made affray aponn oon Richard Wode.
- (1447-8) Shillingford94 : The whiche ys to the..Comminalte grete vexacion..and to mysgoverned men, ryatours, and brekers of the pees grete boldenesse.
- (1450) RParl.5.200a : Diverse misgoverned persones..dayly takyn and use to take diverse Persones, Goodes, and Catell in the seides Shires..undur colour of distres.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)337/14 : King Richard..come yn to Southwerk to here & know þe entencion of þese rebellis and misgouerned pepil.
- (1472-5) RParl.6.160b : Which acquitaunce was doon..to th'enboldysshyng of all the mysgoverned persones in thoos parties.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)236/29 : For I se hough the nobles and wourshipfull men take so litill hede to themself, that there is no difference of rewle and condicion bytwen them and the mysgouerned folkis.