Middle English Dictionary Entry
mōte n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | mōte n.(1) Also mot, moite. |
| Etymology | OF mote & ML mota, from Gmc. For semantic development, cp. dī̆ch(e n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A natural or man-made mound; hill; ?also, an island [last quot.]; castel ~, mound or hill on which a castle is built; (b) a castle, dwelling; in ~, among men; (c) a city.
Associated quotations
a
- a1300 A Mayde Cristes (Jes-O 29)121 : Hit stont vppon a treowe mote [rime: vnderwrote, bote, bihote] þar hit neuer truke ne schal, Ne may no Mynur hire vnderwrote ne neuer false þene grundwal.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.165 : Doun of the kastelle mote [F chastel] Isaac douhter cam & felle R. to fote gretand.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)8896 : I lyken it [Heaven] tylle a cete þat war wroght Of gold, of precyouse stanes sere, Opon a mote [vr. mount].
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)932 : I moued dovne fro þe mote to þe midwardz And so a-dovne to þe dale.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)595/21 : Mediamna: a moot.
b
- [ (1274) Doc.in HMC Rep.9 App.1211 : Una mota in qua est quedam aula, camera, coquina et alie domus stricte edificate. ]
- c1390 Disp.Christian & J.(Vrn)173 : Boþe þe Mot and þe molde Schon al on red golde.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)635 : Voyded of vche vylany, wyth verertuez [read: vertuez] ennourned in mote [rime: cote, lote].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)910 : Alle þe men in þat mote maden much joye.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2052 : Here is a meyny in þis mote þat on menske þenkkez.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3218 : He..Passis in-to þe palais..Was on þe make of þat mote noȝt mervalled a litill.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3832 : A castell was closid in þe borne..a mervalous mote, made all of redis..A fewe..folke..a-perid, Waiteand out at wyndows.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5602 : Þan pas he to a proude place, a palas of ioye..Þar fand he..gildin chaumbres, And many a miracle in þe mote.
- c1450(c1420) Proph.Becket (Hat 56)68 : Thomas askid þe husbond of þe hous ful curteysely: 'Sir..witen wold I blethely who is maister of this mote þat here til a towre is merkid?..were it biggid up..ye were þe bigger, yf any werre wold awake on þe west halve.'
c
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)422 : I wyst wel..To manace alle þise mody men þat in þis mote dowellez Wyth a prayer and a pyne.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)937 : That mote..in Judy londe..is þe cyte þat þe Lombe con fonde.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)948-9 : As hys flok is wythouten flake, So is hys mote wythouten moote. Of motes two to carpe clene And Jerusalem hyȝt boþe.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)973 : Þou may not enter wythinne hys tor, Bot..I haue þe aquylde For a syȝt þerof..to se þat clene cloystor..If I þis mote þe schal vnhyde.
2.
(a) A defensive ditch, moat, fosse; boundary ditch; drainage ditch; also, a pond; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.44].
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)6.73 : Þe mot [vrr. moot, mote] is of mercy þe Maner al aboute, And alle þe wallis ben of wyt.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.362 : Conscience comaunded þo al crystene to delue And make a muche mote.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)764 : He watz war in þe wod of a won in a mote, Abof a launde, on a lawe, loken vnder boȝez Of mony borelych bole, aboute bi þe diches.
- (1419) Doc.in Sur.Soc.8514 : That nane entir..to defoule the walles na the motes bot thay that has taken tham to ferme, the whilke sall kytte the herbage that grewys apon the mote.
- (1434) Doc.in Dugdale Monasticon 2463 : The saide priour..schal have fre goynge and comynge..to purge and clense alle the said curse of water, and to caste the stonys and gravell, fenne and slyme of the same lete in bothe sidys uppon the lande of the same Richard..and not to caste ne hele the motys ne the kutte of the treys ther growynge.
- (c1434) *Anc.Pet.(PRO)336.15865 : [They] went wythouten the moote of the place in to the woode; and aftre the Justice..was goon, they breke vp the yates and entred in agayn.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)345 : Moote, dyke, watyr closynge a place: Circumfossatum, fossatum.
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57563 : The longe mote at Overbury halle..my master put into his long mote be the hye wey..in roches, ixxx..in the same mote, in perches, xl..I breke the mote and ad howete al the fesche.
- (1469) Will Bury in Camd.4946 : I will that the seid Denyse have..alle the curtelage on the westsyd of myn place wyth jnne the moote, from the kechyn doore on to the pertre, and from the pertre onto westend of the bakhows, and soo forthe to the moote syde..and fyssshyng in the moote..I will that the seid Denys haue..a stabyll within the moote.
b
- (1378) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)4.11 : [An elm-tree felled and lying by the bridge of] la Mote.
- (1388) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)5.90 : [6 d. for the pasture of] la mote [round the castle].
- (1389) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)5.148 : [He has pulled down..a barn and a cowshed at] le Mot.
- (1419) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.12589 : Herbagium fossati vocati le mote infra Mikelgarth..prout se extendit in longitudine subtus muros civitatis a barra de Mikelgate usque ad vetus ballium.
- (1422) EPNSoc.7 (Sus.)431 : Mote sive Pele.
- (1430) EPNSoc.7 (Sus.)431 : Le Moyte.
- (1446) EPNSoc.7 (Sus.)431 : Le Mote.
- (1450) EPNSoc.7 (Sus.)385 : Le Mote.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1467-8) *Plea & Mem.R.Lond.GildhA 88.2 : Thomas and Margarete…haue…letten to ferme to the seide William and Alice a parlour with a warehouse…with…a yerde lying on the north side of the seide parlour and warehous and with the moyte of the welle and Siege called a pryvey.
- (1467-8) *Plea & Mem.R.Lond.GildhA 88.2 : That…William Burton and Alice…shull…repaire and susteyne the seide moyte of the seide welle.
Note: New sense