Middle English Dictionary Entry
nẹ̄ce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | nẹ̄ce n. Also nese, neis(se; pl. nece(s. |
| Etymology | OF niece, nece |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A niece; also, a grandniece [quot.: 1451]; (b) a granddaughter; (c) a grandson; pl. descendants; (d) a kinswoman, female relative; (e) a kinsman.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4160 : Þe..geaunt..Out of þe lond of spayne come & adde ynome eleyne Þat was so vair, þe kinges nece howel of brutayne.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)233 : No gladder gome heþen into Grece Þen I quen ho on brymme wore; Ho watz me nerre þen aunte or nece.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)254/5 : Sir Iohn of Henaude brouȝt wiþ him Philipp, his broþerez Douȝter, þat was Erl of Henaud his nece, into Engeland.
- (1422) EEWills50/6 : I bequeth to sir Ion Skydmore my newewe a girdell of peerles..to Iane myn nece..xx li.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.76 : Pandare..took his weye ful soone Unto his neces palays.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.92 : 'Ye, nece, yee shal faren wel the bet, If God wol, al this yeer,' quod Pandarus.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)1085 : Gud sir, we pray, gyf þat we myghte, Of ȝowre nece hafe a syghte.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)12154 : Out of Spayne was he comem, & Sire Oheles nece y-nomen; Mayde Eleyne was hure name.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)142/4 : Hir vncle the kyng of Scottes..come to the kyng and said vnto hym, it was goode to wytt of the matier of his nece.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)50/13 : Ther dwelt no woman with-inne his hous, nout his owne sistir ne þe douteres of his broþir..He wold sey þus, 'With my sistir or my necys is þere no suspecion, but þere schuld come many women to hem.'
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.49/21,23 : I will my neis, Dam Annas Constabull, hafe a pare bedys of corall, & my neysse Elizabeth, hir Doughter, & [read: a] red gurdyll.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)2123 : Kynge Malengere..sayd, 'Nese, what seye ye?'
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.235 : Herodes..wedded oon Maryamnes, þat was Hircanus his neece.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.141 : Þat ȝere deide Hilda, abbesse of Whitby..Sche was kyng Edwyn his nese [Higd.(2): doȝhter of the doȝhter of kynge Edwinus].
- c1400 WBible(2) Gloss.Lev.(Roy 1.C.9)18.10 : Neece, that is, the douȝtir of thi douȝtir.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)43b/b : Neptis: a nese.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)85a : A Neysse: Neptis.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.31.43 : What may I do to my sonns, and to my necez [WB(2): sones of sones; L nepotibus]?
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.34.7 : No man anentis þe by hym self is innocent þat ȝeldis wyckidnes of faders to sonnes & neces [WB(2): sones of sones; L nepotibus] in to þe þrid & þe ferþ progeny.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.341 : Giraldus seiþ þat Casera, Noes nece [Higd.(2): son of the douȝhter of Noe], dradde þe flood.
d
- c1300 Evang.(Dlw 22)254 : Þi nece elizabeth lo here þat is in eld fele ȝere, Child nou hauis takin of hire fere.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7252 : Seint edwardes nece, þat of is fader kunde com & of þe riȝte kunde of engelond, king henry to wiue nom.
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)236 : Þis Frein þriued fram ȝer to ȝer; Þe abbesse nece men wend it were.
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)294 : 'Leman,' he seyd, 'þou most lat be þe abbesse, þi nece, & go wiþ me.'
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)517 : Ich [Roland] wele ben at acent Þat þou sschalt wedde belecent, Þe kinges douȝter, mi nese þat is.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1553 : Grete wel oure dame, myn owene nece swete, And fare wel deere cosyn til we meete.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11057 : Þar duelld vr lauedi wit hir nece, Til ion was born.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)6.177 : Þe abbot of engelonde and þe abbesse ys nece Shullen haue a knok on here crounes.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.814 : Adown the steyre anonright tho she wente Into the garden, with hire neces thre.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)98/23 : And Ioachym, thy fader, at hame, And anna, my nese and thi dame, how standys it with hym and hir?
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)690/22 : Cognata: a nese.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)99/49 : Elizabeth, nece, God thee see.
e
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)7168 : Alle the gret blod of Grece Ben some his Emes, and some his nece.