Middle English Dictionary Entry
nō-man phr. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | nō-man phr. & n. Also -manne, noe man, (error) no ma, (early & N) na man, (SW & WM) no mon, no mone, (early SW M) na mon & nọ̄ man, -mon. |
| Etymology | From nō , nọ̄ adj. & man n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) No one, nobody; (b) in proverbs and sayings; (c) no-mannes-lond-lond, a piece of unowned land; esp. one outside London used for executions; (d) no creature; (e) in place name.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25456 : Ne cuðe heom na mon telle.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)27/16 : Elles ðu ne namann ne mai bien ȝeboreȝen.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)99/9 : Se ðe hafð ðese eadi mihte, him ne mai no mann wraðhin.
- a1200 PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)119 : Ac drihte ne demeð noman [vr. nomon] after his biginninge.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)53/579 : Weox swa his team her, ne mahte hit na mon tellen.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)37/19 : Vt þurh þe chirche þurl ne halde ȝe tale wið namon [Nero: none monne].
- a1275 *Body & S.(4) (Trin-C B.14.39)58 : Nu ic am in erþe iheled þare mai me no mon se.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)274 : Ne mai noman [Jes-O: no mon] þareuore schende.
- a1300 No god (Em 27)5 : Bi-nym þov noe Man his lif.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)23/388 : Ne dorte him noman [vr. no ma] teche.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10369 : Ich uorbede..Þat no man ne touchi þulke clerc.
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.3 : Seint poule..seiȝ þe priuetes of god þat it falleþ to noman to seien.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)618 : Nis no man vpon mold þat more worchip winnes.
- (1384) Procl.Brembre in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk H)31/5 : That no man make none congregaciouns.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.217 : He þat radde oþer hilde a book schulde aryse aȝenst no man.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.251 : Ther was no man no wher so vertuous.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.282 : No man woot ther of but god and he.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2993 : Noman mai knowe ariht The point betwen the dai and nyht.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12338 : Lai a leoness.Norisand hir quelpes sua þat naman [Trin-C: nomon] durst wel bi hir ga.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)705 : Noman ne durst þere-on ycome Bot Alisaundre.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)10.205 : Þat dede derne do no man ne shulde.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)514 : No more nel I never wary Alle þe mukel mayny..for no mannez synnez.
- (1412) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.119/27 : Loke þat no man pleyne hym.
- (1423) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.131/29 : Þer may no man passe by that syde of þe wey.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1427 : It es no man with tong may tell Þe mirth þat was þam omell.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)41/9 : Þu sal do to na man bot als þu walde man did to þe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)50a/b : What þat a necke is and how þat he is sette is vnknowen to no man.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)357 : Nomanne: Nemo.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4096 : Þey..nolde not stonte þere for no-mone.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)48/87 : On lyffe salle noman lenger laste Bot we allane.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)2184 : Noo man passe myght.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.48.33a : Þer is noman þat liȝteþ a lanterne for to setten it vnder a buschel.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)75a/b : Þou schalt neuere drawen out noon arowe..of no mannys body vnto þe tyme þat he be clene schryuen.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)115/1908 : Nowe y drede nooman.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)84a : Naman: Nemo, nullus.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)169 : That no man for better ne for wors Change my writyng, for drede of goddis curs.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)505 : Þe kyng..sawe þat he..Ne of counseile had no man.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)449 : Y can fynden no man..To techen me þe heyȝe weie.
b
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)33 : Ne wot no man hwat blisse is, þe naure wowe ne bod.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)8/98 : Nis hit nower neh gold al þet ter schineð. Nat þah na mon bute ham seolfen hwet ham sticheð ofte.
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)90/165 : Wot no mon þe time wanne he sal henne rimen [vr. turne].
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)15182 : Þar nis no man so wis Þat me ne mai bi-swike.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)1042 : Man, wele wot, þat ani gode kan, Oȝain chaunce no may no man.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)43 : Everi man may wel iwite..That no man may wel serve tweie lordes to queme.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.6.24 : No man may serue to two lordis.
- c1390 Cato(1) (Vrn)131 : Þer nis no mon with-outen lak.
- c1390 ?Hilton Qui Habitat (Vrn)51/4 : No mon mai liuen in þis lyf þat he ne schal sinne sum-tyme.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.861 : Crist himself makth knowleching That noman may togedre serve God and the world.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.770 : So strong is no mannes wit Which thurgh beaute ne mai be drawe To love.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.514-16 : So wel halt noman the plowh That he ne balketh otherwhile, Ne so wel can noman affile His tunge, that som time in rape Him mai som liht word overscape.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.978 : Ther mai noman his happ withsein.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1195 : Love is of so gret a miht, His lawe mai noman refuse.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.810 : No man may alwey han prosperitee.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1638 : I haue..herd seyd ful yoore ago Ther may no man han parfite blisses two.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)26816 : For mai naman wit quem to winn To serue at ans lauerds tuin.
- a1400 Ancr.(Pep 2498)44/15 : 'Noman,' seiþ oure lorde, 'may serue two lordes to queme.'
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.339 : May no man lyue so right, no so wele him ȝeme, No so stalworth be, ne so douhti of dede, Þat has powere to fle þe dede.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.6005 : For no man may his fatal chaunce refuse.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.640 : Ne no man may ben inly glad, I trowe, That nevere was in sorwe or som destresse.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1104 : Na man may serve rightly Twa lordes to-gedir, þat er contrary.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.m.3.26 : For no man ne travaileth for to witen thingis that he wot.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)1451 : Es þere no man so hardy Þat ne anothir es alswa.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)381 : The firste trouthe is this: Noman ouȝte be iuge in his owne cause which he hath anentis his neiȝbour.
- a1450(1401) For drede (Dgb 102)123 : Wiþouten heire dyeþ no man.
- a1450 SLeg.Fran.(2) (Bod 779)255 : Noman ne may seruy I-fere lordus two.
- c1450(c1396) Chaucer Buk.(Benson-Robinson)4 : No man is al trewe.
- c1450 Dc.Prov.(Dc 52)p.44 : He þat doth as can, Blame hym no man.
- ?c1450 Sey þe best (Mrg B 21)p.287 : Sey þe best or be stylle; Wyth thy tonge noman thou qwelle; Suffyr and haue thy wylle.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)307 : Ne no man of vs alle May have þat hiȝe connyng, to know what shal be-falle.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1150 : Yet 'touch no man the galle'.
- c1475(?a1440) Burgh Cato(1) (Rwl C.48)720 : No man can know his vre.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)38.11 : Naman is withouten syn.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)24/13 : No man is surely aboue but he þat wol gladly be bineþe.
c
- (c1350) Chron.Lond.in Camd.28 (Cleo A.6)56 : Fut un Bernard d'Espaygne..descole a Loundres a Nomanneslond.
- (1389) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)2.283 : [The highway between] Nomanneslonde [and] Iseldon.
- c1425 Liber de Hyda in RS 4589 : Fro Crammere a long the weyys to No-mannys-lond; fro No-mannyslond along the weyys ayen in to Mycheldefer.
- (1409) Let.Bk.Lond.I (Gldh LetBk I)82 : [The street leading from Aldrichegate to] Nomanslond.
d
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)526 : Gef ðer is noman ðanne he falleð, he remeð & helpe calleð.
e
- (c1300) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)460 : Nomannyscroft.