Middle English Dictionary Entry
obeisaunt adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | obeisaunt adj. Also obisaunt & obeissaunt, obeissiant, obeiciaunt, obeciant, (error) obeissan & obeishaunt, obeshaunt. Pl. obeisaunt(es, obeisantz. |
| Etymology | OF obëissant, ppl.of obëir. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Obedient; dutiful; as noun: an obedient subject; (b) ~ to, obedient to (sb. or sth.); compliant with (someone's requests); subject or governed by (sb. or sth.); ~ in, obedient to (sb.); ~ unto, obedient to (sb., a commandment); (c) willing (to do sth.), ready to obey (a command to do sth.); (d) med. responsive (to the effect of medicine).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.4.11 : Þou shalt ben as an obeshaunt [Dc 369(1): obeisaunt; WB(2): obedient; L obœdiens] sone of þe heiȝest.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.24.7 : Al þingis þat þe lord haþ spoken we schull done, & we schull ben obeyschaunt.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.21.28 : Þe obeshaunt man shal speken victorie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.425 : He wan a lusti wif, Which obeissant was at his wille.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.66 : A markys whilom lord was of that lond..And obeisant [vrr. obeisaunt, obeissan] ay redy to his hond Were alle his liges.
- (1432) Paston (Gairdner)2.37 : The said Erle..desireth that alle thestates, officers, and servantz..be attendant and obeissant.
- (1447) Shillingford134 : Yor most obeisantz lieges in your commune lawe will answere hem wtout delay.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)749 : All this worde Dominus of name Shulde have the grounde obeisaunte, wylde and tame..And all the grounde subjecte to the lorde.
- (1459) RParl.5.351a : Y shall be..true, feithfull, humble and obeisaunt Subgiet..unto You.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.27a : He is and ever woll be perseverantly your true Liegeman and moost obeisaunt Subget.
- a1475(c1450) Shirley SSecr.(Add 5467)263/14 : Alexandre..made the peple of Percy more obeisant then any other nacion.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)30 : Defaute of largesse to youre obeissauntes [is] not rewarding ne cherisshing youre obeissauntes subgettis, yolden and sworne stedfastly abiding under your obeissaunce.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)47 : Youre true obeisaunt lordis and noble chieveteins..have abandonned theire bodies.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10355 : Þou to god & to holichirche obeysant were.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.264 : The reson of man ne wol nat be subget ne obeisaunt to god that is his lord by right.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2795 : To his Empire and to his lawes..alle in thilke dawes Were obeissant and tribut bere.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)182/17 : God ȝelde..tribulacioun..to hem þat were not obeshaunt to þe euangelie of oure Lord Ihesu Crist.
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)60/18 : And bot ȝif hij weren obeisschaunt to her prelate, leten hem passen out of her compaynye.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.28 : Is noght this the gerdouns that I referre to the, to whom I have ben obeisaunt?
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)170/28 : All þeise londes abouenseyd vnto Pruysse & to Rossye ben all obeyssant to the grete Chane of Cathay.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)41/15 : Þai schuld..be obeischaunt to myne askynges in all thing þat was resounable.
- ?c1430 Wycl.PPPriests (Corp-C 296)277 : Clerkis be meke & obeschaunt to worldly lordis.
- ?c1430 Wycl.PSacr.(Corp-C 296)224 : He dwelle not..wiþ hem þat ben obeischaunt to þat constitucion of chastite.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.394 : Of the heuenly cours the disposicioun Is obeissaunt & soget to resoun.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)16/27 : It es better to þam to be obeisant vn-to [my] commandement.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)29.59 : Womman..of so feble Complexioun..Obeischawnt scholde be to Man.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)36/6 : Adam & Eue..were obeysauntes to þe wille of God.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)114/35 : Þei of Ynde be obeysaunt to þe patriark Thomas.
- c1450(?c1425) St.Mary Oign.(Dc 114)142/33 : Whan..she hadde no cloþes to chare hir fro þe rayne, she lokynge vp sawe sum sterris obeysaunte to hir wiþ-holdynge þe rayne.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)24/9 : The more obecyant that we be to oure faders..so mych more god schal be enclinante to oure praers.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)176/33 : In the laste dayes, Men louynge schul be hem-selfe..of herte proude, not obeyciaunte to faders and moders.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)13/25 : They preyen god that they may be obeyshaunt to him that holdith hem in suche governaunce.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)147/35 : The holy mayden honoured and was obeissaunt vnto her husbonde Ioseph.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)132 : Knyghthode an ordir is, the premynent; Obeysaunt in God and rather deye Then disobeye.
- (1463-4) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.30 : Ye shul swere that ye shul be..obeysante and obedient vnto the mayre and to the ministres of this cite.
- a1475 Asneth (Hnt EL 26.A.13)371 : Stonis grete & wateris of hyght depnesse..to þi vois obeisant..wyl nawt offende þi maundementis.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.117 : To his desire he wold gladly drawe And to hym be obeisaunt as his soone-in-lawe.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)92/5 : Þe drede of þe shal dwell yn his herte, And alle his lyf he shall be obeysant to þe.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)641 : Ye haue me helped..to conquere the londes..that by youre helpinges beth alle to me obeysaunt.
- a1500 Story Alex.(Dub 213)279/10 : I..councell..you that ȝe..chese hym for kyng & be most obeyssiant to hym þat shall best purvay for þe gude astate of hys people.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.997 : A man or a womman be obeisant to receyuen the penaunce that hym is enioyned, for certes Iesu Crist for the giltes of o man was obedient to the deeth.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)3070 : What he comaundiþ, þei ben obysaunt To do.
d
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)136/11 : Þilke blood is not viscat in þe substaunce of dure matris..wherfore he is more obeisschaunt to þe attraccioun of medicyns.