Middle English Dictionary Entry
offī̆cē̆r n.
Entry Info
| Forms | offī̆cē̆r n. Also oficer, offiser, -sur, offecer, offesser, -sur & officier, -ciar. |
| Etymology | OF officier n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A servant; a retainer engaged in domestic service in a great household; an official at court; (b) a servant of Christ, Satan, etc.; an agent, a minister.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3383 : Hise officers [vr. offiseris] gan he calle, 'Gooth, bryngeth forth the vessels..Whiche that my fader..birafte.'
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2868 : His officers with swifte feet they renne And ryde anoon at his comandement.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2506 : He let ordeine..And warnede alle hise officiers That every thing be wel arraied.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.177 : The presentes been..born anon into the heighe tour With certein officers [vr. oficeres] ordeyned ther fore.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1357 : Vn-to hem anoon he doth assigne His offyceris tawayte hem.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1538 : Þe noble officeris Ful þriftely serued han þe halle.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1430 : He..made in hast his officers lede The straunge knyghtes..to chambres of estat.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.105 : The richesses of..Paulyn the howndes of the paleys (that is to seyn, the officeres) wolden han devoured.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)155/19 : On of the Officeres [F ministres] of the Emperour..seyth with lowde voys, 'Maketh pees.'
- c1432 Bishop Notes in PMLA 49 (Cmb Dd.14.2)458 : Þe qweene and dam Katerine were in þe kynges Harry gouernaunse and Officeres of þe kyng were ordeyned to take kepe vp on hem.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.4152 : His officeris he made to be sworn To helpe destroie falsli be poisoun The senatoures.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)1595 : The stewarde..With þe officers [vr. offycyrus] of þe house Was crouelle and kene.
- a1450(?1404) As þe see (Dgb 102)210 : A good man doþ a lord gret ese Þat is a trewe officere.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)399/8 : Eufemian..was a wurthi offesur in þe Emperour hall, and he was made rewler of iij ml. childir.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)147/1 : Beleve not allway your officers of euery thyng that they shall tell you.
- (?1457) Stonor1.53 : Thys was don wythoute any knowliche..of my lady or of any oficer of hereys.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)388 : I woll be yeur Marchall & serve ȝewe echone; And þen þe officers & I, to soper shull wee goon.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)351 : Now speke we wylle of officiers Of court and als of hor mestiers.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)81/34 : Some ben excusid bi reson of office, as ȝif the porter or officere of eny grete man..happyn to hurte eny clerke.
- a1500(c1450) Idley Instr.(Arun 20)2.B.2711 : Men mey also put ouȝt off seruyce And offycers remoue ffrom þeir place.
- c1500 Cleges (Ashm 61)293 : The offycers [Adv: vsschere] at þe dore was With a staff standyng.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.480 : Syngeres with harpes..been the verray deueles officeres [vrr. offisers, officiers] To kyndle and blowe the fyr of lecherye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.647 : This vice hath ek his officers Among these othre seculers Of grete men.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)8 : Sith thei ben the officeris of Crist..thei ben traitouris of Crist..if thei wasten here liflode and Goddis treesore in pride.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)346 : Ȝif apostlis..sawen þus preestis serve in þe Chirche, þei wolden not clepe hem Cristis officeris but officeris of Anticrist.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)85/25 : Pluto, Lucifer, Cerebrus, & Acharon..saugh þat þe officers of þe helly peynes lefte and ceecid.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)68/31 : Hope..as an officere of a Prynce of ordinaunce..kepte hir place and toke vpon hir..the office for to speke.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)108 : The prynce of helle..seyde to hys offycers: 'Schet fast the brasen ȝatys.'
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)446 : Remembre howe ye made me your offycere, All tho with my dart fynally to chastyse That yow dysobeyed.
2.
(a) A person occupying an official post granted by the king; a high official in the government; an administrator governing a province, district, etc.; a senior administrator of the law; a person of importance in the state; (b) an elected or appointed official of a town, university, or gild; a minor law official; also, a subordinate of an official; execucioun of officeres, a group of minor law officials; (c) an ecclesiastical official; a person holding an official post in an ecclesiastical community; an ecclesiastical law officer.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.497 : Thow were in euery maner wise A lewed officer [vr. offiser] and a veyn iustise.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.315 : Newe officers greveþ wors þe peple þat is under hem.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.47 : The emperour schulde be i-chose by þe officers of þe empere.
- c1390 In a Chirche (Vrn)73 : Ȝif þou beo mad an Offycer And art a Mon of muche miht, What cause þou demest, loke hit be cler.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.312 : I se þhe [read: ȝe] wille..so lowe me to chace, myn officers to change & mak þam at ȝour grace.
- (1400) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.2.14 : Many Officers, sume of our liege lord the kyng es lond, sume of the Erles of the Marche es lond..ben kynne un to this meignee that be rissen.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)5.195 : The kyng comaunded conscience tho to congie alle hus officers.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2627 : Tideus..hath sent also into..Calcedoyne..Chargyng his counsale and officers also..To seken out the beste werreyours.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)7/13 : Afterward was oure Lord ledd before þe bischope and þe officers [Man.(1): maystres] of þe lawe.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)370 : How dar this dethe sette on me a-reste, That am the kynges chosen officere?
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)47 : Anone the kyng made his Officers..the Erle off Northumberlond Conestable off Englond, The Erle of Westmerland Marchall off Englond, [etc.].
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.1345 : Gouerned afftir bi other officeres..Callid decemvir.
- a1475(c1450) Shirley SSecr.(Add 5467)309/7 : It behoveth..to thy roiall excellence..to helpe and enhance hem the wise, the well willed men and counsailers and officiars of thy parlamentes, makyng theire questions and demaundes.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)1130 : Wisdom wolle a mershalle..þat he vndirstand alle þe worshipfulle officers of the comunialte of þis land, of Shires, Citees, borowes.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)151 : What than mey gretter officers do, stewardes off gret lordeshippes, reseyvors, constables off Castels, maystir fforesters, and such oþer officers be sydis the hygher offycers, as Justices off fforestes, Justices and Chambirlayns off Contreis, þe warden off þe portes, and such oþer?
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.204 : Wolde þey..coile out þe knyȝtys þat knowe well hem-self..For to ordeyne officeris and all oþer thyngis, Men shuld wete in a while þat þe world wolde amende.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.40.85a : Your balyves, your prouostes, and your othir officeres in the cuntre, thei do weel hire devoyr.
b
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.368 : Oon Maximus, that was an officer [vr. officeere] Of the prefectes and his corniculer, Hem hente.
- (?1387) Wimbledon Serm.(Corp-C 357)83/358 : Ȝif a gret man plete wiþ a pore to haue owt þat he holdeþ, euerich officer schal be redy.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.30 : Be here aldermannes asent, yey schal alle to-gedere gon to an In..and chesen offyceres for ye nexte yer.
- a1422 Gild St.Geo.Nrw.(Rwl D.913)451 : Euery brother and sister schal pay a ferthing in the woke to the officeres therfore assigned.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)363 : Offycere of cruelte, as bayly, or iaylere, or other lyke: Satelles.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)758 : In grete Rome gerte he crye Ilke an offessere [vr. ofycer] in his baly Þat þe worme had mad endynge.
- (a1443) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xxxix : No man religious shall be chosen bailly, bedell, ne none other officer temperell.
- (1444) RParl.5.123a : The comen Clerk..shall not procure..to chese no maner Officer in speciall.
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A nexecucione of offycers.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.234 : We wil þat thei be take wyth officeris oure And led to preson.
- (1453) LRed Bk.Bristol2.204 : Johanne wille..the Mair and Shirref..and all other officers aftir namid, that is to sei, the Baillifs, Tounclerk, Swerdeberer, and Sargeauntis to the Mair be at the saide Obite.
- (c1458) Let.Oxf.in OHS 36345 : It is a-corded þt yf eny scolars servant..be a-restede by þe meyre or baylyffs or eny offecers of hers..that þe offecer of þe Universyte..wt an offecer of þe sayd meyre or bailliffs bryng..þe same person..to þe seyd Chawnselere.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)93/17 : From yer to yer they [Romans] chaunged the moste parte of their officers.
- a1500 Lydg.JHare (Voss Germ.Gall.Q.9)57 : Off all thy warde thou art made officer [vr. officeer], That no man passe with-out licence off the.
- -?-(1377) Tenants in Som.Dor.NQ 13274 : The..officers that schuld loke that this..custume wer thus kept schal be chose in Yatmystre and in no nother towne.
- -?-(1463) Will in Som.RS 16197 : Thoo which were wrongfully hurt when I was Sherve may be recompensid; The persone Jewe and Clavilsey knowis best, for thay were my officers.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3125 : Vp on my feith thow art som officer [vr. offyseer], Som worthy sexteyn or som celerer.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1255 : This noble monk..was a man of heigh prudence And eek an officer [vr. Oficere] out for to ryde To seen hir graunges and hir bernes wyde.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)40/23 : Sche was..moneschyd to aper be-for certeyn offycerys of þe Bysshop.
- (1441) Visit.Alnwick125b : We enioyne yow, prioresse..that ye suffre none of thaym, officiere ne other, to go to any house of office wythe owte the cloystere.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1386 : Subpriores & segerstone And oþer offecers ilkon Sal non be chosin..Bot als þe priores wil puruay.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)29 : Þe hedes of hooly chirche ne her officeres neiþir ben cleer fro viciouse lyuyng.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)23/4 : Sho was made ane offisur in þe abbay.
- c1450 Metham Palm.(Gar 141)106/22 : Yff yt be a man off relygyon, he schuld be a byschop, an abbott, or a priore, or a-nodyr wurthy ofycere.
3.
(a) An officer in charge of jousts or tournaments; ~ of armes; (b) a military retainer, soldier; an officer in a legion.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1712 : What myster men ye been That been so hardy for to fighten here Withouten iuge or oother officere, As it were in a lystes roially?
- a1486 Jousts of Peace (Mrg M 775)39 : There beyng offecers of armis schuyng thayre mesure of thayre speris garnyst.
- a1600(1472) Rec.Bluemantle (Jul C.6)383 : Therle of Wylshyre bare a sworde before hym..also wt the Kinges officers of armes, Garter bering his patent.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.257 : Kynges & knyghtes þat kepen and defenden Han officers vnder hem, and vch of hem certeyne.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)32b : Whiche ben þe names of þe principal officeris [L principiorum] of þe legiouns. In þis seuenþe chapitle ne is but litel fruyt of good ordinaunce, and grete difficulte to englisshe þe names of officeris.