Middle English Dictionary Entry
accǒunt(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | accǒunt(e n. Also acounte, ac(c)ompte, acompot, acuncte. |
| Etymology | OF aco(u)nte, acompte; cp. L computus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. cǒunte n.(1)
1.
(a) A computation, enumeration, or count; -- often pl.; (b) the method or art of computing; -- pl.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)82 : Eiȝte hundret ȝer and Nyntene bi a-countes riȝte.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.101 : Hengistus..bygan to reigne, by Denys acountes, þe ȝere of oure Lord foure hondred and fife and fifty.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)392/851 : By accomptes cleer..Eihte hundryd wyntir.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.80 : Wiþ me now come and thyne acountes gesse Of þinges wiche as ȝit þow hast plente.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.339 : Bede, folowenge the trawthe and the trewe acompte of men of Hebrewe, provethe vij yere to faile from the nowmbre rehersede.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)214/34 : By..this accompte [a list of officials] thou maiste be y-lyghted of costagis.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)113b/a : He disposiþ & makeþ men able to the science & vse of calculynge & of acountes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)325b/a : Do awey compot and acountes, and al is ful of lewednesse and vnconnynge.
2a.
(a) A record or statement of funds or property held, received, receivable, owed, or expended; accountes bok; maken (yelden, yeven) account(es, to prepare or present such a statement, to render account; nimen ~, make an inventory; in ~, receivable; (b) property as so recorded; (c) ?an accountant.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)222 : Þis child..Seruede A borgeys of þe toun and his a-countes wrot.
- c1300 SLeg.Bridget(1) (LdMisc 108)10 : Heo scholde..At a certeyn dai þarof trewe a-countes ȝelde.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)626 : Þe lord him-sulf com Of þulke hynen, & acountes þer-of wiþ ham nom.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)73a/a : Acountis..of what he haþ I fonge..of his lordes good and catell.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1277 : He nolde that no man sholde hym lette Of his acountes..And thus he sit til it was passed pryme.
- a1400 12 PTrib.(1) (Roy 17.B.17)55 : Þo kingis stiward, when he ȝeldes acounte of þo receyt of his lord, he acountes & castis with penyes of leed or of coper.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.434 : Reuthe is to here rekenynge whan we shal rede acomptes.
- a1422 Gild St.Geo.Nrw.(Rwl D.913)450 : Euery Aldirman schal be redy with his acomptes..to ȝif a trewe and du rekkenyng to þe newe Aldirman..of alle resceytes and paymentes qwiche he hatz resceyued and payed in the ȝere aforn.
- (c1430) Let.Christ Ch.in Camd.n.s.199 : The schereve hath mad his a counte.
- (1433) RParl.4.477a : And that the seid Baylyffs..have allowance of all maner resonablez expenses and costages by hem doon in profite and worshipe of the seid Town upon here accounte.
- (1433) RParl.4.478a : That the seid Auditours that shall be chosen by the Comyns..to here the accounte of the seid Bailliffs..ben sworen upon a boke before the Comyns..and charged by the comen Clerc to allowe or disallowe hem aftir the fourme of accounte, by here true discrecion.
- (1440) Visit.Alnwick3.359 : A fulle and a playne accompte of alle the revenues of your place, and how thai are dispendede.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)7204 : Here hauy nought þat ought amountes; Þat y spend of, y ȝelde acountes.
- (1453) LRed Bk.Bristol2.205 : That the saide procuratours and thair successours yerli..yelde accomptis of all thinges and summes of money bi tham paide and resceiued.
- (1458) Will York in Sur.Soc.30228 : Alle his..godes, alswell in accon [!] as in possession.
- (1461) Paston (Gairdner)3.281 : I xall ȝeve ȝow acowmpts ther of.
- (1461) RParl.5.476a : The oold bookes, evidences, writyngs, custumaries, court-rolles, particuler accomptes bookes.
- (1463) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2 p.64 : Froe this day forthward, all maner accions of dette, detenu, couenant, and accompt be take, pladde, and determyned.
- (1466) in Cox Churches Derb.86 : Lawrence Luchurche candelighter..made ye accompte to the..churchwardens of the joels and ornaments that they had in kepyng.
- (a1472) Acc.Bodmin in Camd.n.s.1433 : Hit was paied yn the sead acompot.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.56b : It is enacte..that the same Maire, Feliship and Merchauntes, and their Successours, aunswere and yeld accompte to the Kyng at his Eschequer, of all sommes of money comyng or growyng of the said Custumes and Subsidies.
- (a1500) LRed Bk.Bristol2.151 : Due and true accomptes..als wel of their resceytes as of their paymentes.
b
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1540 : Hit is no worldly witte..To toille þere no trespas is do to a-countz.
c
- ?c1450 Brut-1447 (Trin-C O.9.1)458/31 : Then come the Maister of the Chamber, with the acomptes all clothed in..scarlet hodes.
2b.
(a) chamber of the accountes, the treasury; clerk of the ~; ~ making, presentation of the account; accountes casting, the preparation of accounts, book-keeping; fot of the ~, the sum total of a statement; (b) casten accountes, ben at ~, prepare a financial statement; (c) writ of account(es, a writ issued to an officer of finance.
Associated quotations
a
- (1431) Proc.Privy C.4.94 : For þe paiement of þestates of þe parlement, of chambere of þaccomptes and of oþer officers of þe reaume of France.
- (1437) Doc.Merchant York in Sur.Soc.12948 : Recevyd of the yere before past..as hyt profes be the fote of the acowntye..iiijli. xijs. ijd.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)41b : Gouernours of lettrid kniȝtes þat ben kunnynge in numbringe of þe puple and castynge of acountes..Kunnynge and wisdom of noumbringe and acountys castyng.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.226 : Clerkes of thaccomptes.
- (a1450) Code Laws in Willmore Hist.Walsall168 : What thyngs the new Masters shalbe charged with at their incomyng and at their accompte makyng.
b
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.135 : I salle rede þe parcelles what amountes, If any man in dede wille keste in a countes.
- a1450 SLeg.Barlaam (Bod 779)516 : Þe king hym ofsente, his acountes to caste.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)420 : The hoost of Southwork herd hem wele & þe Marchaunt both, As they were at a-countis.
c
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)91 : In writ of dette, wretes of chartres holden with wrong, writtes of acountes..that ben pleteable be retournys of shirrevys a forn the ballyves.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)62/29 : Be vertu of a wrytt of a-counte or of trespas.
3.
The making of a report, or a report made, as to the discharge of any responsibilities; an answering for conduct; specif., at the Last Judgment; also, a report of any kind, an explanation.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)583-6 : Þo euerech [devil] hadde i-ȝolde a-countes of schreu-hede huy hadden ido..Þilke maister..made him so hardi..at oure acounte to beo.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)97 : Ȝe sulle we ȝiue acuntis Of al þat we habbiþ ibe here.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.82 : Til I come to myn A-Countes, as my Crede me telleþ.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.378 : He shal yelde acountes of it at the day of dome.
- c1390 Whon Men beoþ (Vrn)66 : Her-of and we wolde take good hede And in vr hertes a-countes cast..Toward vr ende we draweþ ful fast.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.292 : Fader, upon myn acompte Which ye be sett to examine..Sey what your beste conseil is.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2243 : Whan god schal his accompte hiere.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)72b/a : Þat he schal ȝeue to his lord acountes of his outrage
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Monk fr.Death (Phys-E)p.33 : We sal be demed, and yeld acount Quat our sinnes mai amount.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1205 : A clerk þat folylyche dyspendyþ..To hard a-cuncte shall he be sette At hys endyng.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)10885 : At þe last acounte shal he mysfalle.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3677 : To the goddys..Thow shalt accountys and a reknyng make.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)3986 : Þe acunt and þe rekennyng Þat þai sal yheld of alle þair lyfyng.
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)22 : Than at þe laste ende comith in wrath &..rekunneth þer acunthes, for þat he is tresureer of þat howsoolde.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)414 : The pore borweth par cas for Indigence, The riche lent be fals collucioun..Dethe shal hem bothe to accomptes fette To make rekennynge.
- (1434) Proc.Privy C.4.264 : He is now called to accountes in our seid eschequier, and rigorous processe maad ayens hym.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)90/1 : Þe devull was sett in chayre, and all þis felaschup..made þer acommptis of þer wykked temptacions.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)59/1 : God will axse hem acompte at the dredfull day.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)96/20 : A man schall ȝeue acownte þerof yn þe day of dome.
- a1500(1445) ?Lydg.Marg.Entry (Hrl 3869)160 : The ferefull sowne of Trumpe Iudiciall..Eche man to make a compte and rekenynge.
4.
of non (litel) ~, of no (little) value or importance, negligible.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1715 : He his fader in desdeign Hath take and set of non acompte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1653 : And if so is That I have oght so don er this, It is so litel of accompte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4735 : I sette it at nomore acompte Than wolde a bare straw amonte.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1418) Proc.Privy C.2.240 : Ye see that theer be taaken dewe accomptes of the said John how many dayes he haath stande in oure said ambassiat and seruice.
Note: Per MJW: taken due ~ of We do not seem to have quite this sense nor the phrase - 'an accounting or reckoning of time served'
- a1500 *Let.Alex.(Wor F.172)537 : That I myght perce al the accomptis of the world [L universa mundi compita].
Note: New sense: 5. boundary; ?territory [mistransl. of L compitum].--per DJ