Middle English Dictionary Entry
accǒunten v.
Entry Info
Forms | accǒunten v. Also acounten, ac(c)ompten. Ppl. ac(c)ǒunted, ac(c)ǒmpted, accǒmpte. |
Etymology | OF acunter, aconter, ac(c)ompter; cp. ML accomptāre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To count (things); (b) to include (sth.) in a count; (c) pass. to amount to (a certain number).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.2293 : He sih The sterres suche as he acompteth, And seith what ech of hem amonteth.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)313a/b : To acounte in þis wise, sauours ben nyne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)327a/b : Perfite nombres..beþ soone acounted for þey beþ scars and compouned in a ful stedefast ordre.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2740 : Alweye acountyng þe houres of þe nyȝt.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)9b/b : Þer bene..248 bonez in oure body after þat þai bene wele acounted.
- (1427) Proc.Privy C.3.261 : Wyþynne thre monethes next to be accompted frome þe day in þe whiche he shal be certified of þe said dethe.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)6875 : No man it may acounte How many of them it wolde amounte.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)567/16 : The nombre..that were slayn..be herawdes accompted, xij Ml vc xxx.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)4810 : And thanne he sette the pepill in his arraye, A xx Rankys, trewly for to accompt.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)68b/a : So þat þe firste day & þe laste ben a countid in þe tale.
- (1443) Proc.Privy C.5.409 : For viijc mann of armes, himself nat accompted.
- (1455) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15151 : Summa of the said Juelx..weyen nine score and six unces, the said boxe of Iuery not accompted.
c
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)6391 : Þe katel was a-counted More þan þe testament amounted.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)146 : And when thei were alle to-geder thei were acompted lxml.
2.
To compute or estimate (numbers, distance, time, etc.).
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.129 : Forto acounte from kyng David his tyme.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.277 : Þe ȝeres of kynges and of emperours bygynneþ and endeþ certenliche but riȝt seelde; þerfore it is harde to acounte hem wiþ þe Olimpias oþer wiþ þe ȝeres of oure Lorde.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.156 : The wise man acompteth After the formel proprete Of Algorismes Abece.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)113b/b : [The sun] passiþ not fully a gree in a kyndelych day, þat is day and nyȝt, as albumasar acounttiþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)294a/b : Woodemen in þe mounteynes of affrica, in þe whiche ben many wilde asses, by þe nombre of here rorynge þey acounten þe dyuersite of þe day and of þe night.
- a1400 12 PTrib.(1) (Roy 17.B.17)55 : Þo kyngis stiward, when he ȝeldes acounte of þo receyt of his lord, he acountes & castis with penyes of leed or of coper.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.643 : And þe heȝt was of euery wal Sixty cubites, from þe grounde acountid.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4622 : It was acountyd..Four hundred ȝeer..To-foor the beelding and fundacioun Of gret Rome.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1102 : Who þe lenghe of þe lede lelly accountes, Fro þe face to þe fote was fyfe fadom lange.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)673 : Þen con he calke & a-conte & kest on his fyngirs.
- c1450 Lover's Mass (Frf 16)160 : Somme of hem somwhile rekne and accounten how myche they ha passyd off ther Journe.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)311 : His hoost was not acoundid passing viii thousand.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)354/9 : Now acounte me thise yeris wysely.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1730 : Whan they hadde rekoned, scored, and accompted Hoolly al his money, housholde, and store, To xxx li. than his goodis amounted.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.2.89a : Of endeles thing may no proporcion be lymyted ne a counted.
3.
(a) To evaluate or rate (sth.); to regard (sth. as belonging to a certain class or classification), to consider (sth. as having a certain property, value, or standing); (b) ~ as (for) nought, etc., regard as worthless or negligible, have no regard for; (c) to regard (sb.) highly, to esteem.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.137 : [Scythians] acounteþ no trespas gretter þan robberie.
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)94/67 : Among þis noumbre acounted was Steuene, þat stoned was in plas.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.2281 : To acompte his grete cost Forth with the folk that he hath lost..Ther schal he finde no winnynge.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1577 : The mor that he his swevene acompteth, The lasse he wot what it amonteth.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.701 : The king himself acompteth That he alle othre men surmonteth.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)192a/a : Þey acounten slouþe, to dye on bedde, and grete worshepe and vertue, to dye in þe felde fiȝtyng aȝeins enemys.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)193b/b : Gascoigne..is a prouynce bisyde the mountes Pyrennea and some tyme acountede vndir Guyan.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)294a/b : Þey acounted þat Centaures weren y feyned.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)310b/b : Atramentum..is acounted amonges feynede colours.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)324b/b : Cvrlewe eiren..beþ acounted right goode aȝeins þe falling yuel.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)38/2 : Bere we þe cros of Crist & richesse acounte we as cley.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7679 : Swa þat ilk yhere be acounted halely Of thre hundreth days and fourty.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.5.111 : Nevere oon of thilke thynges that thou acountedest for thyne goodes nas nat thi good.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)8/1 : He is not acomptide ne taken for wiseman.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3012 : Ho [Helen] to Castor þe kyng accounttid was euon, And to Pollux, pure suster pristly to bothe.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.95 : Whi schulde þeire vertu and þeire honeste Be acounted as a part of þi richesse?
- c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)330/51 : He was acounted in all londes oon of the worthiest knight.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)12 : This Ennok mad a book of prophecie, whech the lawe acoundith among bokis that be clepid Apocripha.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)67/11 : The which..accompted hymselff one of the beste of the courte.
- a1500 Counsels Isidor (Hrl 1706)371 : Þey ben a-counted amonges heþen men þat performen not her avowys.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)91/121 : Than shalt thou be my servant and as for my servant acompted.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1104 : Thei acompte here wraththe at noght, Bot if ther be schedinge of blod.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.410 : Come neure in my tyme Man to me..þat acounted [vr. counted] conscience at a cokkes fether.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)4/8 : Þouȝ we wolde preue hit by oure lawe & by decrees y-write, ȝe acounteþ hem for nouȝt.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)1237 : God wot, she acounted nat a stree Of al my tale.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.90 : Þilke same þat ye acounten best..Ful foule þei schulde seme..And ben acounted as a þing of noght.
c
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)405 : I accounte no kynge..Whills I see ȝowe all sounde, I sette be no more.
4.
To give an account of (sth.), relate, tell; to mention [second Higd. quot.].
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.John (LdMisc 108)398 : Ȝeld me up þat guode tresor..and a-countes of is dede!
- (?c1375-a1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3591 : Why sholde I noght thyn infortune acounte?
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.9 : I schulde also write þe famous stories and acounte þe ȝeres from þe bygynnynge of þe world anon to oure tyme.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.299 : Þe vsage of olde Latyn is forto acounte the lasse nombre to fore þe more, contrarye to þe manere þat Latyn vseþ now.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3929 : Ten thosandez ware tynte, þe trewghe to acownt.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5443 : To acounte of þe kynges: Caras was on, And Nestor another.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1934 : To þe kiddest kyng to a-count of kyngis all othire, Sire Dari.
5.
To keep or present an official record or statement (of funds or goods); keep book, render account; fig. to give credit [quot. a1500].
Associated quotations
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)317 : Halvendel shal ben stole ar hit [revenue] come togidere and acounted.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.298 : Þe reyue oþer þe conterroller þat rekene mot and a-counte Of al þat þei hauen had.
- (1414-5) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.121/46 : And so, alle thinges a-forsaide accompted, we fynde the forsaide John endetted to the forsaide Thomas.
- (1419-20) Will in Bk.Lond.E.220/25 : Roberd leget owyth to me xv s..alle thyng a-counted bytwene vs.
- (1439) RParl.5.8b : Ye said Feoffes..shall not be compelled to accompt for the said Revenus in noon oyer place yan afore the Auditour..of the said Feffes.
- (1439) RParl.5.25b : The which Collectours hath accounted, and er bounden to accounte, of yaire receite in yis partie immediatly in the Kynges Escheqer.
- (1447-8) Shillingford115 : The Shirivys..accompted of the issuys and proffitis therof yn the Kynges Excheker.
- (1454-5) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15162 : So accompted, to be accompted, and allowed to be allowed, the forseid Procurators owen vppon this accompte xiijli xixs jd.
- (1455) Lin.DDoc.74/9 : I wol that he that so shal receyve the Issuez and profutez of the said Manoirs..yerely accompt of them afore such Auditours as shal be assigned.
- (1463-4) RParl.5.502a : That every of the seid Kepers soo to be named accompt yerely of the revenuez of their seid Offices in the seid Eschequer.
- a1500 12 PTrib.(2) (Rwl C.894)401 : What-soeuer thow suffreste paciently in trybulacion, afore god it is a-compted to hym as a fore-paymente of thy dette.
- a1525(?1466) Cov.Leet Bk.333 : The meyre with hys brytheryn..have ordenyd that all chamburlens..shal a-Coynt for ther offyse for the sum of lxvj li.
6.
To confess (what one has done); to explain or justify (actions before one's conscience, before God, etc.); to answer or atone for (misdeeds), square accounts; -- with obj. or of phrase.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Theoph.(LdMisc 108)34 : Þene heie feond he fond þere..And al his maynie a-boute him, for-to a-counti heore mis-dede.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)673 : And al þis a domesday worþ a-counted ffol wel.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)137 : Ine holy ssriftte, ine þo cort huo acounteþ ariȝt, he is al quit..huo þet ssel aȝt, him behoueþ paye.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)4.11 : And A-Counte with Concience..How þou ledest my peple, Lered and Lewed.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2014 : What thing it mai amonte, That he schal afterward acompte.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)330/308 : Of ilk tale þou talkis vs vntill, Þou accounte sall; þou can not escappe.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.76 : Wilt þou accounte wiþ fortune?..Of arrerage þou schalt not passen clere.
- a1605(c1422) Hoccl.Dial.(Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)221 : Many an othar wight..shall his consyence tenderly grope, and withe hym selfe acompte & reken of all that he hathe in his lyfe wrowght.