Middle English Dictionary Entry
plǒugh-man n.
Entry Info
| Forms | plǒugh-man n. Also ploughe-, plouhe-, etc. |
| Etymology | From plǒugh & man; ?also cp. MDu. ploech-man. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A plowman, farmer; one of low social status; also fig.; (b) pers ~, perkin the ~, generic proper names for a plowman; pers ~, the central character in the poem Piers Plowman; the title of a volume containing Piers Plowman; (c) in proverb; (d) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (1263) Inquis.PM Hen.III in Archaeol.Cant.4311 : [The rent of certain tenants who are called] Plocmen [is extended at 3 s. 5 d.].
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)425/182 : Euer-ech with swuch-manere wepne ase huy uyseden here a-liue: plouȝMan with his Aker-staf.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.211 : An oxe spak to a plowȝ man [Higd.(2): a man beenge at the plowe; L aranti]..and seide þat he was i-priked and i-dryve in idel.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.529 : With hym ther was a plowman [vr. plouheman], was his brother, That hadde ylad of donge ful many a fother.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)15.261/4 : Seynt Bernard..sauh a plouh mon don his dedes.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3422 : Ther mai no gold the Jugge plie, That he ne schal the sothe trie, And setten every man upriht, Als wel the plowman as the kniht.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.799 : I may nat do as euery plowman may.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)4696 : Plowemen [Vsp: Tilmen] ouer al þe lond aboute, As þei were wont, her seed dud sawe.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.310 : Pore peple, as plouȝmen [vr. plouthmen; B: plowmen; C: plouhmen] and pastours of bestis, Souteris & seweris..Percen wiþ a paternoster þe paleis of heuene.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.119 : Þe comune contreued of kynde witte craftes, And for profit of alle þe poeple, plowmen ordeygned To tilie and trauaile.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.183 : Hem were betere to be plowȝmen þan to be sich freris.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)179b/a : Þe strongest induracioun..falleþ in a harde bodie and a drie, as ȝif it falle in a plowe mannes honde.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)405 : Plowmanne: Arator, carrucarius, georgicus, glebo.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)214/13 : Hurde-men & plew-men rescowid his childer fro þis lyon & þis wulfe.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.55/28 : I will yat..iij of the best plomen haf Ilkon of yam iij s. iiij d.
- (c1472) Paston (EETS)1.635 : Yt foretunyd hym to be a-spyed by ij plowemen of my modyrs.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)423/1 : His plough-men in Walton..yaf there tythis.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.61.42a : Knyȝt ore skuiere, marchaunt or ploman, ore wat degre he be inne.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Pseudo-F.(Dub 245)321 : Lif of a trewe plow man or ellis of a trewe heerde is betere preyere to god þen preyere of any ordre þat god loueþ lesse.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)97b : A plugh [Monson: Ploghe] man: Arator, Aratorculus, Corcularius, stibanus [Monson: carrucarius, stiuarius].
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)1027 : Plogh-men erit in a feld.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)263 : Ech þing drawith vn-to his semblable..To a plowman for tyle his londe.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)48 : It is saide forwhi of a plowghman that, for his oxen wold nat drawe rightly, he saide the wolf shuld ete hem.
b
- (1381) Let.Ball in Robbins Hist.Poems (Roy 13.E.9)p.55 : Iohan schep..biddeþ Pers plouȝman go to his werk and chastise wel hobbe þe robbere.
- (1396) Will York in Sur.Soc.4209 : Lego Domino Johanni Wormyngton..unum librum vocatum Pers plewman.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.3 : Quaþ perkyn þe plouȝman [vrr. plouȝmon, ploghmon; B: plouman]..'I haue an half akir to ern.'
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)8.132 : Manye tyme þis metelis han mad me to stodie, And for peris loue þe plouȝman [B: plowman; C: plouhman] wel pensif in herte.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)7.38 : Many wepten for ioye And preyseden pieres þe plowman [C: peers plouhman].
- (1431) Will York in Sur.Soc.3034 : Lego..unum librum Anglicanum de Pers Plughman.
- a1500(1381) Knighton Chron.Contin.(Cld E.3)139 : Lat Peres the Plowman, my brother, duelle at home and dyȝt us corne.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2857 : Ȝif þe plowman alwey cast a-forne, How many graynes in his feld of corne Schal be devourid of foulis rauynous..Þanne schulde he neuer..For cowardyse þrowe abrod his greyne.
d
- (1223) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames276 : Robert Pleueman.
- (1260) Pat.R.Hen.III115 : Bartholomew le Plouman.
- (1275) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms32 : Joh. Plouman.
- (1276) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms32 : Joh. le Ploghman.
- (1301) Name in LuSE 3591 : Ploxhman.
- (1316-17) in Rec.B.Nottingham 1380 : William le Plougman.
- (1327) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms32 : Luc. le Ploman.
- (1327) Name in LuSE 3591 : Ploghman.
- (1332) Name in LuSE 3591 : Plogman.