Middle English Dictionary Entry
bachelēr n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bachelēr n. Also bachil(i)ēr, bachelar, -or, bachler. |
| Etymology | OF bacheler, for which see E. Gamillseheg, Etym.Wb. under bachelier. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A young man, a youth; (b) specifically, a young unmarried man, a bachelor.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.John (LdMisc 108)265 : Tweye Ioliue louerdingues..Þis tweiȝe ȝongue men..þis twei wilde Bachilers.
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)1370 : To Josep cam a bacheler And seide he hadde to him mester.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5393 : Þis were noble kniȝtes fiue & alle of midel liue; Þe oþer al were bachelers.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5994 : Noiþer eld man no bacheler!
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)3731 : 'What dones man ertow, bacheler?' 'Sire,' a seide, 'a forester!'
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.80 : With hym ther was his sone, a young squyer, A louere and a lusty bacheler, With lokkes crulle.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1343 : This o lord hadde in special A Sone, a lusti Bacheler.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8541 : Quen dauid was ded..Salamon..was a borli bachelere. In al þat werld had he na pere.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)918 : Love hadde with hym a bacheler [F jovenciau]..Swete-Lokyng cleped was he.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1299 : Yong was thike bacheler..he was right of sich an age As Youthe his leef.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)229 : So was there a bacheler [F baceler; cp. a1500(?c1450) Merlin 5: yonge man] Jn the town.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)701 : Mi leue doȝter..Ich þe wole marie wel..To þe nobloste bachiler þat þin herte wile to stonde.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1278 : Bachileres haue ofte peyne and wo..Ther as a wedded man..Lyueth a lyf blisful and ordynat.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)650 : Of alle þe knyȝtes y se þere, He ys þe fayreste bachelere; He ne hadde neuer no wyf.
2.
An aspirant to knighthood; a novice in arms, a squire.
Associated quotations
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)3587 : Þo was þer made a turnament..Of bacheler & ȝong kniȝt.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)840 : Wheþer he be kniȝt or bachiler wot i neuer for soþe.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)13.103 : There Cleped he bothe knyhtes & bachelere..And told hem Of that Merveil there.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)52.541 : Ȝoure fadir sendeth..Aftyr his knyhtes And Bachelere, here worthynesse forto preven here.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)25531 : These ȝonge Bachelers..boþe bold & fers, herden tho tellen of Arthewris comeng.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)293 : And not anoon to knyghthode is to lyft A bacheler elect; let first appare And preve it wel that he be stronge & swift And wil the discipline of werrys lere.
3.
A knight in the service of another knight, a nobleman, or the king; a retainer; a (young) warrior knight; also, a warrior of antiquity holding rank comparable to that of the medieval knight.
Associated quotations
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9295 : Þe erl of chastre anon Spec toward þe erl of gloucester..'My wei icholle make sone as a stalwarde kniȝt'..Þe erl roberd of gloucestere spec þo þus ywis, 'Sire ȝonge bacheler..wel we witeþ þis, Þat þou art strong & corageus.'
- c1330(?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch)p.650 : Kniȝt corteis..Gret harm it wer to sle þe, So ȝong a bacheler.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)1074 : Roulond þat douȝti bacheler [cp. 881: roulond, þat douȝti kniȝt].
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1136 : 'Grant me a bone, ȝif me þe ordur of kniȝt to go to þis dedus'..þemperour..made him kniȝt on the morwe..william he calle[d], þat ȝong bold bachiler.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.3085 : He [Palamon the knight] is a kynges brother sone..thogh he were a poure bachiler.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.503 : Antiochus..had a feloun bacheler, Which was his prive consailer.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.85 : Þere cam forth a knyȝte..Hiȝte longeus..þis blynde bacheler.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)200/11 : Kyng Edward..sende after alle þe bachilers of Engeland.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)16/48 : Mani stout bachilere broght he on raw.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)137/21 : When any ȝung bachelere [Tit: gode knyght; F bon bachiler] of þe cuntre come to him.
- a1450 SLeg.Suppl.Bod.(Bod 779)369/28 : Þe child [a king's son]..of strenþ, of cortesie, nadde..non per; so þat in a lyte whyle he worþ a good bacheler.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)309 : How gracyose hit is a masse to here..To euery worthy kyng or bachelere.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1797 : In bilding of his bachelers..Quat now, my worthi werriouris?
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)787 : Charles was I-come..With thre hundred thousand of Bacheleris.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)23/21 : They too ded many mervelous dedis of armys with many bachelers.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)535 : Syre bausyn de senek, the noble bachiler.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1189 : Oure emperour charlys..asked hym tyþyng: 'As þu art my gode knyȝt and my Bacheler, How faren my cosyns roulond and Olyuer?'
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)223/616 : Secundus Miles..we are..redy to..bow to thi bydyng as bachlers shuld.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)9478 : 'Sir..I wol be youre bachelere'..To hym tho answeryth Partanope..'Youre knyght to be is myn entent.'
4.
(a) A knight in the social scale, ranking just below the hereditary nobleman; (b) a knight belonging to the lower of the two ranks of knights; a knight bachelor (as distinguished from a knight banneret); ~ knight, knight ~.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3338 : And that thi fader were a Pier, As he is now a Bachilier..Thou scholdest thanne be my [the king's] wif.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3373 : He which was a Bacheler, Mi fader, is now mad a Pier.
- (1397) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)8.17 : A Bishop, Ane Erle, a Baron, Twa Clerks, Twa Bachelers, and a Sqwier, for the partie of Scotlande.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.23 : We shul preyen..for oure lorde ye kyng, for oure lady ye qwen, Duckes, Erles, Barouns, and Bachelers of ye londe.
- a1450 Dux Moraud (BodPoet f.2)3 : Emperoures & kynges be kende, Erlys & barunnys blode, Bachelerys & knytes to mende, Sueyeres & ȝemen to holde.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)13.501 : Eualach his knyhtes Calleth..He Clepeth forth lord, dwk, Erl, and bachelere.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1594 : With þat comandis þe kyng his knyȝtis..Bathe beroun & bachelere.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.12 : Alle dede hym homage..Kyng, Duke, Erl, Baron, and Bachelere.
- c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)120 : Passe we all now in fere, Duke, Erle, and Bachelere.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.358 : He sente for his seruantis þat sembled many, Of baronys and baccheleris.
b
- (1399) RParl.3.424a : The Erle of Gloucestre for Dukes and Erles; the Lord of Berkeley for Barones and Banerettes; Sir Thomas Irpyngham, Chaumberleyn, for all the Bachilers and Commons of this Lond.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)68 : Byschopes & bachelers & banerettes nobill, Þat bowes to his banere.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)1098 : When þay saw Sir Degreuant..Than drewe þay full nere, Baron and bachelere, To be vndir his banere.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)82/161 : Buske ȝou, bolde bacheleris, vnder my baner to a-byde.
- (1469) Ordin.Househ.Clarence in PSAL (1790)98 : The estate..of the seid Prince in his ridinge..ii bachelors knightes.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)32 : Bannerettes, iiii, or Bacheler Knights, to be kervers and cupberers in this courte..They are called knyghtes of chaumbre.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)33 : Knyghts of household, xii, bachelers sufficiant, and most valient men of that ordre..whereof iiii to be continually..attending uppon the King's person in courte.
- a1500 Retinue Edw.III Calais (Lamb 306)82 : The yerle of Lancaster..with him of knyȝts baneretes..xj..of knyghtes bachellers..iiij C. xj.
- a1600(1435) Wars France in RS 22.2433 : The names of the princes, dukes, erles, barons, banrettes and bacheler knightes, with other nobles of the houshould.
- a1600(1435) Wars France in RS 22.2437 : Walter Hungerforde, knight baneret..William Drury, knight bachelor.
5.
One who has taken the lowest degree (in a particular subject) conferred by a university; ~ of divin (divinite), ~ of lawe, ~ of phisik, ~ in medicines.
Associated quotations
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)prol.90 : I sauh þer Bisschops Bolde and Bachilers of diuyn.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1126 : His felawe, That was that tyme a bacheler of lawe.
- (1421) RParl.4.158a : But he be Bacheler or Doctour of Fisyk, havynge..on of those degrees of the Universite in the whiche he toke his degree yn.
- (1423) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)108/5 : Maister Thomas Southwell, Bachiler in Medicyns.
- (1423) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)110/58,64 : Excepte þat none be chose Rectour of Medicyns bot he be doctour of Medicyns, maistre of arte and Philosophie, or a bachiler in Medicyns of long tyme..So þat þe Bachiler ne occupie þoffice of þe Rectour lenger þen suche a doctour.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)152/10 : He was as þat tyme neyþyr bacheler ne doctowr of diuinyte.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)168/3 : Þe oþer clerk was a bacheler of lawe canon, a wel labowrd man in Scriptur.
- (1442) Let.Coldingham in Sur.Soc.12137 : A man lerynd in the temporall lawe of England, maistre John Lethom, bachiler of lawe canon et cywell.
- (1455) Lin.DDoc.77/15 : I wol that the said ij prestis be seculers, bachelers of diuinite, or at leste maisters of Arte.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)231/2 : Iohn hauberk, bacheler of boþe lawys.
- a1486 Knts.Bath in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)69 : A hood of the same, purfiled aboute of the shappe as bacheleris of lawe hav.
6.
A junior member, or yeoman, of a trade guild.
Associated quotations
- (1418) Grocer Lond.in Bk.Lond.E.200/183 : The maystre of the Bachilers..shall, by licence of þe seid wardens, make þer elleccion.
- (1427-8) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)165 : Item, of diuerse persones Ikallyd bacheleris, to the glazing of the parlour.
- (1427-8) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)177 : The Namez of housholders and bachilers þat be nat in þe leuere at this tyme..Thomas Knolles þe ȝounger, bachiler.