Middle English Dictionary Entry
portē̆r n.
Entry Info
| Forms | portē̆r n. Also portere, portar(e, portir, portor, portour, porteour & (in surname only) portier & (error) poter. |
| Etymology | OF; cp. AF porter, portour, CF portier; also cp. L portārius. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A gatekeeper, doorkeeper; also, one who guards the gate of a bridge; ~ logge, a porter's lodge; (b) in titles: grom (sergeaunt, yeman) ~; (c) a keeper of the gates of heaven or hell; also applied to Cerberus; also, a gatekeeper of a palace in heaven; (d) fig.; (e) a chamberlain or counselor.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)369 : He brouȝtem to þe castel..& spac wiþ þe porter, in þat he hem let.
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)138 : Whane þu comest to þe ȝate, Þe porter þu schalt finde þarate.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)11172 : Sir Ion giffard..& sir Ion de balun..Ride vpe tueye wolpakces..To þe west ȝate ouer þe brugge & þe porters bede To late in tueie wolmongers.
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)185 : Þe porter of þe abbay aros..rong þe belles & taperes liȝt, leyd forþ bokes, & al redi diȝt.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4326 : Vnder þe tour buþ ȝeates two..With þe geant þat ys portere [rime: þere].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Esd.2.70 : Þanne dwelleden þe prestis..& þe syngeres & porteeres [L ianitores] & soodeknes in þer citees.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))John 10.3 : To this the porter [L ostiarius] openeth, and the scheep heeren his vois.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5527 : Whan he com to þe gate, To þe porter he ȝaf þe golde.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1139 : Thise porters [vr. portours] ben unkonnyng evere mo, And I wol don hem holden up the yate.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1717 : At the yate, porter [vrr. portar, portare] nas there non.
- c1450(?1436) Siege Calais (Rome 1306)73 : The porters kept full manly The yates open continuelly.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1507 : Romeyns entred maugre ther porteer [rime: yeer].
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A sauegard of porters.
- c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)337/34 : Furth he goos to the porter of the gates of the tovn.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)352/32 : Sir Gareth rode unto the barbycan of the castell and prayed the porter fayre to lette hym into the castell.
- (1471-2) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103644 : Operantibus in emendacione pavimenti subtus voltam porte occidentalis Abbathie, cum factura muri infra le Porterloge.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.232 : Þe portir with his pikis þo put him vttere.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)35 : Þei schal be in my sanctuari huschers & portars of þe ȝatis of þe house.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)304 : 'Syr nemes..ȝe schule kepe the brygge tyl we com a-gayn, þat the sarisins ne comen Inne..' 'Syr,' sayd Neymes..'To make me youre porter, hyt ys for dyspyte.'
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)179/7 : He smote atte the dore and askyd entre; The Poterys haddyn of hym grete endeyne.
b
- (1450) RParl.5.194b : John Watts, Yoman porter of oure Gate.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.225 : John Davy, grome porter.
- a1600(1472) Rec.Bluemantle (Jul C.6)385 : Ye forsayde Lorde Gruthuse was honorably receved..by ij esquiers, yt were sent thether by the Kinge from his owne courte, the tone called Mr. Morrys Arnolde, sergent porter, and ye other Mr. John Herlis.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)382/210 : Ich moste here porter beo, for non betere wuyrþe ich nere.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.101 : I dar nouȝt wiþ seie so grete and suche a fissher and porter, leste he close hevene ȝate aȝenst me.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)1392 : Sir Cherubin, þe haly angel þat porter [Vsp: yateward] ys, he gretes þe wel.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)854 : At this weddyng..was Cerberus, Chief porter of helle.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.12.35 : Cerberus, the porter of helle, with his thre hevedes, was caught and al abasschid of the newe song.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)88/196 : Crist made Peter of paradyse porter.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.92.62b : Crist is Dore, And He is Porter, and wiþ oute His lefe and His liuere mai þer noman comen in.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1657 : Thexecutour is porter, if heuene yate be stoken, To brynge in the soule of whom he hath the charge.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)379/373 : Saules cam so thyk now late vnto hell As euer; Oure porter at hell yate Is haldyn so strate, vp erly and downe late, he rystys neuer.
d
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.3 : Ydelnesse..porter [vr. poter] of the gate is of delices.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1940 : Ther Venus hath hir principal dwellynge Was shewed on the wal in purtreyynge..Nat was foryeten the porter [vr. portyr], ydelnesse.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.296 : Conscience..made pees porter [C: portor] to pynne þe ȝates.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)261 : In a prive corner in disport Fond I Venus and hire porter, Richesse.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.2 Merch.(Hrl 2255)62 : Love berith the keye and also the cliket, As trewe porteer, that they mot needys dwelle..withyne myndys selle.
- a1500 St.Brendan Conf.(Lamb 541)16/267 : Praie pyte þi porter, þat he wolde opene þe ȝate charyte.
e
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)97/7,11 : God..hauys put vnderstondyng yn hym..And ouer þat he hauys sette v portours to gouerne it..And he hauys stabyld to vche of þe v portours his wyt as his awen arbytour or Iuge.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)102/27,33 : Off Prudence to assaye a Conseller..it ys a nedfull þinge þat þy porteour be noght farre out of þy presence..And loke þat þy porteours be couenable, & þat þey loue þy lyf & be obedient to þe.
2.
In surnames and place name.
Associated quotations
- (1183-5) Cart.Oseney in OHS 9720 : Hiis testibus..Gilleberto portier.
- (1186) in Pipe R.Soc.36129 : Simon Portar.
- (1251) Select Pleas Forest in Seld.Soc.1378 : Ricardo le Porter.
- (1313) Sub.R.Bristol(1) in BGAS 19266 : Simon le Porter.
- (1318) Pat.R.Edw.II285 : Robert le Porteresman.
- (1362-3) Freeman R.in KRec.18212 : Johannes Porter, Barbour.
- (1414) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.271 : Porterslond.
- (1429) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms148 : Rog. Portere.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.55/2 : Adam Porter of Oseney.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. porter.