Middle English Dictionary Entry
poun(e n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | poun(e n.(1) Also paun, pon, peune. |
| Etymology | AF; cp. CF pëon, päon, pon. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A pawn in chess; also fig.; ~ erraunt, a pawn that mates the king, mating pawn; ~ ward, the protection given by a pawn; rok and ~, rook and pawn, the high and the low, everybody.
Associated quotations
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)p.62 : More loueþ þe archer þe penne of þe pakok Þan in cheker a mat of þe paun [F Qe en escheker mat de paun].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)50a/a : Pirgus: a powne of a ches or a table hasard.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)411 : Powne, of the chesse: Pedinus.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)661 : Fortune seyde 'Chek her!' And 'Mat!' in myd poynt of the chekker, With a poun errant.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)6161 : The first povne, which that stood On hir ryght hand, was callyd youthe.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)140 : To destroye it [the church] eche wight setteth too the hond, bothe rook and pown [F paonnet].
- a1475 Chess(1) (Porter)605 : Sey chec with þi pown.
- c1475 Chess(2) (Ashm 344)602 : Chek with thy Roke in thy Pon ward.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)93b : A Pawn: pedinus.
- a1500(1413) ?Hoccl.Poems PS (Eg 615)p.xxvi/114 : Shame hath he þat at the cheker pleith Whan þat a powne saith to the kyng, 'chek mate.'
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)70 : He..byheld the kyng sette yn the pley, som tyme hy and som tyme lowe, among aufyns & pownys.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)626 : Pedinus: pewne.