Middle English Dictionary Entry
prō̆vince n.
Entry Info
| Forms | prō̆vince n. Also provincie, provinse; pl. province(s, provins. |
| Etymology | OF province & L prōvincia. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Any political or administrative division of a country; (b) a nation; also, a Greek city-state or the region containing it; also, one of the ancient kingdoms of Ireland; ~ of promissioun, the Promised Land, Canaan; (c) one of the counties of England; (d) an ancient Roman province; (e) eccl. the area under the jurisdiction of an archbishop, a province; also, the area under the jurisdiction of a bishop, an episcopal see; also, a provincial council [quot.: (a1402)]; (f) the people of a region or nation.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Esth.3.12 : It is writen..to alle þe satrapis of þe king & domesmen of dyuerse prouyncis [L provinciarum] & folkis.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Dan.2.48 : The kyng..ordeynyde hym vpon alle prouyncis of Babiloyne prince and prefect.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.259 : Franconia is, as it were, þe myddel prouynce of Germania.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.332 : His sonne, Edward, þe prince, & fiftene for his sake, þre hundred of þe prouince, knyghtes wild he make.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1614 : Danyel..caȝt watz in þe captyvide in cuntre of Jues..A prophete of þat province and pryce of þe worlde.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.961 : He myȝt seen in his inspeccioun To þe boundis of many regioun And provincys þat stond rounde..aboute.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)29/23 : In Egipt þere ben v prouynces [Man.(2): cuntreez; F prouinces].
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)65/23 : In the rew[m]e of Cirie are these reumys contynued, that is for to seye, Iuda prouyncie, Palestine, Galice, Cecile, and othere manye prouyncis.
- a1450 St.Etheldr.(Fst B.3)87 : Þe prouynce of Deyre & of Bernice, with-inne þat kyndam þey ben y-wys.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12193 : I haue aproprid to oure partis prouyns besyde.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)12 : Geruase..rehersith xuiii prouinces þat longe to ytaile, of whech þis flaminea is put in þe xi place.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)24/7-8 : This kyngdam was sum-tyme dyuydyd & departid yn tylle ii provyncis, where-of þe sowþe-provynce was clepid Deira and þe norþe-provynce Bernicia.
- a1500 *Let.Alex.(Wor F.172)44 : With oure ordynaries and preparatories we han purposed of thest provinces and many Roial tovnes saide.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)171b/a : Asia..haþ many prouynces & regiouns and diuers naciouns.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)332a/a : Oure grete made and mesured al þe wyde world, and deled þe prouynce [L prouincias]; and prouynce in regiouns, in place, in teritories; and teritories in feldes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)6 : Hit watz Ennias þe athel & his highe kynde Þat siþen depreced prouinces.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5192 : Carpenor..Brouȝt fifti eke from Capadie his contre, A gret provynce, of whiche kynge was he.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4411 : This thyng was in grece couth, Fyrst to Argyve and Deyphylee And to the ladies ek in the contre And of provynces aboute hem adiacent.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)78/36 : Þeise be not myles of Gascoyne ne of the prouynce of Almayne, where ben grete myles.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3343 : Hope ye now, hynde Lady, þat your hegh goddis Haue put you to þis prouynse pyne for to thole?
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)3/14,18 : In þis Asia stant Ynde and Pers, Mede, Mesopothamia..& many mo prouynces..Affrica hath principali þe prouynce of Zeugis where grete Cartage stant.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)481 : In yreland is a grete cite Es calde kenanus..In prouynce þat Midia hatt.
- c1475 The high Astrapotent (Hrl 2251)24 : Aaron lad them fro this subieccioun By the rede see..Towarde the provynce of promyssioun.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.85 : Take hede þan Engelond conteyneþ two and þritti schires and prouinces, þat now beeþ i-cleped erldoms, outake Cornewayle and ilondes.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.101 : In Dorcestre province, besides Gillyngham, he fauȝt aȝenst Edmond.
- c1430 Const.Masonry(2) (Add 23198)270 : This councell ys made bi dyuers lordis & maisters of dyvers provynces and diuers congregacions of masonry.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.87 : The prouince of Yorke [Trev.: Ȝorkschire] extendethe hit oonly now from the arche of the floode of Humbre vn to the floode of Teyse.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)2 : The auncient langage of the Brutes bloode at this day remayneth..in the auncient provynce and Dukedom of Cornewale.
d
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 23.34 : Whanne he hadde rad, and axid of what prouynce he was, and knowinge for he was of Cilice, 'I schal heere thee,' he seith.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)62/64 : Austin þe doctour..Boren was in þe prouince of Affrican.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2770 : Whanne he made a governour Be weie of substitucion Of Province or of region, He wolde ferst enquere his name.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.77 : The fortunes and the richesses of the peple of the provinces ben harmed or amenused outher be pryve ravynes or by comune tributes.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.97 : It schulde gretly tormenten and endamagen al the provynce of Campayne.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)100 : In Tessaile hit tyde as thus in tyme olde, A prouynce appropret aperte to Rome.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)32/3 : Þe Romayns had made sogettys to hem þe londe of Iury and many oþer prouinces [vrr. provyns; londes] aboute hem.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.846 : Moost grettest in erthe..Sendeth loue and helthe to al clergy Of surre and Cipre and other prouynces.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)321 : Þe emperour..wold haue writen iche place, Prouince, shir, & eke cite, how mony thurȝe the world þer wer.
e
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.562 : Euery bisshop þat bereth crosse, by þat he is holden Thorw his prouynce to passe and to his peple to shewe hym, Tellen hem and techen hem on þe Trinite to bileue.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)44/28 : Alle religious men beþ acursed in dede, þat assoyleþ eny men þat beþ acursed by statutes of prouynces oþer of synodes.
- (1425) RParl.4.291a : The Kyng..hath delivered the Bille to my Lord of Canterbury, chargyng hym to purveye of remedye for his Province; And semblably shall write to the Chirche of York for that Provynce.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)36/24 : Sche salutyd hym..prayng hym of hys gracyows lordshyp to grawnt hir auctoryte of chesyng hyr confessowr & to be howselyd euery Sonday..vndyr hys lettyr and hys seel thorw al hys prouynce.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)437 : Whenne freres goon to chapitre for charite-is sake, Thay casten þere þe cuntrey and coostz aboute And parten þe prouynce in parcelle-mele.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)104/21 : Swech a vision was schewid on-to a prioresse of nunnes, not of his ordre but of a-noþir in þe prouynce of Ȝork.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)114/7 : He comaunded..þe fest of þis holy man to be solempnized be all her prouinces.
- (a1452) Doc.in Kingsford EHist.Lit.(CotR 2.23)362 : The Quinte of the Dymes of Clergye in the province of Canterbury is xvj m..li.
- (1454) RParl.5.249a : ii hole Dismes to your Highnesse by the Clergie of the Province of Caunterbury last graunted.
f
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.41.57 : Alle prouyncez comen into Egipt þat þey miȝten byggen metez.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)217 : Þi fame shall goo fer & þu furse holdyn, And all prouyns and pertes þi pes shall desyre.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1642 : Priam..a pales gert make..toures full tore torret aboue..To all the prouyns þai apperit & pertis ofer, With mekyll solas to se in mony syde londis.