Middle English Dictionary Entry
quē̆ne n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | quē̆ne n.(1) Also quein, quin(e, (N) when & (early) cwene & (late) queane; sg.gen. quenes & (early) quene, cwene; pl. quenes, etc. & (early) quenen. |
| Etymology | OE cwene |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A woman; (b) a lowborn woman, quean; also, a harlot; also as term of abuse; (c) an old woman, a crone; (d) ?in place name [see Smith PNElem.1.122].
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6424 : Whær-swa heo funden æine mon..þa quenen [Otho: cwenes] lude loȝen & al hine to-droȝen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15113 : Þa axede þe king anan ..'Whæt is þe, leofe mæi, þat þu swa wepest to-dæi; þu ært ihalden kene gume; hauest þu nu quene þeouwes inume?
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(*Glb A.19-James)118/442 : Uor it seiþ in þe led, 'cold red is cwene red.'
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)793/30 : Hec virago: a sturdy qwene.
b
- c1300 SLeg.(Hrl 2277)475/345 : Atte tauerne he is aday & bi his quene bi nyȝte.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)194/7 : An old quene þare was bi-side, strong hore and baudestrote.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)753-7 : 'Nay certes,' quaþ þat eld quen, 'Þou miȝt it do wiþouten den Ȝer and oþer in þi bedde, And þan þe wil þat ȝong man wedde.' Þurth þis quen verrament And þe fendes enticement, Þe eldest soster, y ȝou say, A ȝong man lete wiþ hir play.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.18 : Hastow with som quene al nyght yswonke?
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)9.46 : At churche in the charnel cheorles aren vuel to knowe, Oþer a knyght fro a knaue oþer a queyne fro a queene.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7032 : Prest that halt his quene hym by..shal have of a corde a loigne With whiche men shal hym bynde and lede To brenne hym for his synful deede.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)420 : Quen, womann of lytylle price: Carisia.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2648 : Ȝa, go forthe and lete þe qwenys cakle!
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)343/192 : Thare quenys with þer skymeryng and þer schoute, Wille noght þer stevenis steere?
- (c1472) Paston (EETS)1.635 : Yt happyd hym to haue a knavys loste, in pleyn termes to swhyve a quene.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)171/58 : I xall sle scharlys, And qwenys with therlys here knaue gerlys I xal steke.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)202/69 : A fayre ȝonge qwene here-by doth dwelle..And a tall man with here doth melle.
- c1475 The hart lovyt (Brm)11 : The properte of a schrod qwen ys to have hyr wyll.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)276 : Þe Empresse..saide to hire selfe, 'What! ȝonde qwene [vr. woman] goith to chirche with as gret rialte as it were I my selfe!'
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)83/164 : A qweyn here..shall bere a chyld..That shall be crowned kyng.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)255/349 : Wherto abyde we here abowte Thise qwenes with scremyng and with showte?
- a1500 Ȝyng men I red (BodPoet e.1)p.271 : With a qwene yyf that thou run, Anon it is told into the town.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)196/297 : Whom callest thou 'queane', scabde dogge?
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12898 : Þa fond he þer ane quene [Otho: womman]..heor-lockede wif.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)48/15 : Me seið up on ancren þet euch meast haueð an ald cwene to feden hire earen.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)153/25 : Þe cwene [Cleo: Quene, glossed: vetula] seide ful soð þe wið a strea ontende alle hire wanes, þet muchel kimeð of lutel.
- a1325(?a1300) Interl.CG (Add 23986)68 : Hic am anald quyne and a lam.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Tim.4.7 : Vncouenable, forsoþe, and quenys fablis or veyne fablys farsake þou.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)361/31 : Þis false alde when had a gude reward.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)619/13 : Vetulana: anglice, an old quene, or an old wymman.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)84 : Þey ouer lond strakeþ Þider as her lemmans liggeþ..Grey grete-hedede quenes wiþ gold by þe eiȝen.
d
- (1324) in Ekwall PNLan.93 : Dedequenclogh.
- (1464) in Ekwall PNLan.93 : Dedewhenclogh.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1300(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Jes-O 29)119/442
: Salomon hit haveþ i sed, þat wymmon can wel vuelne red. Þe hire red foleweþ heo bryngeþ hime to seorewe. For hit seyþ in þe loþ as scumes [?read: cwenes or cwen us] for-teoþ.
Note: A crux for which many solutions have been offered. 'cwen us' is Hall's suggestion; 'cuenes' is Arngart's, following the Brandl-Zippel glossary.