Middle English Dictionary Entry
rēaltẹ̄ n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | rēaltẹ̄ n.(1) Also reau(l)te, reute, reiate, rialte, -ti(e, riau(l)te, riolte. |
| Etymology | OF realte, reaute, reyaute, vars. of roiauté; for forms rialte, etc. cp. ME rēal adj.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Royal status, power, or prerogative; royal state; also, sg. & pl. royal regalia [quots.: c1440(?a1400)]; in a form of address: youre ~, you, the king; (b) power, authority analogous to a king's; also, episcopal vestments; (c) a kingdom, the territory of a kingdom; (d) a royal appurtenance; an accessory of royalty; (e) a reign.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2063 : Oure king hath do this thing amis So to abesse his realte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3810 : I schal..torne ayein To speke of justice and Pite, After the reule of realte.
- (1397) RParl.3.379a : I..toke upon me, amonge other, Power Reall, trewly naght knowyng ne wytyng that tyme that I dede azeyns his Estate ne his Realte.
- (1400) Let.Hen.IV in RS 18.1 (Vsp F.7)23 : Likit yhour Realte to wit that I am gretly wrangit be the Duc of Rothesay.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.209 : Þe pore..par auenture can more Of witte and of wysdom, þat fer awey is better Þan ricchesse or reaute [C: reaulte].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1371 : To rose hym [Belshazzar] in his rialty rych men soȝtten.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)242/15 : Þe barons of Engeland atte on assent wille þat ȝe bene nomore Kyng of Engeland but vtterly haueþ put ȝow out of ȝour realte for euermore.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1948 : Lat hym regnen in his Ryalte, The croune of Thebes a ȝeer to occupie.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)128/69 : His kingdom and all his riallte Vntill his sun haly gaf he.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)423 : I sall..Regne in my realtee.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3214 : We will by þe Crosse-dayes encroche þeis londez And..Ryngne in my ryalltes and holde my rownde table.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)23/5 : We schall mak aknawen vntill hym ȝour grete glory, ȝour ryaltee, & ȝour noblaye.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)354 : Othere epistlis..Constantyn..wroot whanne he was in his moost rialte.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)94b : In þis manere realte [vr. rialtie] thyn worthynesse, sire Emperour, hyghe prys bereþ aboue othre þat han J-ben bifore thi dayes.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)335/7 : In ys most rialte he was poysond.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)13939 : Þe qwene and all þer cumpany laft all þer ray of ryalte, and sekes and hayres þei hent.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.53 : Full preuyly þey pluckud þy power awey And reden with realte ȝoure rewme þoru-oute.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)148/27,28 : Y ne wote how..is enfebelid the streynth of all chyualrye..and rialtee..ryaltee wythout wysdome and cvnnynge ne may not endure.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)151/2 : Moche is to dyspice the heynysse of the worlde, the realte of the Emperie, and þe honoure of richesse.
b
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.228 : Kinghod & kniȝthod..Helpiþ nouȝt to heuene at one ȝeris ende, Ne richesse, ne rentis, ne realte [B: reaute; vrr. Reautee, reute] of lordis.
- ?c1425(c1390) Chaucer Fort.(Benson-Robinson)60 : I thee lente a drope of my richesse..Why sholdestow my realtee [vr. ryaltee] oppresse?
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)70b : A duke to whom is ȝiue so grete realtees [vr. rialtees] of power, to whoos feith & vertue..blis of alle þe comynalte is taken and graunted, he moot be besy boþe in þoȝt & eke in dede.
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)420 : He..hade ryalte Of alle kynges to be kyng.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)14272 : Lord god..mekyll is þi myȝt..þat rewls all thyng be reson ryȝt þi ryalte forto rede.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8:Kingsf.)300 : The bysshoppis stoden y-reuersid in her rialte with mitris and copis.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)149 : Thei..disencresen grace dieu of the tresore of hire rialtee.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.117 : Nabugodonosor regnede in Babilon ten ȝere. He putte moche more to his fader realte [vr. rialte; Higd.(2): regaly; L regalibus].
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3587 : Al aboute The realte of Rome be many a myle Was augmented be him.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)123/3 : The clowdes..Raykand ouere my rialte on rawe me reioyses.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)110 : Helle and Dethe..wer sore aferde yn theyr ryalte when they saw so grete a lyght.
d
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)770 : Maskellez bryd..Þat reiatez hatz so ryche & ryf, Quat kyn þyng may be þat Lambe Þat þe wolde wedde vnto hys vyf?
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)164/9 : We..ordeyn þat our special rentz..to þe moder cherche of Rome..sauyng to vs..oure oþer ffraunchisis and oþer realtes þat apperteyneþ to þe crone.
e
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)209/2 : Þe þride ȝere of is rialtee he was slayn in Rome.
2.
(a) Pomp, magnificence, wealth, splendor; elaborate ceremony; also, a magnificent feast; also, ?precious material [quot.: a1387]; (b) luxury, extravagance; debauchery; also, a pleasure garden; pl. delicacies; (c) worldly rank or glory; social importance; (d) happiness, contentment.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)5006 : Alle þe clerkes vnder god couþe nouȝt descriue..þe realte of þat day.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)5057 : No clerk..ne kowþe nouȝt descriue þe murthe for þat mariage þat was maked þanne, þe richesse ne þe riaulte.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.191 : Picthagoras..brouȝte abouȝte þat olde modres dede awey hir noble array of golde and of oþer realte [Higd.(2): of grete richesse; L nobilitatis], as þey suche array were instrumentis to leccherie.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.928 : Hir goost was euere in pleyn humylitee..No pompe, no semblant of realtee, But ful of pacient benygnytee.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.ML.(Cmb Dd.4.24)B.418 : Here moun men feest and realte [vr. rialtees] beholde.
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)296/23 : King Edward lete make..grete festis..at whiche festis and rialte were ij Kingez, ij quenez, [etc.].
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)322/16 : King Edward..had..done..þe exequites wiþ grete costes and rialtees.
- (1429) RParl.4.361a : In ye tyme of Kyng Edward..was halden in yis Roiaume ful grete astate and rialte in householdes.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.161r : Which mariage was so noble and of coste and worship that long after in caroles and mynstralleyes the rialte was songe and commended.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)15181 : Hys [Job's] ryches and his ryalte, as robes and rentes and oþer aray..were all dobyll.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)437/6 : Byforne that weren come..a bisshop of Fraunce..to se that rialte and the Coronacions of the kynge.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)14225 : The cyte off Babiloun Wyth al hys grete Ryalte..Was bylt and mad by hym.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)2455 : They were recevid with rialte, Euery man in his degre.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)276 : Yonde qwene goith to chirche with as gret rialte [vr. solempnyte] as it were I my selfe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3464 : Double fest þat day derely was holdyn, With all þe reuell & riolte.
b
- c1390 Whon Men beoþ (Vrn)88 : Hit were wel betere for to se A Mon þat nou parteþ and dys, Þen a feste of Realte.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)243/10 : To miche he ȝaf him vnto realte [vrr. reaute; ryout] and folie.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)185/30 : Whan þat ony gode knyght..cam to see this rialtee, he wolde lede him in to hys paradys & schewen him þeise wonderfull thinges.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)14 : Þei..drynkyn dilicious ale and spisid and heiȝe wynes, and beggen of þe comune peple to holden vp þis realte.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1208 : Þy heuenelyche spouse..Delytede hym..in lowenesse, in mekenesse, & in charite, & not in ryalte of clothus weryng.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)427/5 : The ffeste holden in the paleis..of alle maner rialteis of metis and drynkys.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)73 : This rialte he made than aye, Tyll his maneris wern all awaye.
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)766 : Þey ete & dranke & made good schere And made fests of realte.
c
- c1450 As y gan wandre (Lamb 853)6 : Sumtime y hadde þe world at wille, With ricchesse & with rialte.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)379 : Þis man had neuer so grete cause to fle & to hide hym self as whan he [Pope Sylvester] was callid to þis rialte.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)9/9 : Foolis..stondin in grette ryalte whanne thei..seen a grette rowte follow them and..bowe downe.
d
- a1500 Thayr ys no myrth (SeldSup 52)15 : I set not by..Mony, golde..And yie wolde..Mo [read: Me] for to loue..Thane shuld I leyffe in Rialte.