Middle English Dictionary Entry
barǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | barǒun n. Also baron, -un, beron. |
| Etymology | OF baron (nom. ber). Some instances of beren, berin entered under bern may belong here. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. bern n.(1).
1.
A member of the nobility, a lord; specif., a feudal tenant of a king or other superior, holding by military or other service; a great noble who attends the King's Council or is summoned by writ to Parliament, ~ of þe (upon) benche, a peer on the King's Council.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5319 : Heo wulled kepe vre childre to ȝisle..ælcches barunes sune þe i þissere burh wuneð.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)177 : Þe oreguil and þe wraððe of kinges and of barones..bringen on þe folkes heorte grete stormes of mið and of onde.
- a1300 Hwi ne serue (Jes-O 29)57 : Seynt thomas wes biscop, and barunes him quolde.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10532 : Þe barons sende to þe king philip of france, þat he hom sende socour.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3783 : A baroun of þe benche aros: Sir Tristor his name was.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)38 : Ine þise zenne byeþ þe greate princes oþer barouns, þet be hare strengþe nimeþ þe cities.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2128 : Barouns, burgeys & bonde, & alle oþer burnes.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)prol.96 : Barouns and Burgeis and Bonde-men..I sauȝ in þat Semble.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13028 : Befor his baruns euer-ilkan He forbedd him þat womman.
- a1400(?a1350) Siege Troy(1) (Eg 2862)97 : Foure barouns gon þey goon, þat grete Lordynges þey were echoon.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.128 : And come to þe kynges conseille as a kene baroun.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1640 : Þou schal be baroun upon benche; bede I þe no lasse.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)25 : Baroone, lorde: Baro.
- a1450 ?Audelay An a byrchyn bonke (Dc 302)218/16 : Þer come barownce to þat bay with barsletys bolde.
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)13/12 : The barons lete maake a justes and a tournement..for to kepe the lordes togyders and the comyns.
- a1500(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Dub 213)761* : Yff ony berne wer so bald, baron or other, Or wy þat myght [etc.].
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)208/5 : The kynge is an herde, whych is defendet by his barones; the baronys ben as soudyorus [etc.].
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306:Everett)19 : The batayll of Evessham betwene Kynge Henry and the barones of this londe.
2.
A noble ranking below an earl and above a knight.
Associated quotations
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)35 : Ne to kinge ne to eorle ne to barun.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)514 : He wende to þe kinge to Oxenford, and with him þare he fond grete Eorles and barones also, þe hexte of al þe lond.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7598 : Erles eke & barons þat he made here.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)882 : To prisoun þai gun take Erl, baroun, and kniȝt.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)3.198 : Lord of þat lond..þe leeste barn of his blod a Barouns pere.
- (1399) RParl.3.424a : And gafen hem full auctorite and power..the Erle of Gloucestre for Dukes and Erles, the Lord of Berkeley for Barones and Banerettes; Sir Thomas Irpyngham, Chaumberleyn, for all the Bachilers and Commons of this Lond be southe.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1398 : Þenne watz alle þe halle-flor hiled wyth knyȝtes, And barounes at þe sidebordes bounet awhere.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)189/2 : Sir Henr Lacy, Erl of Nichole, and William Vessy, a baron.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1204 : Men of hym seye faire thynges Byfore barouns, erles, and kynges.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9676 : Mony knyghtes he kyld..Barons of the best, and of the bold vrles.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1594 : With þat comandis þe kyng his knyȝtis..Bathe beron & bachelere.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306:Everett)61 : The Duke of Glowcester..and many oþer erles, baronez, knyghtes, and sqwyers were poynted to goo to Calleys to breke the sege.
- a1500 Retinue Edw.III Calais (Lamb 306)81 : The retenewe of the..kynge..furst..prince of Wallys..erlys..Barones and baneretes.
3.
A hero, a warrior; any man of respect and honor.
Associated quotations
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1423 : xxx busy burnes, barounes ful bolde.
- a1400(?c1300) Amis (Eg 2862)5 : Two barons of grete bounte And men of grete honoure; Her faders were barons hende.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8070 : Dauid..past þe flum his folk him wit..þar was þan mani blith baron [Trin-C: baroun].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)16876 : Ioseph, þat godd barun.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.33 : That Ector, with ful many a bold baroun, Caste on a day with Grekes for to fighte.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)32a/b : Heros: a baroun.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2159 : Quod Alexander to his athill dukis, 'Mi barons & my baratorus [etc.].'
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)9b : A Baron: Baro, Baroniculus, bariculus, heros.
- a1500 *Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149:Hulme)274a : Than ther cam ayenst hem two auncyent barounes.
4.
(a) One of the judges of the Court of Exchequer; chef ~, the presiding judge of this court; (b) an alderman (of the City of London).
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1130) Pipe R.Hen.I273b : Baron[es] Scaccarii. ]
- [ (1308-9) RParl.1.273b : A ascun Barun de le Escheker. ]
- [ (1402) RParl.3.498a : Le chief Baron de l'Escheqer. ]
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)3.319 : Al shal be but one courte, and one baroun be iustice.
- (1414) RParl.4.60b : That he and we answere byfore the Tresorer of Engelond and the Barons of the Escheker to the forseide wast.
- (1425) RParl.4.289b : That the same Marchant or Marchantz..bryngen or do brynge afore the Tressourer of England, or afore the chief Baron of your Eschequier, or any other Baron..two prouves of Marchantz or Mariners or of other lawfull men.
- (1450) RParl.5.202b : For his discharge yerof he hath sued and aleyed before the Tresorer and Barons of youre Escheker, your Letters of pardon.
b
- (1451) Grant Arms in Young Barber-S.432 : Consideryng the noble estate of the Cite of London, by the name of Erle & Barons as in their ffirst Charter by scripture appereth and as now called mayre and aldermen.
5.
The master of a household, husband.
Associated quotations
- [ (c1290) Britton 1 (Lamb 403)223 : Ne femmes espouses sauntz lour barouns. ]
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)33 : As weell for wommen kevered baroun [F femmes covertes de baroun] as for other.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Terms Assoc.(2) (Cmb Ll.1.18)232 : A bryghtte of baronez.
- a1500 Terms Assoc.(4) (Dgb 196)233 : A bryȝht of barons.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A corte of barons.
Note: New sense for these three supplement quots.
Note: Gloss: 6. In terms of association: a bruit (court) of barouns, a group of barons.--notes per MLL