Middle English Dictionary Entry
ribaud(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ribaud(e n. Also ribaut, ribald(e, ribold, rebaude, rebalde, rebolde & (in surname) ribalt; pl. ribaudes, etc. & ribaudus, ribaus & (errors) rivaudis, rivaux. |
| Etymology | OF ribaut, ribaud, ribalt, rebaut, rebals, pl. ribaus & ribaude & ML ribaldus, rebaldus, ribaudus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A person of low social status; a menial; king of ribaudes, = king of harlotes [see harlot n.4.(b)]; (b) a foot soldier; one of a band of irregular soldiers employed to ravage the countryside in advance of the army.
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1256) Assize R.Nhb.in Sur.Soc.8871 : Nulla habuerunt catalla, eo quod garciones et ribaldi fuerunt. ]
- a1350 Of Rybaudȝ (Hrl 2253)1 : Of rybaudz y ryme..of gedelynges, gromes, of colyn & of Colle.
- a1400 Tax has tenet (Corp-C 369)p.225 : In rowte the rybawdus ran..Churles were hor chevetan.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1575 : Damoysels playen wiþ peren ripe; Ribaudes festeþ also wiþ tripe.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)192/7 : Þe Scottes chosen to bene her kyng William Walis, a rybaude, an harlot, comen vp of nouȝt.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5673-4 : Is no man wrecched, but he it wen, Be he kyng, knyght, or ribaud, And many a ribaud is mery and baud, That swynkith and berith..Many a burthen.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7300 : Fals-Semblant..in my court is thi dwellyng, And of ribawdis shalt be my kyng.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)432 : Rybawde: Ribaldus, ribalda.
- ?a1450 Mem.Cred.(Tan 201)60/20 : How myche fole was to-day þe kyng of israel þat discouered hymself bifore his owne seruauntis as hit were one of þe ribaudus.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7557 : Napin..Wiþ fiften þousand wreyen kniȝtes..toke him ribaudes þre þousinde, Þe cuntre to brenne bifore and hinde.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7573 : Þis ribaus..Ofersett þe cuntre And brent & slouȝ man and wiif.
- c1450(?1436) Siege Calais (Rome 1306)41 : With gonnes grete and ordinance..Ribawdes armed with Iren and stele, Was neuer better devyse.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1416 : Thare was Romayns ouerredyn and ruydly wondyde Arrestede as rebawdez with ryotous knyghttez.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)21/22 : Þou ert cropen out..wenynge wit a few rebawdez to conquere & optene þe landez of Perse.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)277 : 'Pees, harlottis..where be thei?'..And than seide the ribaudes that thei were gon.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)278 : Thei were moo than lx ml. of horsemen and x ml. ribaudes, that sette fier all a-boute the contrei.
2.
(a) A wicked person; a scoundrel, villain, rascal; also, the devil; also, the name of a fiend; also as term of abuse in combination ~ losel; (b) a dissolute person, lewd person, debauchee, carouser, wastrel; also, a loose woman, harlot, strumpet; also, lechery personified [last quot.]; womman ~; (c) a foul-mouthed person, scurrilous speaker; also, a jester, an entertainer; (d) as an abusive form of address.
Associated quotations
a
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)279 : I..þolede schome and bismere and schomeliche spateling of unwurði ribauz.
- a1350 Flem.Insur.(Hrl 2253)62 : We shule facche þe rybaus wher þi wille be.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.512 : Haue reuthe on þise Ribaudes þat repente hem here.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.203 : Wiþ ricchesse þat Ribaude [vr. ribalde] rathest men bigyleth.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.151 : 'Aue raby,' quod þat ribaude..And kiste hym.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)96 : I be..on rode rwly to-rent with rybaudes mony.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)11.215 : Caym, þe cursed creature, conceyued was in synne..adam and eue..A rybaud þei engendrede and a gome vnryghtful.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.4089 : Thiestes hath..lik a rebaude falsli me accusid.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4283 : Here rystys the riche blude of the rownde table, Rebukkede with a rebawde.
- 1448(1435) *Mandeville Brut (Arms 58:Kooper)f.317r : Þe good erl knelyd adoun and turnde hym towardys þe est but þan a rybaude losell þat het Hugon of Moston sett hond on hym in repref and he saide, 'Sure traytour turneþ yow toward þe Scottys youre yuell deþ to take,' and he sette þe good man toward þe north.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)124/35 : Arest ȝe þo rebaldes þat vnrewly are rownand, Be they kyngis or knyghtis.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)113/21 : Doo crye that euery man arme hym; So we take the fals rebawdes and robbers.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)173/136 : If any brybour do bragge..I xal rappe þo rebawdys.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)296/94 : Out, rybald, thou rores.
b
- a1350 Lord þat lenest (Hrl 2253)35 : Vch gigelot..Habbe he a fauce filet, he halt hire hed heȝe to shewe þat heo be kud & knewe for strompet in rybaudes rewe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)51/16 : Alþeruerst he becomþ tauernyer..þanne he becomþ ribaud [Vices & V.(2): harlot], holyer, and þyef.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)127/35 : Þe zeneȝere þet slepþ ine dyadliche zenne is ase þe ribaud and dronke þet heþ al uorlore in þe tauerne.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)53/725 : A monk..was sum tym A ribaut and a pleyer grete, Whon þat he mihte wiþ felawes mete.
- a1400 in Whiting Prov.317 : A yong rewler, wytles..An old man lecher, lwveles, A woman rebolde, sameles.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3293 : Þe ribaude plaieþ at þe dys;Swiþe selde þe fole is wys.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)873 : Þe rebaudez so ronk rerd such a noyse Þat aȝly hurled in his erez her harlotez speche.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)16.233 : Þe peuple of Sodomye..reste and riche metes rybaudes hem made.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)278/8 : Siche wrecchide mynystris..ben also trecherous and veniable rybawdis and reuelours.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.687 : Nero..among vileyns hymsilf disparting..among ribaudis he wold harp & synge.
- c1450 Terms Assoc.(2) (Cmb Ll.1.18)232 : A Foly or a lewdnez off Rebawdez.
- c1475 King conseilles (RwlPoet 32)p.184 : A riche man a thefe nedeles, A womman a rebawde shameles..shalle never thrif blamles.
- a1500 As I walkyd vppon (Hnt HM 183)118 : An herbe..That clerkis callith castitas fre..When þe rebaude will on þe rese, Drayne hym & drynke hym with confessioun.
c
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1967 : Ȝif a clerk..haþ..A symple þufþe y-don..Þanne comeþ fforþ ech rybaud..And seiþ, 'lo, þis clerkes, what lif hi wolleþ drye.'
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)192/28 : Þou ne sselt naȝt yeue to þe kueade be þe scele of his kueadnesse, ase doþ þo þet yeueþ þe ribaus and menestrals uor hare wylkednesse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2383 : Wher he sat in his Charr real, Beside him was a Ribald set, Which hadde hise wordes so beset, To themperour.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)7.435 : Ich fedde me whit ale, Out of reson, a-mong rybaudes here rybaudrye to huyre.
- (1422) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.124/75 : That same Enquest Enditit Sir John Scarle, parson..for a commyn putour..and a perilous Rebaude of his tunge, and a discurer of confession.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)402/25 : The..wordis ben also corrupte þat þe moost seculer ribaude þat lyueþ wolde not seye as þei seyen.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1333 : Þou sulde repent full rathe of þi ruyde wordez, Siche a rebawde as þowe rebuke any lordez.
- a1500(a1450) Parton.(1) (Add 35288)12181 : What nedeth it to speke of trechetours..or of gestours, Or of chauntours..Or of herawdes, rebawdes, or wyne tasters?
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.6 : Micholl..logh Dauid, hire lord, to scorne..scho lykned hym till harlots and ribavdes Yt naknes thaym tofor men to pleye and make thaire gavdes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7651 : Ephistafus hym presit with his proude wordes, As a ribold with reueray in his Roide speche.
d
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4119 : Þow lyest, rybaud.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)378/99 : Why rooris þou soo, rebalde?
- a1500(?a1425) Chester Pl.Antichr.(Pen 399)508/490 : Rybaldes, rweled out of raye! What ys the Trenyte to saye?
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)77 : O, ribawde, seist þou that þou art Emperoure?
- a1500 Bevis (Chet 8009)18/309 : Fye on the, rebaude..Horeson, harlot, home thou goo.
3.
A kind of cannon.
Associated quotations
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)80/7 : Thei brought out their..shildis, targis, rivaudis [read: ribaudis]..and al maner of oþir habilementis for the werre.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)80/15 : They had an c charis and rivaux [read: ribaux], and in euerych of them myght fight xv men harneisid with glayvis, axis, and speris.
- a1500(?a1475) Lat.Chron.in Camd.n.s.28 (ArmsAr 5)165 : Parvis gunnis vocatis ribaldis.
4.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- -?-(1161-2) Red Bk.Exch.in RS 9929 : Radulfus filius Ribaud.
- (1165) in Pipe R.Soc.836 : Folco Ribald.
- -?-(1166) Red Bk.Exch.in RS 99427 : Adam Ribaut [vr. Ribalt].
- (1203) Assize R.Lin.in Lin.RS 221303 : Robertus Ribold.
- (1219) Justice in Eyre R.in Seld.Soc.53635 : Gilebertus Ribaud.
- (1250) Rec.Norwich 1201 : Willelmus Ribold, latro.
- (1316) Pat.R.Edw.II523 : Walter Ribald.