Middle English Dictionary Entry
s n.
Entry Info
| Forms | s n. |
| Etymology |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The letter s of the alphabet, or its sound; (b) an object having the shape of an s; (c) the s-section of an alphabetized list; (d) an abbrev. for sire n.; (e) an abbrev. for L solidus, used for shilling(s; (f) an abbrev. for L sanctus or sancta, or for ME seint(e adj.; (g) an abbrev. for L semis half; (h) an abbrev. for L scilicet.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4316 : Þe þridde staff iss nemmnedd S & tacneþþ tweȝȝenn hunndredd.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)218b/b-219a/a : Þough me vse to wryte and to sowne Cassia wiþ double S, ȝit it schulde be wryte and sowned wiþ oo sengle S.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.63vb : Somme write 'sisanius' be 's-'.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.233rb : Not can sey 'r' or 's', or not can sowne 'r' or 's'.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)2.3.214 (f.32va; p.97) : Tuo synowes .. go .. to þe tunge, and .. somtyme þise synowes bene ouer large and þan mow þai noȝt soune þis letter 'S'; and þis synow is called 'psidius,' þe psidi, or elles wlisper.
- ?c1400 Sloane SSecr.(Sln 213)15/40 : Nowe..go we se þe Abece of þis crafte, wher-by..þise countes sale be caste..S:11.
- a1425 *Tit.Alphabet (Tit D.18)8b : Alphabetum Anglicum:..r, er; s, es; t, te.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)628/1 : Of þe lettre S.
- c1450 Trin-C.Accedence (Trin-C O.5.4)33/63 : Whenne the posityf endyth not in -r but in anothyr lettur, as albus..genitiuo albi, sette to S and -simus; thenne hyt is albissimus.
- (c1450-54) Paston (EETS)1.151 : Ȝe must considre þat this lettre s sondit neuer but qwan it stondit be-fore j of þis v letteris qweche ben callid wowellys..þere byn many wordis wretyn at the last ynd with an z, and oder with j s.
- c1460 Erly in a someristide (Dub 432)156/37 : I construed þese letters..S for Salesbury, with out any question, Riall in his reynyng and wise in euery case.
- a1605(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(2))17952 : Every s y-crokyd is, lyche a crose highe in the top, lyche the staffe of a byshope.
b
- (1429) Will York in Sur.Soc.4417 : The will of John of Sandford..is..for to gyfe to the rude gylde of Tykhill..a nothir girdell harnest with S., and a ryng of golde.
c
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.88v : Of sanguis se in S; of melancolie, in M.
- c1425 Wycl.Concord.in Spec.43 (Roy 17.B.1)271 : If þee list fynde þis text, 'womman lo þi sone', if þou fynde it not in S in þis word 'sone', þou shalt fynde it in V in þis word 'womman'.
d
- (1462-3) *Plea & Mem.R.Lond.GildhA 86.7 : The said s' John Rysley & Oliuer accorded, and the said Olyuer delyuered vnto the said s' John Rysley iij li. in money.
e
- (1302-3) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.268 : Pro cccc cere, iiii s.
- (1323-4) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.251 : De subsidio dictorum coriorum, xiiii s. viii d.
- (1356) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.284 : [12] cartecloutes, [3] s.
- (1387) Will in Bk.Lond.E.209/11 : Y be-quethe genet my dowter xl s.
- (1402) Will in Bk.Lond.E.211/15 : Y ȝeue to þe parich prest of Harfeld x s.
- (1423) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.172/986 : To John Combe, iij s. iiij d.
- a1450(?a1390) Mirk Fest.Suppl.(Cld A.2)300/12 : A man on a time lant to anothur man iiii s. of money.
- (c1475) Exped.Edw.IV (Arms 2M.16)1a : A declaracion..of..wages..paid..the moneth of Jun..xxviij li. viij s. iiij d.
- a1525(?1429) Cov.Leet Bk.118 : They ordeyne that mayster John Pynchard, skolemayster of Grammer, shall haue the place that he duelleth Inne for xl s. ye yere.
f
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.963 : Se biscop com þa fyrst to Elig. þær S. Æðeldrið lið.
- 1123 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1123 : Þæt wæs þes dæiges Annuntiatio S. Marie at Wudestoke.
- a1126 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1124 : Ðes ilces geares æfter S. Andreas messe toforen Cristes messe held Raulf Basset & þes kinges ðæines gewitenemot.
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1130 : Ðær wæron þas biscopes Iohan of Roueceastre, Gilbert Uniuersal of Lundene..Bernard of S. Dauid.
- 1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1131 : Hi heafdon forloron S. Iohannes mynstre þurh him & þurh his mycele sotscipe.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1132 : Te king iaf ðet abbodrice an prior of S. Neod, Martin was gehaten; he com on S. Petres messe dei mid micel wurscipe into the minstre.
- (c1384) WBible(1) TL (F&M)692,693 : S. Austyn, of Yngelond..Translacioun of S. Edmound..Fynding of S. Steuen martir.
- a1605(a1447) Lond.Chron.Hrl.540 (Hrl 540)295 : Henry the 6 was borne at Windsor of S. Nicholas day, anno 1421.
- 1618(1440) Invent.Cumberworth in Peacock EChurch Furniture183 : To the worshippe of the holy trinitie, of or Ladie virgine & mother S. Marie.
g
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)49/17 : Take frank-encense, mastik..flour of fenegrek [ounce] s'.
h
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)174b/a : Of which bene 3 spices, s. [Ch.(2): þat is to saye] ffeble, Strong, & most strong.
- ?c1425 Craft Number.(Eg 2622)3/8 : Anoþer cause is quy it is called Algorym, for þe latyn word of hit, s. Algorismus, comes of Algos.