Middle English Dictionary Entry
Saxon n.
Entry Info
| Forms | Saxon n. Also saxone, saxson, saxoun, saxun, -(i)an, -oin(e, sexon, -un & saison, sa(i)sne, sesso(u)n, -oine, sesoigne. |
| Etymology | OE seaxan (wk.pl. of seaxe) & L Saxo, -onis & OF saisoigne, sesne, AF sessoun. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. sexene-lage n.
1.
(a) A member of the Germanic tribe that invaded, conquered, and settled in England, a Saxon; (b) est (south) saxones, people from the kingdom of the East (South) Saxons; west ~, q.v.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)989 : Gurmund draf out þe Brutuns & his folc wes ihaten Sexuns [Otho: Saxuns].
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2540 : Þe saxoyns þus com verst to londe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2672 : Nou ne couþe þe brutons non engliss ywys; Ac þe saxons speche it was, & þoru hom ycome it is.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.261 : Men of Saxonia woneþ toward þe norþ endes of occean..and hatte Saxones of saxum, þat is, a stoon.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.723 : Allee was..A Saxon and a worthi knyht.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.Lear (Göt Hist 740)13 : He edified..a cite..Cald Caireleyr in Bruttons spech, Leircestre cald of þe Saxons.
- c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)521 : Walsch Men beþ Bretouns of kynde..Englysch men beþ Saxoynes.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.2721 : Arthour..droof Saxoyns out of his contre.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3530 : To [read: Of] Sarazenes and Sessoynes appon sere halues He has semblede a sorte of selcouthe berynes.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)1921,1925 : Saxons [vr. Sessons]..cald hit Ludden & London; þus þe name cam eft don, London, on Saxons [vr. Sesson] langage.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)16930 : Mochel peple thei Slowen..of þe hethene oþer sesoignes.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)229 : The kepar of the castell..was a Saxon [F sessoun], and hys name was called Olda.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.265 : There comme to Ynglonde or Briteyne thre myȝhty peple of Germany, as Saxons, Englische men, and Iutes.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)2 : The Saxons, as it is writen in Berthilmew in his booke of Propreteis, also were decendid of the nacion of Grekis.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.257 : Þe rewme of Engelond for periurie and falshed was translatid from Bretons to Saxianys, Aftirward..from Saxianys & from Englychmen to þe Danys.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)172 : We haue herde the trouthe that the sasnes [F li sesne] of the kyn of Aungier, of Saxoyne, be entred in-to oure londes and in-to oure heritages.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)174 : That beste counseile..is that we go stuffe the marches on this partye ther the saxouns comen.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)231 : On an euen com a spie, that com fro the roche of saisnes, and seide ther com x ml saisnes with grete cariage of vitaile.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.265 : Of þe Saxons come þe Est Saxons, þe Souþ Saxons [Higd.(2): men of the este parte of Ynglonde, men of the myddel parte], and þe West Saxons.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.153 : Lotharius, kyng of Canturbury, deyde of a wounde þat he hadde i-fonge in þe fiȝting of þe Souþ Saxons [L Australium Saxonum] aȝenst Cedwalla.
2.
(a) The language of the Saxons; (b) the English language.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1405 : Couste in Saxoun is to sein Constance upon the word Romein.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)2522 : Thei..spekith Englisshe as don we And out of Saxsone her langage come.
b
- a1450(a1397) WBible(2) GProl.(Cmb Mm.2.15)p.59 : Bede translatide the bible and expounide myche in Saxon, that was English..either comoun langage of this lond, in his tyme.
3.
(a) The land inhabited by the Saxons on the Continent; Saxony; (b) est (south, west) ~, the kingdom or area of the East (South, West) Saxons in England [see also West Saxon n.].
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2410 : Of saxoyne [B: saxone] we beþ ibore þat of germaine is.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1068 : Þe douȝti duk of saxoyne drow to þat londe.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.259 : Vortigernus and his counseil took hem to rede to goo over see after paynyms of Saxon.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)190a/b : Saxon is a londe most plenteuous in glebe and bereþ wele corne.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)50/20 : We beth of a contre þat is callede Saxoyne, þat is, þe Lande of Germayn.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1964 : My herte sothely es sette..To seke into Sexon with my sekyre knyghttez.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)7572 : Breyþ..y-born Bretoun..wel spak langage of Saxoun [vr. sessoun].
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)16575 : Þyse Saxons..Þer vsages in þer lawes held; Þat þey in Saxoyne [vr. sessoyne] helde byfore, Þe same wolde þey haue þore.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)230 : She [Constance] was a Saxonesse and born in Saxon.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)592 : My name is Brandouns and am kynge of a partye of Saxoyne [F saisoigne].
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.101 : Þe secounde kyngdom was of Souþsaxon, þat hadde in þe est side Kent, in þe souþ þe see..Þe þridde kyngdom was of Estsaxon [Higd.(2): Estesex; L Estsaxoniæ] and hadde in þe est side þe see.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)103 : Þe fifte kyngdom was of Westsaxon and durede lengeste of alle þese kyngdoms.
- ?a1425 Wycl.CChron.(2) (Em 85)179/136 : King alrede was king of west Saxan, þat is, west englond.
4.
As adj.: of or belonging to the Saxons; ~ speche (tonge), the English language.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.93 : Kyng Alredes turned alle in fere out of Latyn in to Saxon speche.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.161 : Þe forsaide Saxon tonge..i-deled aþre.
- ?a1425 Wycl.CChron.(2) (Em 85)180/148 : Þe king made Werefriþe, bischope of worcheter, to translate þe booke of gregory diologus in to saxan tunge.
- c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)524 : Þe walsch man Breton Seyþ & clepeþ vs Sayson.
- (1445) ?Bokenham Claudian CS (Add 11814)281/278 : Ne fro my see banke I sholde nevir see me for to noye the saxon saile with wyndes.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)30 : He [Woden] was dryghtyn, derrest of ydols praysid, And þe solempnest of his sacrifices in Saxon londes.
5.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1265) Close R.Hen.III24 : Willelmus Sessoyne.g Alredes turned alle in fere out of Latyn in to Saxon speche.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)663/6 : So hit befelle on a tyme that the myscreauntys Sarezynes londid in the contrey of Cornwayle sone aftir these Sessoynes were departed.
Note: Additional quote(s)