Middle English Dictionary Entry
sēcrē̆t n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sēcrē̆t n. Also secrete; pl. secret(e)s, secretus. |
| Etymology | L sēcrētum n.; cp. OF secret(e, var. of secré n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) That which is hidden from general knowledge; a fact, matter, etc. which is to be kept confidential, or which is to be revealed to only a few, a private matter; a secret act; kepen secretes, to keep matters confidential; (b) that which is hidden from human understanding, a mystery; a divine or natural mystery; secre of secretes, the greatest mystery; (c) a method or process in a science or craft which is known only to the initiated; (d) a confidant; (e) eccl. a prayer said in a low voice by the priest after the offertory and before the preface in the Mass; secretes of the messe, the consecration; (f) ~ of secretes, the bok of aristotel secretes, the preudo-Aristotelian treatise Secretum (or Secreta) Secretorum; (g) in ~, secretly, in secret.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)135/38 : To a trewe frend..my pryuye secretis ben maad opyn and schewid.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)129 : His father was sworen to meyntenyn the fredom of the toun..and to concele the secrets [ID(1): les privetez] of the toun.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)100/19 : Sutil clerkis and philosophris hath hidde theire greete secretis vnder couerture of fable.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)5/39 : Y shewe my secretes [Ashmole: secrete; Shirley: secret; Lambeth: secree; L secretum] figuratifly & derkly, and bi derke ensamplis.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)35/39 : Take souereynly hede..þat no man be so prive with him forto se þe lettris of thi secretz [Lambeth: byholde hys pryue wrytynges; Ashmole: se his privetees neþer bokes].
- (1455) Doc.in HMC Var.Col.4203 : Ye shalbe good and trewe..to the Mayralte and Commonalte..the Commone Counsayll and Assemble..the counseyll, and secretes of the same ye shall kepe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)6455 : Certeyn Secretys..be Hyd & ydon in pryvyte.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1918 : Whan he hadde..the secrete of his herte vttred as he cowde, Godde herde his true entent and deuocioun.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)48/35 : Y requerd hym þat he wolde shewe me þe secretez [Abbrev.Trip.: knowlege; L secreta] wretyn yn þat oracle.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)50/10 : Wete wel þat he þat secreetz [Abbrev.Trip.: secreetes; Ashmole: hid thynges; L occulta] discouers & shewys preuytez, myshappe shal sone sewe him.
- a1500 GRom.(Glo 42)731/10 : Our lord Ihesu criste..knowes all þe secretes [Hrl: priueteis; vr. lest thought] of your hertes.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1573 : Was nevere yit so wys a clerk, Which mihte knowe al goddes werk, Ne the secret which god hath set.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1447 : For this science and this konnyng..Is of the secree of secretes.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.23 : I soghte with the the secretis [vr. secretus; L secreta] of nature.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)1704 : This god..yiveth..Bothe wysdam and science To philosophres and prophetis Of many merveyles and secretis, Which exceden in werching Al mannys knowleching.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)84/11 : I neuere..sothly knewe who fonde it, But some sayn..glorious Philosophers..to whom ys geuyn þe knowynge of secretez of sciencez þat were hyd to alle men.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)30/32 : I fully a trespasser of dyvyne grace and a maker open and a bewrier of hevenly secretes and prevites.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)98 : Jhesu Cryst..suffre vs to schew the secretes of thy dyvyne power.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)123 : These ben the holy dyvyn secretes [F secreez] that we..herde and sawe; and more we dar not telle you of Goddes secretes.
c
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)183a/b : Thederike..telleþ in his book of his secretes þat ȝiffe nerues be contracte and þei be made moiste wiþ firtinge of mannes blood..þei schal be alle hole.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)77a/b : Þanne leye on þi plastre aforseid ffor þis is oon of my secretis.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)90a/a : This craft..is oon of my secretis.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)9 : Clerkis grete secretis here may leere, But al lay-men shal fynde here cause to feere.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)52 : It is no smale engyne To know al secretis perteynyng to the myne.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)908 : The quynte essence I made also, with other secretis many mo.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1179 : This secrete was nevir bi-fore this day So trewly discouerede.
d
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)41/24 : He sent to seke an olde damesell that shuld be his secrete.
- ?c1450 Trivet Constance (Harv Eng.938)243 : Thys senatours name was called Tarquinus of Cappadoce, a full wyse knyght..And a grete frende and secrete to the Emperour Tiberie.
e
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.33 : Sche wolde selden come at cherche, and þan unneþ sche wolde abyde þe secretes [L secreta] of þe messe..sche flauȝ out at the wyndowe of þe cherche..and was nevere y-seyn after þat tyme.
- ?c1400 Wycl.CGosp.Matthew (Add 41175:Hudson)65/180 : Þe chirche preyeþ in þe secrete of þe myddil masse in Natyuyte of Crist þat as þe same man borun was God, so þis erþely substance brynge to vs þat þat is godly.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)112/5 : He mad a special orison of our fader Gilbert with a secrete and postcomun aftir þe forme of þe missale.
- (1455) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15145 : The best Mas boke, begynnyng with the Kalender and endyng with the general prayer..with the Secret..and the Postcommunion.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)999/5 : They entird in and herde masse, and at the secretis of the masse they..saw the herte becom a man.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.IVMass (Trin-C R.3.21)289 : Next the secrete aftyr the offertory, The prefas foloweth aftyr the sacrament.
- c1450 Trental St.Greg.(1) (Clg A.2)220 : Aftur þe fyrste orysoun Þer ys an oþur of gret renoun, Þat to þe sowle ys wonþur swete, Menne hit calle þe Secrete.
f
- a1456 Marmaduke SSecr.(Ashm 59)203/4 : Here begynneþe þe boke..called þe Secrete of Secretes.
- a1456 Marmaduke SSecr.(Ashm 59)203/9 : Marmaduke þe sone of Patryke..fonde..þis boke surely kepte..þe whiche he lete calle þe Boke of Aristotle Secretes.
g
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.225 : His malys..was conceled & closed in secrete.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)218/16 : The ded muste be don so in open knowlech that the entente abyde in secrete [SC(1): in occulto], as it wer hydde or knowen fro veyn glory.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)64 : One groome also in thys offyce…keping the secretys of thys house and office, and the dore.
Note: If (b), need date
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. secret.