Middle English Dictionary Entry
ship-man n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ship-man n. Also shipmon, -manne, ship(p)eman, szip-, (K) ssip- & (error) schpeman; gen. shipman(e)s, -mannes, -mannas, -monnus; pl. shipmen, etc. & chip-, shep-, chep-, shup- & (early) scipmen, -mænn, sipmen, (dat.) scipmonnen, scipen-, sipmannen. |
| Etymology | OE scip-mann, scyp-mann; pl. -men. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A sailor, seaman; one skilled in navigation; also, an oarsman [quot.: ?c1475]; shipman(es craft, the art of navigation; shipman(es sterre, the North Star; shipmanes ston, a loadstone; (b) the master, commander, or owner of a ship; a helmsman, pilot; maister ~; shipmanes hire, passage money; shipman(es tale; (c) a pirate; (d) in proverb.
Associated quotations
a
- 1122 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1122 : Þær æfter wæron feole scip men on sæ & on wæter.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)120/22 : Þa þa þa scipmænn comen ut on sæ, þa sænde heom God to mycelne wind & hreohnysse.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1115 : Imong þon scipmonnen [Otho: þrenge of sip-men] i funden þa þreo maidenes.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6884 : Þreo scipen gode comen mid þan flode þreo hundred cnihten, alse hit weoren kinges, wið-uten þan scipen-monnen þe weoren þer wið-innen.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)669 : Brutus iheorde segge of his sipmannen of þan vuele ginne þat cuþe þe mereminne.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)738 : Mes des virouns devient nager En bateles li mariner [glossed:] szipman.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)140/22 : Þe milde..is alneway agrayþed ase byeþ þe ssipmen ine ssipe.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2818 : Þe chipmen þat þe worwolf so sadly hade chased, buskeden aȝen to here barge.
- (1379) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.12028 : Quidam Willelmus Mynne, shippman, de Benyngeburgh cecidit in aquam Use extra navem.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Kings 9.26 : Salamon made a naue..& yram sente in þat naue his seruauntis, schipmen [L viros nauticos], and wijse of þe se.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)105b/a : Þe whiche norþ sterre we clepiþ Schipman sterre.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)135b/b : Þe sterre..hatte polus articus, þe schipmannes sterre.
- a1400 Bevis (Eg 2862)22/496 : Shipmen [vr. chepmen; Auch: Ȝif ȝe seþ schipes of painim londe, Selleþ to hem þis ilche hyne].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.350 : Þorw..wederes vnresonable, Wederwise shipmen..Han no bilieue to þe lifte.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.665 : He was mayster pleynly of hem alle In schipman crafte..And koude hem warne aforn of euery shour That schulde falle.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)43b/a : Nauta: a shipmon.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)107/11 : After þat men taken the Ademand, þat is, the schipmannes ston [F vn piere des mariners], þat draweth the nedle to him.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)102 : Crye of schypmen, that ys clepyd haue howe: Celeuma.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)447 : Schypmanne: Nauta; Schypmannys stone: Calamita.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3451,3452 : Þe shipmen losten hurre wytte for drede..of shipmonnus craft þey cowthe nomore.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5966 : Fra þus his wittes he kest aboute..Wheþer he sulde his schipmen wille To sla þir theuys let þaim fulfill, Or els to lete þaim ga.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)113a : A Schpe man [read: Schipe man]: Nauta..Nauigator, remex.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)829 : Shypmen..Dyght her takulle on ryche a-cyse.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)121/7 : He that hath many synnes and leueþ hem alle except one..is also lyke to a shipman þat stoppeþ alle the holes of the schippe except one.
- a1500 Bod.EMisc.Lapid.(BodEMisc e.558)30/222 : The Adamaunde..drawith iron to here..By vertu of that stone þe shipmen knowyn þe wynde.
- a1500 How mankinde dooþ (Fil)247 : He biddeth go to þe lond fro shipmans throng.
- c1500(a1449) Lydg.Aesop (Trin-C R.3.19)189 : Thus euery þyng foloweþ hys nature..Plowmen for tylþe, shypmen for to sayll.
b
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)451 : Mirie ge singeð ðis mere..sipmen here steringe forgeten.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.388 : A Shipman was ther wonyng fer by weste.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.head. : Heere bigynneth the shipmannes [vr. shipman] tale.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1084 : The Maister Schipman cam and preide With othre suche as be therinne.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1148 : The Schipman which behinde stiereth, Whan that he sih the wyndes saghte, Towardes Tharse his cours he straghte.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.124 : Þe schip man [F Le mestre governour]..did þan tak a bote & did þam alle þerin, Reyuer & his gode.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)71b/b : An yuel shipman, þat is, for his negligence lesyng his ship, After giffeþ a table or a borde to ychone of þe men in þe ship.
- (1429) RParl.4.359b : Be itt ordeined yat..no oyer shippman yat is bothe Possessour and Maister of any Shippe or Vessell ne take..no manere Wolle, Wollefelle, ne noon oyer Merchandises of ye Staple.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)699 : The maister shippeman verement Sawe the castelle and thidir he went.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)113a : A Schpe [read: Schipe] man: Nauclerus, Nauicularius.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)6/17a : Naulum: shypmannas hyre.
- c1613(1469) Plumpton Let.20 : I have given the shipman of his hier x s., and he for to have his whole payment when he deliver the goods which he receaved.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.329 : Norway streccheþ somdel est toward Denmark..Þe men of þat lond beeþ schipmen and þeues of þe see.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.173 : Sclauia is a parte of Mesia..hauenge ferse peple and schippemen [Trev.: see þeues; L piraticas].
d
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.3904 : The deuel made a reue for to preche Or of a soutere, a shipman, or a leche.