Middle English Dictionary Entry
sī̆lence n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sī̆lence n. Also silens(e, scilence, scilens(e, scielence, cilence, cilens. |
| Etymology | OF silence, silense, scilence & L silentium. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The fact of not speaking, a refraining from speech; also, habitual moderation in speaking, taciturnity; also, silence enjoined by religious rule; ~ of counseil, maintenance of confidence or secrecy; ~ time; (b) breken ~, to speak when one should not; also, begin to speak [quot.: c1540]; also, break a silence imposed by religious rule; brekinge of ~; holden (kepen) ~, refrain from speaking, remain silent; ~ kepinge; putten at ~, command (sb.) to be silent; putten in ~, putten ~ to, silence (sb.); putten to ~, silence (sb.); also, settle (a matter); (c) in ~, without speaking, silently; also, in a calm manner; (d) a silencing of arguments or accusations; (e) a rule of silence; (f) lack of mention in writing; under ~, without mention [cp. common Latin phrase sub silentio].
Associated quotations
a
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)29/19 : Her hit specð embe swiȝe, þat is, embe silence [L De taciturnitate].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)42/19 : Hwa se is muche stille..ha mei ec hopien þet ha schal singen þurh hire silence sweteliche in heouene.
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.59 : As þe aungel opened þe seuenþe claspe, silence is made in heuene.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 19.33 : Alisaundre, silence axid with hond, wolde ȝelde resoun to the peple.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.19 : He..spak nevere aftir, but lyvede as a dombe man to his lyves ende..speke wolde he nevere, as it is i-write in þe questiouns þat he wroot in his scilence tyme.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2279 : Ye han ful ofte assayed my grete silence..and eek how wel that I kan hiden and hele thynges.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)60b/b : Þere I lete þis matere passe wiþ scilens.
- c1400 Apoc.(2) (Hrl 171)13/22 : Crist biheetiþ þe swete mete of heuene..and þe glorie of God preisynge of his tunge..to hem þat bi discreet scilence bridelen her tungis fro yuel spechis.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5235 : Al tumulte stinted and silence Was þoruȝ þe pres, to ȝif hym audyence.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)2 Thes.3.12 : We denounce and besechen..þat þei with scylence [L cum scilencio] werkande ete þei þer bred.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)53 : That we..eschewe superfluyte..and namely in spekynge, for..silence is a grete vertue.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)3833 : Wynes..biren wit and forbeden scilence Of conseil.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)281/4 : Þe peple abydynge in gret silence what myracle God wold wurche by is prophecye.
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.268 : Eche suster..schalle answer thus aȝene in lyke voyce, thof it be sylence tyme.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)110/18 : Þus þou mayst know how swete þis frute is of gentil communicacioun medled with sad silens.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)105/12 : Sone aftir þis bataile deied Maute, þe good qween, of whos curtesie and humilite, scilens, and oþir good maneris the Englisch poetes at þo dayes mad ful notabel vers.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)120/12 : Sylence in his mouthe; that is to vndirstonde, he shulde be litle of langage.
- a1500 Counsels Isidor (Hrl 1706)369 : By sylence þou schalte þe sonner ouercome.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)15/21 : Eft from ower complie aþet efter pretiosa haldeð Silence.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)175/11 : Habbeð þah to ower bihoue þis lutle leaste ende of alle cuðe sunnen, as of prude..of grim chere, of silences ibrokene.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)324 : Hov holde ȝe so silence þat neuer on ne spekez with oþur?
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.22.34 : Pharisees, heerynge that he hadde put silence to Saducees, camen to gidre in oon.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.17 : Þe philosofer Secundus..helde scilence [Higd.(2): kepede silence] and wolde nouȝt speke to his lyves ende.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1302 : Fulofte my silence I breke.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2030 : Medea, kepyng ay silence, Ne lete no worde by hir lippis passe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2228 : Þei han eke by her violence, For al his manhod, put hym in silence.
- a1425 Rolle FLiving (Arun 507)413 : In silence broken, of houres missaide, with-oute herte & deuocion.
- (1442) Visit.Alnwick52a : Rede som seynts lyfe..to thentent to eschewe..brekyng of your sylence.
- ?c1450 in Aungier Syon Mon.385 : In the dortour..alle schal..kepe hyghe silence.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)31/10 : Þogh he put þe at silens and bidde þe hold þi pees..yit leve not but crie vpon hym alway mekly.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)130/10 : Withinne few dayes þe mater was put to silens.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)589 : For me kepe now yowr sylence; Not a worde, I charge yow, peyn of forty pens.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.344 : In fastinge, in wakynge, in silence-kepynge & in diuers obseruancis of religion þe prelat may dispensyn.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.155 : Onon as þe fendis haddyn seyd þe trewþe þat Crist compellyd hem to seyn, onon he putte hem to silence.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)76/2 : Whan þow perceyvest the trouth of thair counseill..þan put þem to scilence.
- a1500 Now wursheppful (Tan 407)5 : For ȝour soferyng sylens that ȝe han kept þis day In pleyng of oure play..Derely we thank ȝow.
- a1500 3rd Fran.Rule (Seton)46/1 : Of scilens keping in the Chirche of the brethren and susters of þis reule.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2525 : Than Troilus..Brake Sylense belyue, and abrode saide, [etc.].
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.317 : Eueri persoone..kepe scielence at the firste biddinge..of the seid maistris.
c
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))John 11.28 : She wente and clepide Marie, hir sistir, in silence, or stilnesse, seyinge, 'The maistir cometh, and clepith thee.'
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Tim.2.11 : A womman lerne in silence, with al subieccioun.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1872 : Sche him axeth in cilence, Fro whenne he cam and what he wolde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)81a/a : Al þat beþ aboute him schal be I-comaundid to be stille & in scilence.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.93 : We shulden be tymes reste, and preye to God in scilence.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)993 : Þan sole in silence sall he sitt.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)133/20 : Holde þe apayed of such þing as þou hast afore þe, etyng and drinkyng..in silens.
d
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.35 : Þat myracle brouȝte forþ scilence to hem þat wolde afterward meyntene þat querel.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)160/5 : Chast virginite is pees of þe flessh, Silens of charges.
e
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.318 : The seid felowschip..in her complayntis & seyngis honestli to be mesurable and to scielence mekeli to obeie.
f
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)87.65 (v.2:p.104) : It oweth nat to be passid vndir silence how twyes while he lived he sawe the Holi Goste in likenesse of a dove.
2.
(a) Absence of sound, quietness; in (with) ~, soundlessly; also, in a quiet place; (b) peacefulness, tranquillity, peace and quiet; (c) privacy, seclusion.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Eccl.10.11 : If þe edder bijte in scilense, no thing lasse þan he haþ þat priuyly bacbiteþ.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.8.6 : Þe watris of siloe..gon with cilence.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)130b/a : Scylence is I-knowe ȝif noþing is I-herd.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)246a/b : Silua comeþ of Sylen, þat is..cylens, ffor a woode þat hatte silua is in place that beþ..fulle of silence.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1064 : Mordre gladly is wrouȝt in silence Or men aduerte or taken any kepe.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)34a/2 : Þan shall þe seke be in a darke place x days and in silence.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)220/8 : Alswa, efter þe ancre complie aþet prime, ne don na þing ne seggen hwer þurh hire silence make beon isturbet.
- c1230 Ancr.(Corp-C 402)104/9 : Þe teoheðe is luðer stilðe, þe deofles silence, þet te an nule for onde speoken o þe oþer.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Wisd.18.14 : Whan forsoþe quyete cilence contenede alle thingis & þe nyȝt in his cours hadde þe mene weye.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.30.15 : If ȝee turnen aȝeen & resten, ȝee shul ben saaf in scilence & in hope.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.32.17 : Þer shal ben þe werk of riȝtwisnesse pes, & þe heriynge of riȝtwisnesse scilence, & sikirnesse vn to euermor.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Mac.9.58 : Jonathas and thei that ben with hym dwellen in silence, tristyng.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)164/28 : Loke þat he haue scielence & good reste & þat he traueile not.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Esth.14.16 : Þow knowist..þat I wlate þe signe of pride..I wlate it as þe cloþ of þe womman in flux of blood, & I bere not in þe daiys of my silence [WB(2) vr. stilnesse, oute of the kingis presence].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3206 : Ther is a thing..Which asketh noght to ben apert, Bot in cilence and in covert Desireth forto be beschaded.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 ?Scrope Ribot First Monks (Lamb 192)141/12 : We haue ordeynd therfore that fro the howr of Evynsonge tyl the Terys of the next day that ȝe hold ȝowr sylenesse, but nede..that sylens be interrupt.
Note: New form ?(error).