Middle English Dictionary Entry
sīse n.(1)
Entry Info
Forms | sīse n.(1) Also sisse, sice, cise, seise & (error) fyse. |
Etymology | OF sise & shortened form of ME assīse n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A court session held at intervals in each county by judges commissioned by the king and sitting together with knights of the county, an assize court; -- also pl.; also used of a Roman court of law; gret ~, fig. the Last Judgment; (b) a judgment of an assize court, esp. setting standards for commodities, rents, etc.; setten on ~, to put (a law) into effect; (c) quantity, size; length, stature; also, correct size, proper size; a fixed, prescribed marching pace; (d) manner, method, custom; also, the proper manner, normal way; also, style [1st quot., which may belong to assise n.]; setten in ~, to set (sth.) in order, keep in control; (e) a decision; a stipulated reward; setten ~, to make a determination, come to a decision.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)3.178 : Thenne gan gyle borwe hors..And shope þat a shereyue sholde bere mede Softliche in saumbury fram syse to syse.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)456 : Syse, or a-syse, dome of lond.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)394 : Þe hey iustys salle sytt apon a ful gret sysse [rime: gryse].
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1567 : There is a raggeman rolle þat Ragenelle hymself Hath made of mayntennance and motyng of þe peuple, Hough þay sheue at sises and sessions aboute.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.894 : They sette the shire, þe cessyons, and the Cyse Ryght as hem lest.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)11/354 : Sere Pylat Is sett in sete as hy justyce..And cryst..as for a thef with ryth gret hat is browth to stondyn at þat same syse.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)228/114 : Ȝe xal kalle pride oneste..And covetyse wysdam there tresure is present, Wreth manhod, and envye callyd chastement; Seyse nere sessyon lete perjery be chef.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.224 : The on at euyn cam hom from þe sysys.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28438 : Toll and tak, and rent o syse, Wit-halden i haue wit couettise.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)9427 : Lawes two were set on sise To Adam in paradise.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)175 : Ȝif ony baxter be atteynted that he medele bren with other maner corn, be he punysshed be the same peyne that he shulde ben for the syse of the breed brokyn.
- (c1475) Doc.in Bk.Brome (Brm)143 : To hym and to hys asseyneys, my maner of Cryssygham with all hys pertinences in þe cownty of Lyncoln, as in medowys, ffedynges..hommages, rentes, sysys [L assisis], [etc.].
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)18 : Off the Sysis of dyuers waris in the Mercery: There be dyuers thynges in the mercery that kepe a sysse, that is to say, a pece fustyan containeth xxx yerdes; the dim. pece containeth xv yerdes.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.397 : Furst the syse of a Millar is þat he schall not haue no Mesures at his mille But thei be sysed and sealed accordyng to the kynges standard.
c
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9332 : Ȝyf þou wylt haue any of þyse, Tyþe weyl, and on gode syse [vr. assyse].
- a1450 LDirige(1) (Dgb 102)285 : My lippes arn shronken out of syse, Aboute my teth arn left atwyn.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)26 : For þai [Egyptians] þe mesure & þe mett of all þe mulde couthe, Þe sise of all þe grete see.
- c1450 Metham Physiog.(Gar 141)122/8 : The hed that ys gret, as in qwantyte pasyng the commun syse..ekyth gretly to the wyttys.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1407 : Therfore amonge it is to sette wyse Doctours, as of the feelde, or other grete; The forgoer to sette vnto his sise, And hem that beth to slough, forthward to gete To fer aforn, and sole a foo may bete.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1498 : Mesure a grounde, as wil thin ooste suffice; To wide it is, thin ooste therin is rare; To streyt, thei be to thicke; a myddil sise Is beste.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)221/10 : Now art thou of a syse..lyke unto oure ferys.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)469 : iij perchers of wax þen shalle he fet, A-boue þo chymne þat be sett, In syce ichon from oþer shalle be Þe lenghthe of oþer þat men may se.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3815 : Protheselus the pert kyng was of pure shap, Semely for sothe & of Syse faire.
d
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8672 : Stones precious and ȝimmes, Gold and siluer þer were inne; Þai hadde aboue riche queintise Of beten gold of mani asise [?read: a sise].
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)1396 : Wyse draweþ to þe wyse, And folys euer to folys syse.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)159 : My scharp prik is sette in swech a sise, There may no man scapen my daungere.
- a1450(1400) Eche man be war (Dgb 102)61 : That man that wole be gouerned by wyt..ffolwe mesure in euene syse.
- a1450 Where-of is mad (Dgb 102)75 : He may not stonde þat haþ no toon, Lepe ne renne ne ryde in syse.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)2.845 : Your conseytes, madame, sette hem in som fyse [vr. syse].
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)682/29 : Of sir Trystram cam all the good termys of venery and of huntynge, and all the syses and mesures of all blowyng wyth an horne.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)161/309 : Þerefore kyngys whan ȝe ryse, Wendyth ferth be weys wyse þer ȝour hall be sett in syse in dyverse londe.
e
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.51 : Wȝan ȝe hadden set your sise [vr. asise], Ȝe þre traytours, sore i wepe.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)211 : The kyng þo swore an oth Þat..He wolde so ȝelde him his sise Þat it shulde like him in al wise.