Middle English Dictionary Entry
sō̆rt(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sō̆rt(e n. Also swort(e, sorth, (late) sorde. |
| Etymology | OF sorte, AF sort; also cp. L sors, sortis, AL sorta category, kind, set. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A group of people, animals, vices, etc.; a company, troop, band; a cohort; a god ~, a great many; in (a) ~, on a ~, of ~, in a group, together; in ~ with, in common with, like; (b) a kind or variety of person or animal.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.141 : Whilom dwelte a compaignye Of chapmen riche and..the maistres of that sort Han shapen hem to Rome for to wende.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)79/15 : As seintes techen, a clerk is as muche to seie as he þat is of þe sort of God.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)114 : Dawnce yn a sorte [Phil: cercle]: Chorea.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)606 : They semble in sortes summes full huge.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1575 : I sall disseuere that sorte..And sett them full solytarie in sere kyngez landez.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)31b : How many sortes or companyes beþ in a legioun, and hou many kniȝtes in a sort?
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)603 : A Sorth of malerdes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1555 : Now bowis furth þe bischop at þe burȝe ȝatis..all þe cite in sorte [Dub: of sorte] felowis him eftir.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)6/163 : Abowt hir stood a sort That y..ne koude devise a wer.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)187/5586 : Me thynkith how ye and y then in a sort Without moo myght suffise.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)59/14 : Aȝens þe same boþe soortis togidere y argue.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)526/21 : Well may [h]e be called valyaunte and full of proues that hath such a sorte of noble knyghtes unto hys kynne.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.61.42b : So schalt þou stonden in þi sort as an ankre and a religious in þe sort of a religion.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)264 : We xall cum euerychon, Mo þen a goode sorte.
- 1486 ?Berners Bk.St.Albans (Blades 1881)leaf f vi/a : A Sorde or a sute of malardis.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)114/3 : Þat þou be..a veray hebrewe going in to þe sorte & liberte of þe sonnes of god.
- a1500 I shall you tell a full (BodPoet e.1)p.91 : I wyll yow tell a full good sport, How gossyps gather them on a sort [vr. in a sorte].
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)619 : Armyd was Vyce all in cure boyle..An vngoodly soort folowyd hym.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1489 : There sate Dame Doctryne..And about her was many a sondry sorte.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4326 : Þat folke..folowit þere foule wille..Nawther cercumsiset sothely in sort with the Jewes, Ne comyn with cristenmen.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12533 : Sum of his sort, þat soght were to lond, Laited þere lord.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4381 : Perkyn Reuelour..gadred hym a meynee of his sort.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.4044 : I may been of youre sort; I is as ille a millere as ar ye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.673 : Ther ben lovers of such a sort, That feignen hem an humble port.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3099 : Sche sih hire lord..In liknesse of a bridd swimmende, And sche was of the same sort.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3592 : They sent out to forraye..and brought hom..al maner soortes of bestaylle.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.392 : Þo men þat lyven worldli and mesuren hem not bi Cristis lawe..þe folk of þis soort is a world þat shal be dampned.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)672 : What pepyll they were..I shall yow declare: of many a sondry sort.
2.
(a) A group, class, or category of items; (b) a kind or variety of thing; a pattern, design; of a (on) ~, of one pattern, matching; (c) a discrete collection (of goods, etc.), selection, consignment, batch
Associated quotations
a
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)22/26 : Þese iij parcellis or soortis mowe wel be clepid þre tablis of goddis moral lawe.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)23/30-32 : Þe same kindes or gendris of meenal vertues of þe first dede, soort, or parcel, or table, serueþ into vertues of þe ije and of þe iije seid soortis and parcellis or tablis.
b
- (1438) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.11 : In euery sorte of uessels to be made, a comen certainte shalbe had.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)23/20 : Alle maner soortes of armure..Be thi moder nowe signed schall be.
- (1443) Will York in Sur.Soc.30131 : I bequethe to Molde Wilughby..xij spones of silver of ij swortes.
- (1443) Will York in Sur.Soc.30131,132 : I bequethe..iij chales peces of silver of one swort..vj good Parys peces of silver of one sworte.
- (1459) Invent.Fastolf(1) in Paston Letters (Add Charter 17247:Gairdner)3.171 : ij litill ewers, of ij sortes, weiyng xxiiij unces.
- (1459) Invent.Fastolf(1) in Paston Letters (Add Charter 17247:Gairdner)3.171 : ij potellers of oon sorte.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4923 : I be qwethe hire..the costerys of yt chambyr and of ye drawgth chambyr next, tho that be of ye same soort.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4923 : I wille she haue..ij lowe candylstikkez of a sorth.
- (1463-4) Let.Bk.Lond.L (Gldh LetBk L)45 : If ther come..but oone Shipp..wt any vitaill or vitailles..Salt, Whete..Heryng..or any other vitaill or wt ij or iij soortes of any of the saide vitail, [etc.].
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)185/5 : Myghty marchauntes..goo thorough euery londe to seche thyngis of euery sorte.
c
- (1480) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/42)p.77 (87/14) : Youre broder Rychard Cely ys rede to Norlay for to se and caste a sorte of fell for me and anoder sorte of fell for you and Rychard Cely.
- (1480) Let.Cely (PRO Ch.Misc.C.47 37/12 f.6)p.82 (92/20) : Ther ys in an garratt..ij Ml lxxv wynter London praysyd at xiij noblis v s.; this sortt lyys in ij lytyll garattys togedyr..
- (1480) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/63)p.101 (112/6,8) : Y hawe sowllde..ij sarpleris good Cottys: he has takyn hon of the xx that ys pakyd agen and anodyr of the todyr sortt..; yt ys so that Y hawe nott ȝett made an ȝend of the pakyng of yowr sort of xx sarpleris.
3.
?Way, manner; ? = sort n.(1); on the ~, ?in any way; ?because of the fate.
Associated quotations
- a1500 Degrev.(Cmb Ff.1.6)1670 : Þe panter, þe boteler, Þe Eorlus cheff sqwyer Þer lyes slay..Þan þe remenaunt fles On þe sort [Thrn: For þe fyght] þat þei sees.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: For sense 2.(c), cp. OED sort n.2, sense 17(e) as well as MED sort n.(2) (= OED sort n.3), 'a certain amount (of fruit, etc.),' = DMLBS sors, sortus, sorta n., 9b ('set, group') and 6b ('unit of measure for ... fruit'). Though MED follows OED in distinguishing between sort n.(1) 'allotment,' sort n.(2) 'unit of measure for fruit,' and sorte n. 'set, group,' DMLBS treats all three under the same entry.