Middle English Dictionary Entry
sǒudēn n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sǒudēn n. Also sudene; pl. soudenes, sodenis, sudenes, southdenes, soutȝdenis, sothdenes, suddenes. |
| Etymology | From OF sosdoiien, souzdaien, sodaien & ME dēn n.(2). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. subden n.
1.
Eccl. A church official ranking immediately below and acting as an assistant to a dean, a subdean [for PPl. quots. cp. den n.(2) 1.(b)].
Associated quotations
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)2.137 : Let apparaille þise prouisours in palfreis wise..And alle þe denis & southdenis [vrr. soutȝdenys, suddenes, sudenes, sodenys, Sodenes; B vr. southdenes; C vr. soþdenes], as destreris hem diȝte.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.128 : Wikked men..aren prestes inparfit and prechoures after syluer, Sectoures and sudenes [C vr. soudenes], somnoures and her lemmannes.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)122b : A Svdene: subdecanus.