Middle English Dictionary Entry
sǒutē̆r(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sǒutē̆r(e n. Also sotter, suter(e, -or(e, sutter(e, (early) sutur; pl. souter(e)s, etc. & soutres, (K) zouteres. |
| Etymology | OE sūtere, from L; also cp. L sūtor. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A shoemaker or cobbler; also as a term of abuse [quot. 1478]; ~ craft; (b) in surnames [some quots. may belong to sutour n.]; (c) in place names [see Smith PN Elem.1.264].
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)119/5 : Se deade..axode geornlice embe þone sutere..& mann afunde þa þæt his gewune wæs þæt he worhte his weorc to seofen nihten & sealde on þone Sæterdæig.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)166/26 : A wummon þe haueð ilosed hire nelde oðer a sutere [Nero: sutare; Tit: suter] his eal secheð hit ananriht.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)362/11-12 : Seint Marc..wende forth to a soutere, ȝif he is scho makie miȝte; Þe soutare atþe furste stiche ful vuele is hond he piȝte.
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.156 : Ofte mistrediþ ȝe ȝur schone, ȝur fete beþ ful tendre; Daþeit þe sotter þat tawiþ ȝure leþir!
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.156 : Hail be ȝe, sutters, wiþ ȝour mani lestes, Wiþ ȝour blote hides of selcuþ bestis.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)66/12 : Þer is a feloun þet heþ þe tonge more keruinde þanne rasour..and more boryinde þanne zouteres eles.
- (1363-4) Freeman R.in KRec.18213 : Johannes Coryng, Soutere.
- (1379) Poll Tax in YAJ 517 : Adam Wild', Sutter.
- (1380) Sub.R.Oxf.in Rogers Oxf.CDoc.32 : De Rogero del Sewre, Sutor.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.135 : Som men tolde þat þis Harold was a sowter [Higd.(1): souters] sone.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)5.158 : Sesse þe souters wyf [Trin-C: soutere] sat on þe Benche.
- (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.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)296a/a : We clepen þe brustels of swyne secas in latyn, and sowters clepen hem brustels and sowen þer wiþ.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.80 : Euerych sowtere þat makeþ shon of newe reþeres leþer shal bote..twey pans in name of shongable.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.311 : Arn..none sonnere ysauid..Þanne pore peple, as plouȝmen and pastours of bestis, Souteris & seweris.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.413 : I haue leuere here an harlotrie or a somer game of souteres..Þan al þat euere Marke made, Mathew, John, & lucas.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)28b/b : Formella: a souteres last.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)122/18 : Þe wymmen..do all maner of craftez, þat es to say, talyour craft and sowter craft and swilk oþer.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)466 : Sowtare, or cordewaner: Sutor, alutarius.
- a1450(?1419-20) Topias (Dgb 41)99/865 : Þis sacrament..wole not be confect but oonli of a preest..And so carpenters ne sowters..Ne no manere of artificeris þis sacrament mowe treten.
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A bleche of soutres.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)106 : Þe patriarkis, þat were þe nobliar of þe Jewis, herdid bestis; philosophurs, þat were of þe bettar of pagaynis, wer sowtars.
- (1478) *Maldon (Essex) Court Rolls Bundle 50, no.8 [OD col.] : Willelmus Cotyngham vocavit Johannem Baker 'horsoned souter' contra statutum hujus burgi et dixit, ' Vos, horsoned suters, bere a rewle.'
- a1500 *Medulla (Cnt D.2)128a/a : Sutrinum: a sowters shoppe.
- a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)84 : 'A revette boot trynkele,' seyd the sotur, when he boot of is wyfe thombe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1585 : There were stallis by þe strete stondyng..Werkmen into won, and þaire wares shewe, Bothe to selle and to se as þaim selfe lyked, Of all þe craftes to ken..Sadlers, souters, Semsteris fyn, [etc.].
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)744,752 : Nov mot ich soutere his sone setten to schole..And his syre a soutere y-suled in grees, His teeþ wiþ toylinge of leþer tatered as a sawe!
b
- (1209) Pipe R.Winch5/32 : Osmundi Sutere.
- (1220) CRR(2) 8209 : Sutor.
- (1263) in Fransson Surn.131 : Nich. le Soutere.
- (1278-9) Hundred R.Tower 2404 : Ysabell la Sutare.
- (1285) in Fransson Surn.131 : Joh. le Sutur.
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1089 : Elya Sutore.
- (1303-4) Acc.Chester in LCRS 5954 : Patrick le Suter.
- (1310) Court R.Colchester 1162 : Henry Suttere.
- (1329) Court R.Colchester 191 : Gervase Sutore.
- (1351) Rec.Crondal in Hamp.RS 3138 : Walterus le Soutere.
- (1357) Reg.Edw.Blk.Pr.4.226 : Luke Souter.
- (1364-5) Rec.Crondal in Hamp.RS 345 : Willelmus le Soutere.
- (1401-2) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103604 : Will'o Souter.
c
- (1334) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)79 : Suterlund.
- (1335) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)79 : Suterlundbek.
- (1347) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99119 : Souterpath.
- (1404-5) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99222 : Sowterpeth.
- (1421-2) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103618 : Sowterlofte.
- (1447-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99237 : Souterpeth.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Ashm.1393 Artist.Recipes (Ashm 1393) 158/23 : Forto make blak water..Tak li. .ij. of alren ryndis..and poune well..and do hem in .iij. potelle of blache of sou [read: souteres] and seþe hem with febull fyre.
- a1500 Sln.405 Recipes (Sln 405) 240/25 : Forto make blak water..tak thi galles and breke þamme..and lay þamme in stepe al a nyȝt in rayne water..þen take a quart of sowters bleke and put to hit.
- a1500 Htrn.110 Artist.Recipes (Htrn 110) 322/16 : Take a qyart of s45t2rs [ciphered; read: souters] blak and..let it seþ.
Note: Glossary: [under blac(c)he n]: 'green vitriol (iron sulphate)'...'the same material also termed souters ~, ~ of souteres, sowters ~, sho-makeris ~, "shoemaker's black"'."
Note: New combs. blacche of souteres, souteres bleke, souteres blak = 'preparation used by shoemakers for blacking leather; blacking'.