Middle English Dictionary Entry
tenaunt n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tenaunt n. Also tenaunte, tenant(e, tenand(e, teneande, tenent, tenaun & (error) tenment; pl. tenauntes, etc. & tenaunttes, tenandus, (error) tenautes. |
| Etymology | OF tenant, AFtenaunt, tene(a)nt n. & ML tenens, -entis n., from ppl. of L tenēre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One who holds real property from another by feudal obligation or payment of rent; (b) ~ bi (de) devis, a tenant by inheritance; ~ bi the courteisie, ~ thurgh laue of engelond, a widower given life use of property inherited by his wife and inheritable by their children; ~ in vileinage, a tenant owing service for use of the property; fre ~, a tenant owing a rental payment for use of the property [see also fre-tenaunt n.]; (c) a guest, resident; (d) a defendant in a lawsuit.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325 *Rwl.Statutes [OD col.] (Rwl B.520)lf.17 : Þe tenaunt his redi to don to þe chef louerd þe seruices ant te costumes.
- (1378) MSS PRO in App.Bk.Lond.E.280 : Bryng a wryt of trespas en ver Richard..þe wheche trespas hu duden þe waley of twenty mark Towchyng to me & my & my tenante.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.87 : Somtyme in þe comynge of a newe lorde, tenauntes [L tenentes] were i-wont to ȝilde vp hire wepene instede of homage.
- a1400(?c1300) LFMass Bk.(Roy 17.B.17)369 : Oure sib men and oure wele-willandes, Oure frendes, tenandes [vrr. tenauntes, tenandus; sugettes], & seruandes..I pray þe, lord, for hom alle.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.19 : Adelwolf of Westsex..At Chestre sette his parlement, his tenantz þerto bede; He sent for alle þe kynges fro Berwik vnto Kent.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.39 : Loke þou tene no tenaunt [vr. teneande] but treuþe wile assent.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.305 : Þanne wolde lordes and ladyes be loth..to take of her tenauntz [C: tenauns] more þan treuth wolde.
- c1400 Wycl.Blasph.(Bod 647)414 : If a bayle aske rent to þo lord, he begges not þis rent of þo lordis tenaunte.
- (1423) Acc.St.Michael Oxf.in OAST 7815 : The resseytes of rente: De John Hertylpole for the Newe In yn the wheche he ys tenaunt of xiii s. iiii d.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)3766 : Sho sal hald hir land of þe And to þe þarfore mak fewte..And sho sal be to þe tenant.
- a1425 De Officio Militis (Ryl Eng 412)156 : To þese lawes shulde lordes and kniȝtes take hede..in sauynge of her tenautes [read: tenauntes] for such priuee spoylyng.
- (1426) EEWills71/14 : I woll þat ther be delyuered ther to þe pore peple of my tenaunttes xx s.
- (a1432) Let.in Burton Hemingbrough383 : Sir John Rocliff..has forsakyne his vicary..and, if it like ȝour gudnes to presente yer to an abill mane..yer is yar a tenande sonn of ȝours.
- (1442) *Proc.Chanc.PRO ser.C 1 file 9no.314 : Thomas Burgoyn..tenaunt to the seid Manoir..hath encroched..parcellis off pasture.
- (1448) Shillingford44 : My lord of Excetre is tenantis were somned to come and kepe the wacche.
- a1450(1414) Whanne alle a kyngdom (Dgb 102)43 : Ȝoure tenauntes playntes ȝe mot here.
- c1450(a1400) Lavynham Treat.7 Dead.Sins (Hrl 211)6/5 : Þey þt be lordis tenawntis, for þe lond þt þey holdyn of hym, don hym certayn seruyses in þe ȝer.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)73/16 : Þer was a tenand in þe lordshup þat had a grete cauce þer in þe cowrte.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.50/3 : Þat þabbot and Couent lette not þe saide tenauntes..to be contributours with þe communite of oxonforde.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)89/12 : They called before them the lordis and possessioners and tenauntis of the mylles in the parissh.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)119 : Such maner of borowynge makith the grete lordis to be pouerer than thair tenantes.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)134 : By escheittes þer mey not so muche lande fall to any man as to þe kyng, by cause þat no man hath so many tenantes as he.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.2408 : Yf thow..haue tenauntis, be they free or bonde, If thow take her seruice be force..Goodis or catallis or ony part of hir lande, It is verri theifte.
- a1500(1396) Indent.Francisc.in RS 4.1 (Vit F.12)525 : No tenment [?read: tenent] shall dwell in the sayd rentts wyche shall be ther edified but yf he be bownde and sworne to the Wardens of the bryge of London.
- a1500(a1419) Jack Upland (Hrl 6641)70/381 : What power haue ȝe to asoile lordis & ladies..of synnes..þat þei leuen not, as pilinge of her tenauntis?
b
- a1325 *Rwl.Statutes [OD col.] (Rwl B.520)lf.17b : Þat is i-seid for women holdinde in dowere ant tenauns þoru lawe of yngelonde.
- (1414) RParl.4.58a : To the which Statut we fre tenantz of the Coroune owe not to obeye, for we be not in the cas of the Statut, and ne oughte not to answere lyk as bondemen of byrthe shulde.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)79 : If eny man that wil cleyme right..afore that the sesyn of the same tenementes ben delivered to the tenaunt be devis..fynde the tenaunt de devis sesyd in the tenement, [etc.].
- (1461) RParl.5.485b : The seid James may..the same halfendele..enjoye to hym for terme of his lyf as Tenaunt by the Curtesie, and..after his deceas..Richard and his Heires may..it have..and enherit, as Heires to the seid Elizabeth.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)564/19-20 : Iohn Bloxham..yaf..to..Moolde vpton, abbesse of Godestowe..all customs, seruyce, reuersions, or eisementis all, both comyng forth of fre tenauntis, and also of bondmen or natifes, or of tenauntis in villenage.
c
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Job 19.15 : The tenauntis [WB(1): comelingus; L Inquilini] of myn hows and myn handmaydis hadden me as a straunger.
d
- (1444) RParl.5.112a : The seid Tenauntz or Defendauntz often tymes imaginen and pleden forein and fals Plees.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.104/7 : This Is the ffinall acorde i-made In þe Courte of owr londe [read: lorde]..betwene Eustache ffiȝt Raph, axar, and Deenys Escorchebefe, tenaunt.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)81/7 : A final concorde was made..bytwene william of hye-brynge..asker, and Mabili wafre, Abbas of Godstowe, tenent.
2.
A land holding; fre ~, a freehold.
Associated quotations
- c1460 Oseney Reg.48/20 : All þe partie of the Ile of Oseneye..longeth to þe Abbot and Couent, to-gedur with all tenauntes vppon þe weer of þe Millis of þe castell.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.49/19 : Þe saide Abbot and Couent haue ryȝght..in all the water..towarde þe North vnto þe Ende of þere ffree tenauntes.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.92/24 : I, Hugh plesettis, haue i-ȝefe..to William, Abbot of Oseney..v s. ȝerely for Euer to be take of þe tenauntes þe which Water Croxford helde of me.
3.
In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1231) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms46 : Joh. le franktenant.
- (1332) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames344 : Richard Tenand.
- (1332) Sub.R.Lan.in LCRS 31.285 : Robertus Tenaunt.
- (1333) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms48 : Ric. Tenaunt.
- (1380) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms48 : Will. Tenant.