Middle English Dictionary Entry
thraldọ̄̆m n.
Entry Info
| Forms | thraldọ̄̆m n. Also thral(le)dome, thraldam(e, -dum, -don, threldome, tharldome, tharldon, traldome & (?errors) thraldrom, thardam, (error) hraldom. |
| Etymology | From thral n.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A state of subjection to another, servitude, bondage, slavery; also fig.; (b) the subjugation of a people; also, a state of captivity;—used esp. of Biblical Israel; also, a period of enslavement; with ref. to lands: possession, ownership; (c) imprisonment, confinement; also, restriction, constraint [1st quot.]; (d) subservience; also, compliance, submission; (e) werke(s of ~, ?manual labor; ?earthly pursuits.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14550 : Summe heo fluȝen to Irlonde..and þer wuneden þeouwe inne þral-dome.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2322 : Witterlike He slagen and we agen driuen, In-to ðraldom euermor to liuen.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3452 : Alle we ben ded oþer nome & in þraldome euer more wone For þi mete we wiþ hen [read: hem] sone.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.15.13 : Men schall sugetten hem to þralldom.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.772 : In somme contrees ther they ben thralles, whan they han turned hem to the feith they maken hire thralles free out of thraldom.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)192a/a : Þey louen nyȝe as wele deþ as þraldame.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9658 : He..Noght him allan bot all his kin In thraldom [Bedf: þraldon] has broght þam in.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Rom.8.15 : For whoeuere beþ y-maad þorowȝ þe spiryt of God, þei beþ Godes chyldren, For ȝe ne hafeþ noȝt vnderfongen þe spiryt of þraldom eftsones in drede, bote ȝe haueþ vnderfongen þe spirit of þe begetynge of children, in þe whuche spirit we crieþ to God oure Fadur.
- (1414) RParl.4.59b : They have forfeted her forseide fee ferme, and that in changyng of the fre tenure of the Coroune into thraldom and into bondage.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)23b/b : Emanceps: delyuered from þraldum.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.595 : Fortune..Cleernesse of fame can chaunge to dirknesse..And old fraunchise to thraldam [vr. hraldom] & seruage.
- a1450 Methodius(2) (Add 37049)103/27 : Þe lande of Syrie sal be made waste & þe dwellers of it put in thraldrom.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)54/25 : I chastise my fleisch & put it into þraldam, þat he ne glyde into synne & lette þis ende.
- (1483) RParl.6.241b : Wee be determined rather to aventure..than to lyve in such thraldome and bondage.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)39/34 : Whan thay foundyn Englysh-men childryn..thay were woned to by ham, and put ham in thraldome.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1399 : And þou so doggetly has done in þi derfe hate, Þrast hir vnder þraldam with þi þro hert, To a kyng þat is curst, of vnclene lyfe.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)263 : He ssolde þe noble folc, þat of so noble blod com, Oout of seruage lete & out of þraldom.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)155a/b : Two lynages were y-holde in þraldome [L captiuate] by Nabugodonosor.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2583 : In egipte suld his sede exile In tharldon four hundret ȝere.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)5405 : In thraldam [Vsp: thainhed; Frf: bondehede] tak vr landes all, For sede we may þaim saw wid-all.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)104/34 : Þis folkez..ware..be-cause of þaire synnez..halden in thralledom.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)268 : Sumwhat bifore the thraldoms of Ierusalem, the King Ioas maad the book of the lawe be knowun and be puplischid ful myche.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)14449 : Pharao..hadde..the peple off Israel..in thraldam and seruage.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)201/4 : Thay weryn into that traldome, that thay ne helde not the lawe of god of hevyn wyche thay had rescewid by Moyses, and wyrsepedyn fals goddis.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)48/35 : When the lxx yere was fulfillyd, Ierusalem by the mercye of God was conuertyd, and the thraldom was relesid.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)63/21 : The foulys of the yland shullen to-geddyr fle, and the mest of ham, with har wynges y-brante, shullyn ouer-throwyn in thraldome.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)79/4 : Yee wotten, in Egipte when yee weare, out of thraldome I you brought.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)12a/b : In as moche as he is fer from þe þraldom of erþeliche mater, in so moche he is þe more perfite in contemplacioun of spiritual & vnmatereal þinges.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)290a/a : He..suffreþ hem passe homward þat ben prisoneres & comen out of þraldome.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.28 : God me had devisit To lyve my lyf in thraldome.
d
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)139 : Alle oðer daȝes of þe wike beoð to þreldome to þis dei.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)253/7 : Me ssel lete his oȝene wyt and his onderstondinge flechchi and zette ine þreldom of þe beleaue, ase zayþ zayte paul.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.235 : Alle þe Romaynes þat come þereby worschipped þat ymage in wey of subieccioun and of þraldom.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.286 : Wommen are born to thraldom and penaunce.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)265b/b : Naþeles he bereþ berþenes & may with trauayle and þraldome.
- (1465) Paston (EETS)1.135 : I nil not begine þat exsample ne thralldam of gentilmen ner of othir.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)171/39 : He will haue no company but wyth his Frendes, why, forto Please al men, hit were ouer-moche thraldome, but the hardy ne may hit endure.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)58/21 : It is not after þe man..to chastise þe body, to bring it in þraldom.
e
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)127a/b : Among þe hebrews þis solempnite was so greet þat no work of seruage and of þe þraldom was I-suffred to be do in þe Satirday.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)49/4 : We scholde solempneli take bodily reste, cessing solempneli also of all werkis of thraldom [Othea: wordly besynes & bodely ocupacioun], and to be in reste of soule in cessing of all synne.
2.
(a) The power to enslave someone, domination; (b) advantage, benefit, use; (c) a tax imposed on an inferior.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)67/17 : Zix c þousond..god hedde ykest out of þe þreldome of þe kinges of egipte.
- a1480(c1450) Barlaam (2) (Peterh 257)27/945 : Þat seed he called his owen peple. And hem he delyuered out of þe thraldom of egipte & of þe kynge pharao.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)157/26 : Oure lord delyuerde hem fro the þraldom of Egipt.
b
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)146.9 : Oure Lord..bryngeþ for-þe haþ [read: hay] in þe mounteyns & grasse to mannes þraldome.
c
- a1450 Form Excom.(1) (Cld A.2)62 : Also alle þat vnrytheffully settyth tallages vppon men of haly chirche, as podage, gwyage, or any oþur vnskylful thraldom.
3.
Fig. (a) Spiritual bondage; subjection to sin, the flesh, etc.; ~ drede, fear of punishment; (b) the power to enslave (sb.) spiritually; spiritual dominance, spiritual tyranny; ~ of the wombe, domination by the stomach, gluttony; (c) ~ of idolatrie, ?slavery to a false god; ?error through misconstruction of L servitus slaves.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14665 : He libben wolden his lif in þral-dome and for-saken Godes mæsse and luuien hædenesse.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)181/8 : Huo þet him let ouercome be his ulesse, he is ine a wel zorȝuol þreldome and wel vil.
- 1372 In bedlem is (Adv 18.7.21)78 : Prei we alle þat precious þing, Of þraldom þat mad us fre—Wif, mayden, & moder so ying, Was neuer non but sche.
- c1400 Who-so loueth endeles (Sim)7 : Þis false world..mot he fle..In þat þraldom who-so is I-þrest, Him mot eschewe al charite.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)7/15 : A man þat haþ þe drede of seruage, or a þraldom drede, which is þe staat of imperfeccioun..he may come soone [vr. so] to þe secunde gree, which is þe staat of perfeccioun.
- a1450(1410) This holy tyme make (Dgb 102)28 : Þe grettere lordschipe of worldis wele, Þe more in þraldom hit doþ hem bynde.
- c1475 St.Anne(2) (Trin-C R.3.21)503 : That precious virgyn mary fre Shuld appere to those in captyuyte, Clene to delyuer hem out of thraldom.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)1 : They comforted hem that weren synners, and seide that oon sholde come, which sholde delyuer hem out of tharldome and disese.
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)132 : The ward was nere browt to nowte & all thorow caym in thardam thraste.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)86/23 : Þe guodemen..god heþ yvryd..uram þe þreldome of þe dyeule and of zenne.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)248/30-31 : Þe oþer guod þet sobrete makeþ is þet hi deliureþ þane man of to uoul þreldom, þet is of þe þreldome of þe wombe.
- c1390 Talking LGod (Vrn)12/1 : Mi buggere, þat bouȝte me so deore, wiþ his derworþe deþ, from þraldam of helle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)127b/a : Bi þe passioun of crist, þraldom of synne of mankynde is relessid.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4304 : His lok allan may bring Vn-til his thraldom þe kyng And maugre his do him lute.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.53 : Þe moost þraldom and þe worst of alle is þe þraldom of synne.
- c1425 Castle Love(2) (Eg 927)67 : All mankynde for thi was put to thraldom of the fende And bounden all to his prison.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)72/27 : That is þe which despisith paradijs..and submittith þe worlde to þe þraldom [vr. tharledom] of þe fende.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)171/6 : He [Christ] losed vs owte of þe þraldam of þe fende.
- a1480(c1450) Barlaam (2) (Peterh 257)8/194 : He..deide vpon þe cros..& toke out þe soulis of þe deuelis thraldom & brouȝt hem into fredom.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)73.3 : We lost not the grace of thi luf the thou has boght fra the thraldom of þe deuel.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.748 : And ther fore seith Seint Paul..that an auaricious man is the thraldom of ydolatrie [Vulg. Eph.5.5: idolorum servitus]..For certes euery floryn in his cofre is his mawmet.