Middle English Dictionary Entry
traitǒur adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | traitǒur adj. Also traitoure, traitur, tretour. |
| Etymology | OF traitor, traiteur, AF treittre adj.; also cp. ME traitǒur n., to which a few quots. may belong. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Guilty of treason against the king or the realm, traitorous; disobedient to or rebellious against the law; of one's body or heart: belonging to a traitor; of a plot: treasonable; (b) guilty of the betrayal or injury of another; insidious, deceitful, malign; treacherous to one's master, false to one's lover, disloyal to one's family or friend; (c) unchivalrous, villainous.
Associated quotations
a
- a1350(1307) Execution Fraser (Hrl 2253)23 : Simond frysel..wes traytour ant fykel.
- c1330(?a1300) KAlex.(Auch)430/253 : Þai be lordles and Ich am ded þourth a traitour fals red.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)18558 : Þa iewes..saide he was a tregitour & againe þaire lagh traitour.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.6505 : Þis Eneas toke to hym Polycene, Whos traitour hert, for al his cruelte, On hir ȝouþe was mevid of pite.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1801 : Þe king said..'Þou has bitraied þi whif and me..I sal ger draw þi traytur cors Thurgh þis toun.'
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)52.275 : It happede be A tretour boteler that kyng Marahans sone poysoned he ther.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)507 : I schal nevere hete brede Here the thyfe traytour by dede.
b
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)319 : He let his oth al ouer-ga..Also a wicke traytur iudas.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1130 : It were..no greet honour For to be fals ne for to be traytour To me that am thy cosyn and thy brother Ysworn.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1785 : Damyan..O famulier foo..O seruant traytour..Lyk to the neddre in bosom sly vntrewe.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Pilgr.(Phys-E)p.55 : Thou lies traytour satan..He wend..wel that thou hauid ben I, Quen thou gert him do his folye.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4397 : Yon traitur juu [Joseph] me wald sceind, þat mi lauerd [Potiphar] for freind.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1700 : Day they gonnen to despise al newe, Callyng it traitour [vr. traytous], envyous, and worse, And bitterly the dayes light thei corse.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.1655 : Pharnax..ageyn nature To his fadir tretour & vnkynde..Took to hym hool his fadris cheualrie, Be sleihte & meede..beseged his fadir.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)2/29 : There is not this day no gretter treson thanne a gentill woman to yeue her selff to a traitour fals churle, blamed with vices, for there ys mani of hem deceiued bi the foule and grete fals othes that the fals men vsen to swere to the women.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)330/12 : Thou traytour knyght..delyver me my dwarff agayne, or..I shall do the..harme.
c
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)81/22 : Alas..I am slayne by thys traytoure knyght that rydith invisible.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)685/14 : Here folowyth me the moste traytour knyght and the moste coward and moste of vylany.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)686/18 : Stryke never a knyght whan he is at the erthe..Traytoure knyght, leve of, for shame!