Middle English Dictionary Entry
traitǒurǒus adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | traitǒurǒus adj. Also traitoures, -is, traitorous, traiterous, -oux, traterous, traturous & traitrous & traitours, treitours. |
| Etymology | OF traitros, AF traiterous, traitourous, -os, traiturous; a few forms may be the sg.gen. of ME traitǒur n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Disloyal to king or country, traitorous, treasonable; (b) treacherous, false, wicked.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5652 : To Hardree had he a strok y-ȝyue..Nad his auentaile y-beo þat heel, France had þo be delyured weel of a ful traytrous man.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)2611 : Thogh þou be fals vn-to þyn owne toun..Nat were it knyghtly, me to þe consente, That taken hast so traytourous entente.
- (1450) RParl.5.178b : The seid Duke..beyng next and grettest of your Counceill..discovered..to your seid grete Ennemye Charles..Informations..whereby..by his fals, fraudulent, traiterous werkes, dedes, and deceyvable ymaginations, your grete Enheritauncez, Seignouries, Lordships..have be taken, byreft and goten fro you.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)9 : Sir Robert Grame..conspired and ymagynd how that he myght destruye his Kyng..Therto the Kyng, hugely vexid in his spretes with the traturous and malicious rebellion of the said Sir Robert Grame, did mak an opyn proclamacion.
- (1459) RParl.5.346a : His malicious and traitours purpos was not acheved.
- (1470) Stonor1.116 : Our Traitours and Rebelles..been fledde westwardes, Whome we wol..pursue..and let and represse þeir fals and traiteroux purpose and entent.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.29b : It is..adjuged..that the seid John, for his seid offences and trayterous dedes, be convicted and attaynted of high Treason.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.312 : They put on hym he toke royall power, In truce takyng with therle of Murrey Withouten power, in trayterous araye; In wrongyng of the kynges hye estate.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.896 : O cursed synne of alle cursednesse, O traytours [vrr. traytorous, traterous, traytourys, traitoures, treytours] homicide, o wikkednesse.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2530 : Come a deuyl rennyng to hym..he broght..A brennyng soule þat al to-shoke..And calyd hym 'fals, felun treytours, haue þys soule!'