Middle English Dictionary Entry
traunce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | traunce n. Also trauns(e, trawunce, trance, trans(e & (?error) straunce. |
| Etymology | OF transe, AF trans, trauns, trance, traunce. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An unconscious or insensible state resulting from illness or injury; an ecstatic or dreamlike state, a trance; also, a daze; (b) a swoon, a fit of fainting, esp. resulting from lovesickness or grief; (c) a state of mental abstraction or insensibility to external stimuli; a state of distraction or mental distress; also, a quandary, confusion; cacchen in a ~, to take (sb.) unawares; (d) rapture, a state of ecstasy; also, departure from life [quot. a1425]; ravished in (a) ~, overcome or rendered insensible by religious or amorous feelings; (e) a perilous state, mortal danger.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2903 : Menoun..swiche a wounde ȝaf him on þe hede Þat..To þe erthe he made hym to aliȝt, For al his pride, in a mortal traunce: For of þat wounde he felt[e] swiche greuaunce, Þat at þe deth he lay an huge whyle.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)876 : This man be-þoutȝ him þoo in þis traunce That inspiracioun whech comth fro aboue Is sette in swech plith and swech gouernaunce, It feseth no man..Helies avisioun stood in swech a kynde.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)18.341 : As the kyng & Nasciens lien In this trawunce, ȝit herden they A more wondirful Chawnce.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)347/7 : On a tyme when he was in a trans of dead, he beheld his palas & his grete howsis and sayd, 'O! þou Lord God! How mekull þis werld aght to be dispysyd.'
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)128/20 : As þouȝ sche had be in a trauns, sche be-gan to knowe hir-self, and be processe of tyme sche was restored to parfite helth, for aftyr þat tyme had sche neuyr more þat seknesse.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21473 : Whyl I lay thus in A trance..I herde a voys mellodyus.
- a1500 Mirk Fest.Revis.(Hrl 2247)77/89 : Þere was a riche man in Ingelond þat fortuned to be syke, and he lay in a transe as dede from þe evyn tide till to þe morowe.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)15 : As I so lay half in a traunse, Twene slepyng and wakyng he bad me aryse.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)2063 : All thys I saw as I lay in a traunce, But whedyr hit was with myne ey bodyly Or nat in certayn, God knoweth and nat I.
b
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1572 : With that word he fil doun in a traunce A longe tyme and afterward he vp sterte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1457 : Ded swounende doun sche fell..whanne it so befell That sche out of hire traunce awok..Hire yhe alwei among sche caste Upon hir love.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3388 : The qwen distrauht is descendid doun..A-swoune she fille vnto þe grounde lowe..Stille as ston she lyggeth in a Traunce.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)8735 : This lady sate styll, for full a-wake Out of this traunse was she not yit.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1367 : This cherles herte is in a traunce, As he which drad him of vengance.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1990 : Of mete or drinke sche toke but litel hede..Loue hath hir cauȝt so newli in a traunce.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3285 : Fortune..Causeles ageyn[e]s hem a-grevid, And of rancour sodeynly amevid With blynde a-waites to cache hem in a traunce.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1306 : Troilus he fond allone abedde, That lay, as do thise lovers, in a traunce Bitwixen hope and derk disesperaunce.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)9028 : No new love but olde remenbraunse Make hym stond in such a traunse [vr. straunce].
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.182 : Þese olde folk..leveden alle in dwere To haue ony chyeld..Zakarye and Elyzabeth stoodyn in the same travns; So dede abraham wyth sara his wyef.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)117.361 (v.2:p.250) : Marthe fyrst met hym wythowte the toun, and had wyth hym a longe dalyaunce, but Mary was at hom in hyre carful traunce.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2533 : I desire..yeur promes That, & I bryng yeur enmyes into such a traunce To make for yeur wrongis to ȝew riȝte hiȝe fenaunce..That yee..brynge me at Room.
- a1500 ?Ros Belle Dame (Cmb Ff.1.6)800 : This wofull man rose vp in all his payn, And so partyd..fful like to dye, forth walkyng in a traunce.
d
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1750 : This Ianuarie is rauysshed in a traunce At euery tyme he looked on hir face.
- a1425 ME Verse in MA 52p.234 : My hope, mayden, I ask & crafe In þis trans þat þou me safe.
- (1434) Misyn ML (Corp-O 236)128/24 : Not with a prowed fote he gois, bot in he delitis only Ioyand onon with swetnes of godis lufe as wer rauischyd in trans, meruelusly rauischid is glad.
- ?a1475 Banester Guiscardo (Add 12524)460 : I woll folow by processe off dethis traunce.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.1112 : Perauenture þer myght be sent so pleasaunt a letter, Be heryng therof to be cast in a traunse.
e
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)20376 : Ful myhtily they fowhten jn that pres..and Yweyn the avowtrers was jn þat trauns.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)45ab : Ysaac thenne was gretly abasshed and astoned and meruaylled more than can be thought credyble and thenne he was in a traunce .. in whiche he had knowleche that god wold that Jacob shold haue the blessyng.
Note: Additional quot., sense (c) (?): seems to denote debilitating amazement and consternation, as well as enlightenment.