Middle English Dictionary Entry
yēman n.
Entry Info
| Forms | yēman n. Also yemon, yeoman, yoman(ne, yhoman, ȝeman, ȝiman(ne, ȝimman, ȝimmon, ȝoman, ȝoman(n)e, ȝomman, ȝomon(e, (in surnames) yomon, yhoman, zeman; gen. yemannes, ȝomans; pl. yemen, yeomen, yomen, youmeine, ȝem(m)en, ȝim(m)en, ȝomen, ȝoumen. |
| Etymology | Origin uncertain: perh. from yǒng man phr. & n.; ?also cp. OE *gēaman (from or cognate with OFris. gāmann villager). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A free-born male attendant in a royal or noble household holding a rank above that of groom and page but below that of squire, a household official; an attendant or assistant to someone of higher rank, a retainer; gentil-man ~;
(b) a subordinate officer in a specific department of a royal or noble household, ranking below a sergeant and above a groom; also, as a prefix to the titles of various officers of the household: ~ berner, ~ purveiour, ~ usher, etc.;
(c) a subordinate military officer; ~ gonner, an assistant to a master gunner; an officer in charge of cannon for a town;
(d) a hired laborer; also, a member of a ship’s crew, seaman;
(e) as a term of disparagement: an underling, inferior; in direct address: fellow;
(f) in cpds.: ~ bred, some type of bread; ~ stat, the rank or station of yeoman.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3649 : Ȝepli ȝomen þan dede þe ȝates schette.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.101 : A yeman hadde he and seruantz namo.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.head. : The prologe of the chanouns yemannes tale.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7822 : Þan spak dauid to þat yoman.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.297 : Sir Hugh of Crissengham…wild gif no wages to þe folk þer ware, þerfor ȝomen & pages home gan alle fare.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)834 : Þai…departed on gentyl wyse, Sum to kniȝttes of heiȝe seruise, Sum…To ȝoman, page, and joglers.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.271 : Alle manere lordes Þoruh ȝiftes hauen ȝemmen [vrr. ȝemen, ȝimmen; B vr. ȝoumen] to rennen and to ryde.
- c1425 Liber de Hyda in RS 45157 : To all my ȝymen [L valectis], and to myn horsmen, and to my botelerys, syxthi hundryd handfullys of goold.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)81/22 : Helizeus Damascus…was ȝoman [F vadlet] & despenser of Abraham.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)538 : Ȝymanne [Win: Ȝyman], or ȝomanne: Valectus.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2628 : He made me ȝomane at ȝole and gafe me gret gyftes.
- a1450 Dux Moraud (BodPoet f.2)4 : Bachelerys and knytys to mende, Sueyerys and ȝemen to holde.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3488 : He come in to Englonde…Wt alle his men, knyȝt, squyere, ȝomone, & page.
- (c1452) Complaint Scrope in Scrope Castle Combe279 : I was feyne to go to hym over the see, with a yoman and a page on myn owne coste.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.228 : John Hardewike, clerc of þe kechyn, j yoman.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)910/3 : He mette with a yoman rydyng uppon an hakeney which lad in hys ryght honde a grete steede.
- a1475 in Hodgkin Proper Terms158 : A ffeyllyschype of youmeyne.
- a1475 Ordin.Househ.Grossetest (Sln 1986)216 : Commaunde ȝe that ȝoure gentilmen yomen and other dayly bere and were there robis in ȝoure presence.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.65 : Eche man to kenne hymsilf and his better, A page, a grome, a yoman by right, As the A. B. C. is made by ordre in hem.
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)19 : Our sovereyn lordes household is now discharged…of the Court of Marshalsy, and all his clerkes and yeomen.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.118 : Þe kyng…hatȝ power and fredam of a page to makyn a ȝeman.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)122/202 : What! ich be a yoman, I tell you, of the king.
- a1500 Terms Assoc.(3) (Lamb 306)233 : A Squier is logid…A yoman is bedded.
b
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)83 : Þe maistir of þe game must haue a forun hym ouyr evyn þe sergeaunt of þe office and þe yemen beerners at hors and eke þe lymner.
- (1437) Proc.Privy C.5.63 : John Penycoke, yoman of youre robes.
- (1448) Pet.Hen.VI in Archaeol.164 : They calle me noon otherwyse now among hem but yeman Sergeant at armes, by as mych as I have not my hole fees…while my maister was alyve, my Lord Duk of Warrewyk, they callid me Gentilman Sergeant.
- (1449) RParl.5.159a : John Bury, Yoman Ussher of his Halle.
- (1450) RParl.5.194a : John Martyn, Yoman of oure Larder for oure mouth…John Wikes, Yoman of the Selar for the Quens mouth.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.224 : Richard Clerk, yoman of þe Armurie.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.225 : John Marchall, yoman surgeon.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.226 : John Swyllyngton, yoman messanger.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.227 : Thoffice of þe spicery, v persones…Alexandre Rowton, yoman pouder beter.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.228 : Roger Sutton, yoman for þe sething place.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.231 : Thoffice of the pulterie…iij yomen purveours.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.233 : Thoffice of þe stable…j yoman garneter…j yoman ferrour, j yoman of hors, xj yomen and gromes of þe stable.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)268/22 : He founde a yoman porter kepyng many keyes.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)519 : Ȝomon vssher be-fore þe dore In vttur chambur lies on þe flore.
- a1500 Rule Serve Ld.(Add 37969)12/10 : Þe yemen and gromys or grome of þe chambre…shall set vp bordes and make redy þe stoles afore mete.
- c1550(?a1400) Ordin.Househ.Edw.III (Hrl 782)4 : Yeomen of the Kinges chamber.
c
- (1440) Wars France in RS 22.2588 : ii maistre gonners, and xij yemen gonners.
- (1450) RParl.5.198a : Provided also, that this Petition, Acte, or Resumption extende not nor be prejudiciall to Conay ap Ris, in nor of any Graunte or Grauntes made by us unto hym, of the office of Yoman Gonner of oure Citee and Castell of Westchestre, and of all other Castels and Townes in Northwales.
d
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)535 : Gotz to my vyne, ȝemen ȝonge, And wyrkez and dotz þat at ȝe moun.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)408 : Than thay gafe hym ȝomans hyre; Wele more he wroghte thane twoo.
- (1445) LRed Bk.Bristol2.191 : No mayster take ne admitte no man to a yeman ne to a yeman is hyre of lese then he be admitted ther to by hys mayster for the tyme and paye hys dyner as longeth therto.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2997 : Why goon the ȝemen to bote, Ankirs to hale?
e
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)306/401 : Þat yoman ye ȝeme.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)318 : Þou ȝoman, what soory wrecchidnesse is in þe?
f
- (1388) Will York in Sur.Soc.4 ()129 : Item, cuilibet ad yomanstate dimidium marcæ.
- 1430 *Chart.Selby [OD col.] (Add Charter 45849) : 8 panes secundarios vocatos yhomanbreed.
2.
A member of the landholding class below the rank of squire; a man holding a small landed estate; also used as a title after a name [some quots. may belong to sense 1.(a)].
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.171 : Þerfore hit is þat a ȝeman [vr. ȝymman; L vernaculus] arraieþ hym as a squyer, a squyer as a knyȝt, a kniȝt as a duke, a duke as a kyng.
- (1411) RParl.3.650b : The sayd Robert schal do come all the Knyghtes and Esquiers and Yomen that had ledynge of men on his partie.
- (1419) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.330 : [John Hoper of Plymouth], yeoman, [was outlawed].
- (1440) Doc.Kent in Bull.IHR 36 (PRO KB 27/715 m.19)88 : Ther is oon…whos name is John Lyverton, dwellynge in þe citee of Yorke at an Inne called the herte and þe Swanne, yomanne.
- (1440) Doc.Kent in Bull.IHR 36 (PRO KB 27/715 m.19)89 : Richard Croft of Graveney in the Shire of Kent, yomanne.
- (1444) RParl.5.116b : The Kyng wille…that the Knyghtes of the Shires for the Parlement hereafter to be chosen be notable Knyghtes of the same Shires for…which they shall so be chosen…and no man to be it that stondeth in the degree of Yoman and bynethe.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)371 : Ech weel avisid man…ouȝte bi resoun take riȝt weel aworth and be plesid, whether he be knyȝt, squyer, gentilman, ȝoman, or louȝer, that the clergie…reioice her seid endewing vnmouable.
- (c1460) Paston2.542 : Cristoffre Norwiche of Brundehale in the counte of Norffolk, yoman.
- (1468) Act Ripon in Sur.Soc.64196 : Johannes Greyne de Ottelay prædicta, yhoman.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)151 : c s. off ffee or rente…is a feyre lyuynge ffor a yoman.
- -?-(1427-8) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.96140 : Johannes Boston, yoman.
3.
A youth, young man; yong ~.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)50 : Þare cam to us a ȝong ȝomman [Hrl:Wright: ȝung man; Corp-C: ȝong man], swiþe fair and hende.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3077 : Quen he throded was to yoman, He was archer wit best of an.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)15b/a : Colega: a male or a ȝymmon [Pep: yemon].
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)427 : A ȝoman: effebus.
4.
In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1296) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames396 : William Zeman.
- (1327) Sub.R.Lei.in AASRP 20.1175 : Reginald Yoman.
- (1332) Sub.R.Lan.in LCRS 31.2116 : Johannes Yemon.
- (1338) Name in LuSE 3582 : Godeyoman.
- (1379) Nickname in LuSE 55199 : Henr. Yhoman.
- (1381) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames396 : Thomas le Yomon.
- (1404) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms134 : Joh. Yeoman, bower.