Middle English Dictionary Entry
buxǒm adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | buxǒm adj. Also bux(s)um; bocsum, boȝsam, box(s)om, boxsum; bǒuȝsum, bǒusom, bǒux(s)om, bughsom, buhsum, buscom, buxen. |
| Etymology | From bǒu(w)en v. bow, obey, etc. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Humble, gentle, obedient, submissive; ~ of spech, humble or mild in speech; -- of persons, things, actions; (b) as noun: humble or obedient person; (c) as adv.: submissively; (d) ~ and bain, humble and willing, obedient and willing; (e) gracious, helpful, kind, merciful.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)51 : Prud ne wreiere ne beo þu noht..beo buhsum toward gode.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1787 : Þeo þet leueð þis soð..&, buhsume & beisume, haldeð his heastes.
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)86 : More bouȝsum and milde he bi-cam.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1299 : Abraham was buxum o rigt.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)59 : Vor þet me ham..hyealde uor wel boȝsam.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)114.6 : Ich am made buxum [L humiliatus sum].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Judith 9.16 : But of meke men and of buxum [L mansuetorum; WB(2): mylde] euermor to thee pleside the preȝeere.
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)51/32 : Euery brother & suster schul be boxom & come whan þey be warned.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)6.56 : So Bouweþ forþ bi a brok, beo-boxum-ofspeche.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8356 : Þat lauedi..lute Wit buxum reuerence and dute.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.116 : Mercy hiȝt þat mayde a meke þynge with-alle, A ful benygne buirde and boxome of speche.
- a1425(c1300) NHom.(1) Peter & P.(Ashm 42)23-4 : Symon..bemenes bousome in ynglihsse: For so bowsome was he iwisse þat he lefft schippe..And folowid Criste.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)247 : Therfore my boxom bakke I bende.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)107 : Sunnar is þe prayor hard of o buxum man þan tenþowzand of a dispicer.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.126 : That yonge folk obey..as good and boxum childron.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)198/141 : His sisteres praye with bowsom beede.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)144.556 (v.2:p.437) : Thou shalt fyndyn hym beningne and boxsum.
- a1500(c1370) Chaucer Comp.L.(Benson-Robinson)119 : With right buxom herte, hooly I prey.
b
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)344/5 : Sho besoght ane abbatice at sho wulde graunte hur a non for to dwell with hur awhile for recreacion, & sho grauntid hur one whilk þat was a gude buxsom, and was as a servand in þe howse.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.153 : Unto him..The membres buxom scholden bowe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3477 : Buxsum [Frf: buxumly; Trin-C: buxomly] baret sco bare.
d
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)3101 : Þe mayden was bowsom and bayne Forto unarme syr Ywayne.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)244/95 : Att þi bidding am I buxum and bayne.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)272/52 : In bedde is full buxhome and bayne.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.Antiochus (SeldSup 52)st.4 : All erthly thyng suld be bowsom & bayn, At bow to his bydyng.
e
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2511 : He þat suffred for our sake..he our buxum best saue!
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1333 : So buxom and so vertuous is she.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)50a/b : Placor: be plesud or welle payd or buxum.
- a1450 Hayle oure patron (Add 37049)36 : O clemens, O buxum lanterne, gyf vs þi lyght.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2564 : Eerys pleyn..doon signeffye Man to be boxom, Curteys, and kynde.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)50 : Buxum: clemens, propicius..paciens, obidiens.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2505 : Thanne came ther in as fast as thei myght spede The buscommest folk.
2.
(a) Obedient to a person, command, law, etc.; -- with at, onto, til, to, unto; ~ to hond, obedient to (someone's) hand, obeying implicitly; (b) ben ~, to obey (sth.), be obedient to (sb.); (c) willing to do something, ready, eager; -- with infin.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8856 : Till hiss fossterrfaderr ec He wass buhsumm & milde.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)4/12 : Beo buhsum to mi lare.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)161/27 : He was buhsum [Pep: buxum] to his feder.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)462 : He..scholde..beo bouȝsum to al þe lond and nameliche to holie churche.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of god (Hrl 913)31 : Al..to him boxum were.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)233 : Boxomere he was to his wif Þan to god.
- (1357) Gaytr.LFCatech.(Yk-Borth R.I.11)44/203 : The ferthe biddes us..til our gastly modir, that is halikirke, To be buxom [vrr. bouxome, bouxsomm] thar-to.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)464 : Min eiȝen sorly aren sogettes..& buxum ben to his bidding.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.87 : Þey beeþ buxom to here lordes for drede.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)1.108 : And beo boxum at his biddynge, he bad hem not elles.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1367 : They wolde that hir housbondes sholde be..buxom [vrr. boxom, buxsum, buxum] vn to his wyf.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.102 : Iesus..tille his fader was bowsom.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.220 : Holy churche hoteþ alle manere puple Vnder obedience to bee and buxum to þe lawe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3312 : And at his lust so buxvm he hem fonde, Þat þe soil..Þei maked han redy to bere greyn.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)85 : If he be til God bousom.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Gal.5.7 : Who lettyde ȝou not to be Buxum [L obedire] to þe soþnesse.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)31/13 : Þer was neuyr chyld so buxom to þe fadyr as I wyl be to þe.
- c1440(?c1350) Mirror St.Edm.(4) (Thrn)25/14 : Glotony..makes man to serue and to be bouxome till wykked lykynges of þe flesche.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)52.1006 : I schal ȝow Sesen In Al Myn lond and Maken hem Buxom to ȝowre hond.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.16 : And alle were thei buxum at his request.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)28/33 : Be not þei very buxum on-to all my comaundmentis?
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)173/141 : Lesse þan he at my byddynge be buxum to myn honde.
- a1475 Regina celi and Lady (Pep 1236)70 : Thyn humylyte exaltyd hase Thy blod, þat wyll be to thy chylde bocsum.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)284/3 : Þat ȝe be boxom to Godys wyll.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6176 : Þin laferrd birrþ þe buhsumm beon.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)96b : He wes buhsum his feader..to deað o rode.
- c1400(?c1375) NHom.(3) Cec.(Tbr E.7)97/281 : And be bowsom what he will bid.
c
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)3.251 : God..hoteþ To beo boxum [B: boxome] and boun, his biddyng to worche.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28742 : Sin crist is buxum [Glb: bowsom] to vnbin [read: vnbind].
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)469 : He ys so buxum to do ȝoure wyl.
- a1425 Christ.Belief (LoC 4)4/148 : Godd .. might haue made another noblyere kynd þat wold haue been buxen his will in al thynges forto haue done.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)16.223 : Thenne wolde ich be busy and buxum to helpe Ech kynne creature.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)50 : Þe creatours þat er dom..er bughsom To lof hym.
- a1425 Cursor (Glb E.9)25209 : Þan suld we be..Bowsom his bidinges to fullfill.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)20405 : To destrube þam he was bousum: Til þar naui þai suld noȝ cum.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4147 : I breke neuer his biddynge..Bot euer bouxvm as beste blethely to wyrke.
- a1450 Pore of spirit (Dgb 102)18 : Blessid be man þat in herte is mylde, Buxom to lerne and lef to teche.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)22 : Þe flesh is euer lewid, and buxom to do Evil.
- c1500 Castle Love(3) (Ashm 61)151 : Buxumere he was forto do The dede þat hys wyfe bad hym do.
3.
Bending, bowing, turning.
Associated quotations
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)13b/a : Cernus [?Cernuus]: beeable or buxum.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)52b/b : Pronus: buxum.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)64a/a : Supplex: buxum to geddere.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)50 : Buxum:..flexibilis, flexuosus..pronus.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38)1723 : Wolde ye graunt me to be my knaue, The thefe that ye thynke to hynge? The more buxvm wyll he bee, That he were borowyd fro þe galow tre.
Note: Additional quot.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL