Middle English Dictionary Entry
c n.
Entry Info
| Forms | c n. |
| Etymology |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The third letter of the alphabet [see abece]; a written C; the sound associated with the letter 'c,' presumably /k/.
Associated quotations
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.53vb : Many write 'pastinaca' be -c-.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.105rb : Ciringa, per 'c-.'
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.27r : Many callen hym 'portulac' by -c, but it scholde ben wryten & seyde 'portulat' by -t, for portulata, i. brod ȝat or opyn ȝat, for his poudre vndoþ & openeþ ȝates & doris.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)177a/b : Medicinez biginnyng by C, C.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)282 : Multa vocabula..querenda sunt in C litera, ubi A, O, V sequuntur C immediate.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)64/31-2 : The firste lettre of his name, C, was smete away..þe lettre C in nombre betokeneth an hundered.
- (1454-5) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15147 : Omnibus Dominicis..wrytten with rede inke, and sueth Exorzizo te creatura..with the lettre 'C' gylt and lympned.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.66 : 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.
- a1500 in Singer Cat.Alchem.2.340 : Z: names of synonymys of z ben had in the synonymys of a, b, c, d, s, m, k.
2.
(a) A symbol designating: the position of a book in a library, a specific square on a chessboard, a point in a geometric figure, etc.; (b) the dominical letter representing the third Sunday of the year, the tenth Sunday, the seventeenth, etc.; ?also used to represent the third division of a sermon [last quot.].
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)1/7 : Þis boc is dan Michelis of Northgate..And is of þe bochouse of saynt Austines of Canterberi, mid þe lettres C, C.
- ?c1400 Treat.Geom.(Sln 213)65 : Make a quadrat or quarterd..in þe manner of ABCD and put a chippe of what length you wilt in þe cornelle B and anoþer in þe cornelle C..and þe side of þe quadrat bitwene A and B mote be persede reulefully..and wite you that A es þe right cornel vpward, B þe left cornel vpward, C þe left cornel donward, D þe right cornel donward.
- a1425 in Strutt Dress2.97-8 : In the manner of laces making..the first finger next the thumb shall be called A..and the third finger C..thou shalt take..bowe C upon B, and the bowe D upon C.
- a1475 Chess(1) (Porter)605 : Þen with thi roke go into B. Þen with thi kyng in C..Draw þi roke in A; and yf he go in B, draw þi oþer R into C & mate with þe same.
- c1475 Chess(2) (Ashm 344)604 : When his Pon is in B, loke thy Roke be in C.
b
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[1.11] 78b : Thanne folowen the names of the holy dayes in the kalender. And next hem the lettres of the A. B. C. on whiche they fallen. Next the forseid cercle of the a. b. c. vnder the crosse lyne is marked the scale.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)2.6.295 (f.48rb; p.140) : Tak hede on what lettre Sondai goþ; F E D C B A G are concurrantz: when þe Sonday goþ on F, þe concurrantz goþ þat ȝere on j; when þe Sonday goth on E, þe concurrant goþ on 2; when on D, on 3, & so of alle þat oþer.
- c1450 In Marche (Roy 2.A.17)p.xlix : In marche, after the fyerst c, tacke the prime wher euer he be; the thyerde sondaye, without mys, estur daye yt is.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)107/15 : C. But þere ben oþere vj fote brede of wose in slouthe.
3.
(a) Abbrev. for centum, one hundred; (b) a hundredweight; (c) the initial of a name.
Associated quotations
a
- (1420) EEWills46/28 : I ȝeve to þe sam William a beme..also iij C of ledyn wyȝtis.
- (1425) Paston2.23 : Sir John Paston..hath optyned me condempnyd to hym in CCC marcz and C s.
- (1429) RParl.4.342a : In ye yeer of our Lord God MCCCCxxxi..of every CCXL of Wollefelles.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)185 : If it be seld be galounnys, than be it takyn of every C galouns iiij d.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2629 : He..gafe me gret gyftes, And c pounde, and a horse.
- c1450 Art Number.(Ashm 396)37/38 : If fro the 3 place, me borowede an vnyte, that vnyte..representith an C.
- (1458) GRed Bk.Bristol2.59 : For every C of Bowstaves ther put to sale..ij d.
- (1462) Paston (Gairdner)4.29 : Yf ye dar joperdie your suyrtie of C marc, I shall come.
- (1462) Paston (Gairdner)4.35 : And CCC shippes.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)224 : Me had leuer..To suffyr on my body An C Wovndys wyde.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)16 : Fysshis, fowles, and bestes be sold by numbyr and by dyuers C.
b
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)187 : Of every tunne or pype of coprose..ij d. And ȝif it be seld by the hundred, custum of every c, iiij d.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)189 : And ȝif it be such maner merchaundyse that be seld and weyen by the c, as brasyle, alom, almondys, rys, or other such maner merchaundyse, for every c, iiij d.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)195 : Of eche c of gret salt seld by the c, iiij d.
- (1458) GRed Bk.Bristol2.59 : For every C wax ther put to sale..j d.
- (1458-9) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 4100 : In lede at iiij s. viij d. the C.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)20 : And this C that perteynyth to Woll ys the C of haburdy peyse, and it amountythe in Powndes, v(xx)xii.
c
- c1400 I herd an harping (BodDon c.13)12,22,24 : X and M, I & C, þat we gon firste honoure..X for crist, goddis son, was sett..C for cros þer þai mett..when X was naillid apon C.
- (1415) Reg.Chichele in Cant.Yk.S.42 (Lamb 69)47 : Testamentum Edwardi Cheyne..All þe shetes and naperie lynne marked with C..xiiij gret platers and xxx disships all marked with C.
- (1463) Paston (Gairdner)4.68 : Your pore servaunt and bedman, R. C.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1445) Wars France in RS 22.1467 : Whan the seide merchauntz..hadde bought there grete substance of wolle and wollefelle..thei put forthe the seide letters and billes for paiement, which lettres were there refused for unsufficience, and the billes of the mynte, for thei were falsede with Cees set above, that of iij li was made iij c li, [etc.].
Note: New form: Pl. cees.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 3.(a).
Note: This quot. has been taken back to books.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)198b/a : Terra sigillata..is a maner of erþe c. & d.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)198b/a : Viola violet is c. in j gre. & m. in 2 gre.
Note: This ("c.") is an abbreviation for "cold" (just as "d," which occurs many times in this manuscript, is an abbreviation for "dry").
Note: Both quots. needed for new subsense for sense 3.
Note: Gloss: "3. (d) med. & physiol., an abbreviation for cold, i.e., dominated by the quality of coldness, characterized by or associated with the primary quality of coldness".
Note: The second quot. ("Viola violet...") has been taken back to books.
- a1425 Tit.Alphabet in MP 87 (Tit D.18)267 : Alphabetum Anglicum: A, a; b, be; c, ce; d, de.
Note: Antedates sense 1.
Note: This quot. has been taken back to books.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.396 : Þat is oo weyght & oo mesure through-out Englond for a C after this weyght; ij buysshell Whete & halfe a C weyght, a buysshell whete and a quartern weyght, halfe a buysshell & xij & halfe Weyght a pekke, and so furth weyght from weyght vnto the seid sterlyng.
Note: Quot. needed for date: postdates sense 3.(a).
Note: This quot. has been taken back to books.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)331a/a : Gauta is a gret heuy bolle, holow bolle and depe, and hatte gauata as it were cauata holowȝ, þere g is y-sette for c.
Note: Quot. needed for date in sense 1.--notes per MLL