Middle English Dictionary Entry
chā̆r n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | chā̆r n.(2) Also chare, charr(e. |
| Etymology | OF char |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A wheeled vehicle, such as (a) a carriage or coach; also fig.; (b) a warrior's chariot; (c) a chariot used in processions; (d) a hearse.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 KTars (Auch)351 : Þe messangers..brouȝt hir in to chare [rime: fare].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)283b/b : A Colte..is y sette to cartes, chariettes, and chares.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5184 : Nai, sir, bot sal yee til him fare; He has sent efter yow his chare, We sal yow mak þar-in a bedd.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9162 : Helias was..Translated in a golden chiare [other MSS: chare].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.322 : For þe quene he sent, & scho did dight hire chare..to Dounefermelyn to fare.
- (1423) RParl.4.248b : That ye ordeine hir [the Queen] also Horses for 11 Chares.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)3 Kings 10.29 : A chare [WB(1): foure whelid cart; L quadriga] ȝede out of Egipt for sixe hundrid siclis of siluer.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)665/17 : Reda: chare.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)69 : Chare: Currus, quadriga, petorica, pilentum, belgiga.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3914 : Towarde Chestyre in a charre thay chese hir þe wayes.
- (1443) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.3.181 : For whos conduyt schal be necessary many horses..as for chares, charietts.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)263 : Sche broute oute of Frauns xii chares ful of ladies and domicelles.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.411 : Who that wille Ride in his chare, He dryueth hym ofte to myscheiff.
b
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3784 : He bad greithe his chaar..And..Vn to Ierusalem he wolde..To wreken his ire on it.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Nah.2.3 : Men of the hoost in rede clothis; raynes of fijre of the chaare [WB(2): of chare], in the day of his makyng redy.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2148 : Aboute his chaar ther wente white alauntz Twenty and mo..To hunten at the leoun or the deer.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.119 : Antiochus..fil doun of his chaar [Higd.(2): chariette; L curru], and was i-hurt ful sore.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.1593 : Pharao..hadde Too hundrid charis enarmyd for bataile.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)35b : Þey hauiþ oþer men of craft..þat boþe konne make new her chares, cartis and waynes, and also amende þe olde.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)47a : In eueriche warde and centurye & choort were ordeyned cartis & charus [L carpentis], euerich y-drawe wiþ ten wilde asses.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)88b : Þe grete kinges antioche & also metridat vsed in here werres grete multitude of charus enarmed wiþ scharpe siþes [L quadrigas falcatas].
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)89a : Calketrappes of yren, þe whiche þey þrewe and caste vndir þe wheles of þe charus; and ȝif þe wheles stombled aȝenst eny of hem, or þe schaar schulde ouerþrowe [etc.].
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)457 : Chares [vrr. of Chayers, Charyettys] ful of chosen, charged with wepne, A wonder nonbr þer was.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)1800 : Amyd hem was a Char that here banere that tyme bar vppon a spere on hye; with twelf Oxen yt was y-drawe.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.239 : Alle þe prisoneres schulde folwe þe chaar [L currum] wiþ hire hondes i-bounde byhynde her bakkes; þis victor hym self schulde..sitte in a chaar þat fyue white hors schulde drawe anon to þe Capitol.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2375 : Hise prisoners ek scholden go Endlong the charr on eyther hond.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)162b/a : In signe and in tokne of so grete plentee a grete femal ymage was ymade..and þt ymage was ysette in chare [L currum], and lyouns folowede.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)536 : Appollo..Whos statue stood in a char of golde Of wheles four boornyd bright and shene.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3526 : Lygurgus..Lad in his chaar with four boolys whyte.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)116/24 : Þei setten this ydole vpon a chare..And before the chare gon first in processioun all the maydenes of the contree.
- c1450(c1375) Chaucer Anel.(Benson-Robinson)24 : Theseus..With laurer corouned, in his char gold-bete Hom to his contrehouses is he come.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)4890 : A ryall chare sone haue þei wroyȝt..þe arke of god þore in þei broyȝt..two oxin..haue þei schosyn, þat chare to draw.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)154/27 : The Prynce..sittynge in a chare that iiije whyte horsyn drewe.
d
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.514 : Þe cors..Conveied was ful sollempnely..with an huge route Of his knyȝtes rydyng rounde aboute..And with þe char þe riȝt weie þei gon Toward Perce.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)373/9,11 : Yn þe firste yere of his regne..he sent to þe ffreris of Langeley, þere as his Fadir hadde do burye King Richard þe ijde, & let take vp his body ayen out of the erthe, and dede bring hym to Westmynstre yn a ryal chare couert with blak veluet..& al þe horsses drawyng þe chare were trappid yn black.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)211/29 : Whanne his moder was comen nygh to the chaare [vr. chasse] where he [Alexander's corpse] laye inne.
2.
A cart or wagon.
Associated quotations
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)50b/a : Plostellum: a lytel chare.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)90b : Þis grete schot was y-caried in chares and cartes y-made þerfore.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)603/28 : Plostrum: a chare of ij whelys.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)23a : A Chare: Carpentum.
3.
Fig. (a) Of the sun: chariot; (b) a team of four, a foursome (as of evangelists, virtues, vices, disciplines; cp. L quadriga); (c) sathanas ~, Satan's vehicle; (d) carrier, vehicle (of the soul).
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1200 : The lusty rowes rede Of Phebus char, þat..sprede Vp-on þe bordure of þe orient.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1704 : Pirous and tho swifte steedes thre, which that drawen forth the sonnes char.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.123 : Þe Phebus with his chare of golde The rosye day haþ in his gouernaunce.
b
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)p.184 : Þy chares [L quadrigæ] ben sauacioun.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)334 : Þe chare of þese iiij sciencis; geometrie, ariþmetik, musik and astronomye.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)102/18 : Where is þe scole of þe vij werkis of mercy..where renneþ þe chare of þe iiij cardinal vertues.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)p.509 : Thi charis saluacioun [L quadrige tue saluacio]..charys, that is the euangelistis, ere saluacioun of men.
c
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Antichr.(1) (Corp-C 296)259 : See now þe þridde wheel of sathanas chaar. Þes cautelous clerkis & religious of lucifer seyn þat no man wot whiche is the gospel but bi approuynge & confermynge of þe chirche.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)27a/b : We schal nouȝt trowe þat þis spirit is in any resonable soule, but more soþely þe char [L vehiculum] þer of and cariage and propre instrument for be suche a spirit þe soule is Ioyned to þe body.
4.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)162b/a : Þat ymage was ysette in chare..and hire charemen [L aurige] braundisshed swordes.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1018 : Cynthea hire char-hors overraughte To whirle out of the Leoun, if she myghte.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Chartier Dial.F.&F.(Sion Arc.L.40.2/E.43)29/25 : That dyrectryce and chaare of vertus [L auriga virtutum] and medyatryce of al thynges, that ys to say, prudence, abydeth vnmevable.
Note: New sense.
Note: Latin 'auriga' literally means 'charioteer, driver,' but in an extended sense, also means 'leader, pilot,' or 'guide,' which sense it bears in this quot. Prudence is the primary cardinal virtue, eminently influential over the workings of the others.
Note: [L Sed prudentia illa directrix et auriga virtutum rerumque mediatrix manet incommutabilis, semper eadem, eterna, immensa.]
- c1450(1438) GLeg.Silvester (GiL11) (Eg 876) 66/49 : Constantine..made his chayere to abide
Note: Editor: "MED records 'char' as a spelling for 'chaiere' = 'sedan chair, litter', but does not record chaier(e for char n.(2) 'chariot', which it is here.
Note: New spelling: Also..chaiere.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 38/8 : Forto make leþere of Hungry..forto make offe sadel lappis and skirthes and oþere harneys þat serveth for chares and charettes.
Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(a) or 2.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4657 : Þe kyng..him lette..To ride ai quar in kinges thar [read: char; Frf: chare], And knele him, als he king ware.
Note: New form: Also..(error) thar.
Note: Cp. Genesis 41.43.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section (including Supplement form): Also char(r)e, shar & chaier(e, chiare & (error) thar; pl. chares, etc. & charus.--all notes per MLL