Middle English Dictionary Entry
ches n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ches n. Also chesse, echesse, esches, chees. |
| Etymology | OF esches, infl. form of eschec; ML uses only pl. scaccī, scaccōrum lūdus (ult. Ar.). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. chek, cheker.
1.
(a) A set for playing chess, consisting of the chessmen and the board; -- usu. with article, occas. in pl. (as usually in ML); (b) the game of chess; game of the ~; (c) pleien at (the) ~ [OF jöer as eschĕs], to play chess; ~ pleiinge, pleiere at the ~, etc.
Associated quotations
a
- c1312 Will Durham in Sur.Soc.217 : iij paria de Chessys et j par tabularum, xx s.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1227 : His tables, his ches he bare.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4306 : Take furþe þe chesse or þe tabler.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)666 : Hic scaccus: A chesse.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)73 : Chesse: Scaccarium.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1732 : A Chese þere was I-brouȝt forth.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17274 : Ther wer esches, bothe gret and smal, fful wel ywrouht in alle thynges.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)7.75 : Knyȝhtes of golde playenge with chesses of golde.
- c1475 Guy(4) (Cai 107/176)7692 : After chesse sone they sente.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)24a : Chesse: scaccus.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)3041 : Go we now to chaumbur..to make vs game, To the chesses or to the tabels.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28338 : I ha me liked..Til idel gammes, chess and tablis.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.807 : And þer was founde, by clerkys ful prudent, Of þe ches þe pleye most glorious.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Curates (Corp-C 296)152 : Þei fallen to nyse pleies, at tables, chees, & hasard.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)329 : Matyn at the chesse.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)95 : Some seyne that he fonde the game of the chesse.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)664 : Athalus, that made the game First of the ches.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)255 : The chesse, that chefe es of gamnes.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1748 : Atte forth[e] game, in the ches a-myd, Þe Burgeyse was I-matid.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1793 : Beryn studied in the ches, al-þouȝe it nauȝt a-vailid.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1816 : Þat evir he saw the ches, He cursid þe day and tyme.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)6357 : Fro the Chesses he rosse tho, And to a wyndowe he cleped him to.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)70 : All þe day aftir he wolde vse þe chesse.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)71 : He moste take kepe of the pley of the chesse.
c
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.424 : Ȝif he wald ate ches playn.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3177 : At tables to pleye & at ches.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)6345 : He fond Amis atte ches pleyinge.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)52/30 : Me deþ manye kueades, ase playe ate ches oþer ate tables.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.121 : Þe same duke plaied at þe chesse [L ad scaccos].
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)53/734 : At þe echesse i con wel pleye.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.900 : They dauncen and they pleyen at ches and tables.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1044 : To pley at þe ches.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2096 : Alisaunder sytt on a samyt And plaieþ atte ches.
- (c1400) Higd.(1) (Hrl 1900)513 : The same duke played at ches..the clerk that playde with hym atte ches.
- c1400 St.Alex.(3) (LdMisc 622)65/989 : Of chesse pleieyng.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Antichr.(1) (Corp-C 296)259 : Pleiynge at þe chees & tablis.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2184 : They founde Kynge Rycharde playe At the chesse in his galaye.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)619 : For fals Fortune hath pleyd a game Atte ches with me, allas!
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)139 : j hadde pleyed at the ches.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)12 : As the Kyng plaid at the chesses with oone of his knyghtis.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)13 : They wer occupied att the playng of the chesse.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1774 : The Burgeys was the best pleyer atte ches Of all the wyde marchis.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)11195 : I wyl..pleyen..now at the ches, now at the tablys.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)2156 : He pleyed at þe chesses wyth a kynge.
2.
(a) A chessboard; ~ bord; (b) a set of chess figures; ~ meinẹ̄ [cp. ME meinẹ̄ a household]; poune of the ~, a pawn.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1451) Will York in Sur.Soc.4598 : Item, j cheseborde.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1733 : The Ches was al of yvery, the meyne..of white, asure & blewe.
- (1467) Acc.Howard in RC 57420 : The same day my mastyr paid for peyntenge of ij chesse bordes xx d.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)71 : The chekir or þe chesse hath viij poyntes in eche partie.
b
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52281/9 : Pro factura de chesmeyne.
- (c1422) Invent.Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.12206 : j schesmeni de ossibus.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)411 : Powne of the chesse: Pedinus.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)60 : Le iij. course..Pyuenade in paste. Leche lumbard. Chesmeyne.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)139 : There weren ches, bothe grete and smale, Of which j sigh rookes and knyghtes and the king.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1425(c1412) Hoccl.RP (Roy 17.D.6:Furn.)2111 : There is a booke, Iacob of Cessoles Of þe ordre of Prechours, made..That 'the Chesse moralised' cleped is.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(b).
Note: New phrase (to be inserted just after "the game of chess"): ~ moralized, the title of a work, Ludus Scacchorum.
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