Middle English Dictionary Entry
chois n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chois n. Also chois(s)e, choice, choyisshe, chos(e, (error) ches. |
| Etymology | OF chois. N form chōs has open ō as an adaptation of OF oi. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The action of selecting, electing, choosing, deciding, or an instance of it; selection, election, choice, decision; after ~, at (someone's) discretion; according to preference, to (one's) liking; at ~, at (someone's) discretion or option, at will; bi ~, by choice; by adoption; of owen ~, by choice, deliberately, voluntarily; upon ~, by election or choice; ben of ~, be available for selection; don or putten in ~, confront (sb.) with a choice or alternative; taken in ~, take into consideration for election.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.John (LdMisc 108)177 : Ichulle don eou chois of tweiy þingues..cheose ȝe To gon with eou to eower temple, oþur ȝe to churche with me.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2415 : Þe stalworþest me ssal, bi choys & bi lot, al so Chese out.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3391 : Of his oghne chois He tok his deth upon the crois.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2402 : Cadmus the lettres of Gregois Ferst made upon his oghne chois.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1625 : Ther was noman that time bore, That he ne hadde after his chois A god.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4124 : Al Irahel, with comun vois, A king upon here oghne chois..make.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.70 : That time it was no Sinne, The Soster forto take hire brother, Whan that ther was of chois non other.
- (1395) EEWills5/9 : To Iohane, my doughter..iij the beste pilwes after choys of the forseyde Thomas, my sone.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.170 : Agayn my choys shal neither grucche ne stryue.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)159a/b : Choisse of fisshe is in place in Þe whiche he dwelleþ, for þilke Þat abideþ in stony place ben beste & swetteste.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11011 : Þat yche tyme was elleccyone..Twey men were yn choys to take, Oþer Laurence oþer Symake.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)46/22 : Nouȝt for to chaunge her choys & her wille.
- (1415) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.120/18 : That the forsayde John shall deliuere fully & cleerly to the forsaide Thomas, atte the chois of the same John, all his right..in alle the forsayde tenementz..paying the forsayde Thomas to the same John atte the state makyng xij li. sterlings.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2695 : Þerfore fastyng..Make þi choyse.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.338 : Arrettinge it passing gret offence, Þat þe choys was made in his absence.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5137 : Wher þat hem list at large for to goon At her chois, or dwellen in þe toun.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4180 : In her choys Grekys han not erryd.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4390 : To ben her kyng..But by fre choys made in parlement.
- c1440 HBk.GDei (Thrn:Horstmann)307 : Whene he es chosene of þe folke and confermede in his rewme..þay may noghte do hym doune..and thus thurghe þaire awene chose, be he neuer so ill, nedly by-houys þame thole.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)32.569 : For At thine choys now shal it be, whethyr to Ioye oþer to peyne þat thou wilt fle.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2240 : Þen sal þe bisschop..Swilk a priores sone depose, And mak on bi þeir aller chose.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)116/24 : Þis werk of þe wil is clepid choice.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)58 : Cosyn he [Augustus] was onto Julius Cesar, and be choys his son.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)81 : Whom Julian put in choys, whethir he wold forsake his knythod or his Cristendam.
2.
The power, privilege, or opportunity to choose or decide; fre ~, freedom of choice, free will; ben in ~, be in (one's) power to choose or decide; given ~, offer (sb.) a choice or alternative; no ~, no alternative.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.193 : It was in power and choys of þe citeceyns.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.385 : Sche hadde chois, wheþer sche wolde goo aȝen or folwe hir housbonde.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.399 : Lucanus..hadde choys, in whiche bowȝ of a tree he wolde be an honged.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)3.94 : While þe chaunce is in ȝoure choyse, cheose ȝe þe best.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2273 : Thilke man that axeth conseil of a purpos, yet hath he free choys wheither he wole werke by that conseil or noon.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2352 : The king thei thonken of this chois.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8550 : Mi lauerd..gis þe chose [Trin-C: chois] o thinges thre.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8561 : 'O strenght, o riches, or o wijt, Chese quilk þou will'..I thanc him, me þis chos [Göt: chois] wald giue.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8231 : Þer was no choys, so þei wer constreyned..To withdrawe.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.971 : Fre chois is yeven us everychon.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1059 : This suffiseth..For to destruye oure fre chois every del.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)406 : My sone, the choys is to the falle.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.175 : Now myche or noble, chees, the choys is thyn.
- a1450(1412) Glade in god þis (Dgb 102)61 : In oure fre wille þe choys it lys, Heuene or helle to haue.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)9 : God..ȝaf hem fre chois to chese wilfully þe good.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)34 : What is it þat me calleþ liberum arbitrium, þat is free choys?
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.289 : This wolde I seen..If in youre chois is any liberte.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)4970 : Euer ylka nacion, bot we, hath kynges chosyn at þer awn chose [rimes: losse, glose].
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)177/17 : And it war in my chose, I had leuer go vnto hell [etc.].
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1168/13 : We have the choyse of kynge Arthure to save the other sle the.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)87/35 : Her..desyre of wyrship ches rather to hate God..free ches [read: chois] is yove also to man as to angell.
- a1486(1438) Challenge Masse (Mrg M 775)36 : I..wel þat ȝe have the choyissche of þe seide xij speris.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.25.69a : This is not in thin owne choyse..but only at his owne pleasaunce.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)249/28 : Scho gaf þys Ive chos, wheþer he wold goo to ioy or to payne.
3.
(a) Someone chosen (as a wife, a king), (one's) choice [cp. chois adj.]; (b) something to choose or find (for food).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2372 : The king..Hath granted hem here oghne chois And tok hem therupon the keie.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1606 : Hym thoughte his choys myghte nat ben amended.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)56/170 : Kepe þe clene..to þin owyn wyff and þin owyn choyse.
b
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)18 : Þer is no grete choyse in a pole, for it is but a pryson to fysche and þei..hungre as a prisoner.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Spec.Guy (Cmb Dd.11.89)217 : Cheyse [Auch: God..ȝaf to man fre power..Off god and yuel shed to make].
Note: New form: Also..cheise.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.
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