Middle English Dictionary Entry
commū̆naltẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | commū̆naltẹ̄ n. Also comunalte, -altie, -aute, -ate, -alite; com(m)inalte, communyalte, comen-, comon-, comnalte, comunate. |
| Etymology | OF comunalté, -auté. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The people of a country, county, city, etc.; a people, nation; a commonwealth, community; (b) theol. communion; ~ of .. seintes.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1282 : 'Bev pere,' he seide to þe pope, 'me þinchez it fallez to þe To on-don ech þing þat fallez to harme In þe communaute.'
- a1325 *Rwl.Statutes [OD col.] (Rwl B.520)lf.54b : Þe communaute of þe londe velez hoem harde i greuede.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.23 : For alle knyghtes, squyers, citezenis and Burgeys..and for alle ye communalte and cristen peple, yat godd of his mercy saue hem!
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.54 : Hardeknout did charge þe lond in suilk treuwage..So þat alle þe comonalte had him ageyn herte.
- (1417) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.120182 : A payne of forfature of a marc, to be payd the ta halfe to the profet of all the comminalte of this cite and the other halfe to the crafte.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Prov.29.2 : The comynalte [WB(1): comun] schal be glad in the multipliyng of iust men.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.31,35 : Comune thynges or comunalites [Add 10340: comunabletes] weren blisful..yif..the governours of comunalites studieden to geten wysdom.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.7.6 : As who seith, I desirede to have matiere of governaunce over comunalites.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)64 : All the weyrs..by the meier and cominalte were distroyed, by cause they were ayens the cominalte and ffrauncheise off London.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)97 : It is ordeyned by comoun councel of the forseid communalte, that ȝif ony man..lay hand on ony of the chieff ballives [etc.].
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)368 : Þou hast maad man in such an insufficience of hym silf, þat he may not live wiþout helpe of oþere men and wiþoute þat þei make of hem silf a comunalte.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)392 : The riȝt of a free rente or a lyuerey going out of an abbey or citee or an other comunalte.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)16b : Þere nys no þing so strong, so worschepful, as is þe comynalte in whiche is plente of wel tauȝt werriours.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.4 : Emperoures..gan..regne..by tyrannye, In sore oppressioun of þe comynalte.
- (?c1450) Pecock PMM (Add 37788)74 : vij parties whiche maken a comounalte ful, hool and sufficient to him silf.
- (1473) RParl.6.65b : Persons of the Citees or Comynalties of the Hanze.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)1130 : Alle þe worshipfulle officers of the comunialte of þis land, of Shires, Citees, borowes.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)112 : Grete communaltes, as was the felowshippe that came in to this lande with Brute..euery communalte vnyed of mony parties must nedis haue an hed.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)124 : Ambassatours sende ffrom kynges and oþer princes, and also ffrom grete communalties bi yonde þe see.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)73/2 : How þei schulen ordeyn and reule alle þe parties of þe comunalte..wiþ goddis lawe.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)52 : The generalle profit and universalle wele of a comynalte.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)14 : Saynt Austyn..prechyd..And convertyd alle þe communnates to Cristendame newe.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)4561 : Was neuer knyghte..Better belouyd..Amonge the comynalte.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)28/115 : That Pees moste is necessarie to comunaltees and citees.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)104/89 : Profitable administracion in comminaltees, of realmes and citees.
b
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)4101 : I bileue in þe comynaltee Of alle þe sayntes þat euer God hath.
- c1450(1438) GLeg.Gregory (GiL45) (Eg 876) 207/414 : A riche man of Rome hadde lefte his wyff, and for that he was depriued fro the communyalte [L communione] of Rome bi the [pope].
2a.
(a) The body of citizens or burgesses as distinct from governmental officials and mere residents; the citizenry; (b) the common people, the populace; also, a social class [quot.: 1443]; (c) the body of a group of people, a common throng; the group as a whole.
Associated quotations
a
- (1424) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.182 : All þe comynalte of þe Cite, and all þe Cite, was well plesed with hym.
- (1437) Proc.Privy C.5.17 : Þe maire, sherriefs, aldremen & cominaltee of Norwich.
- (1444) RParl.5.121a : To considre that where afore this tyme, for the wele of Peas, Tranquillite and gode Governance bitwene the Baillifs and Cominalte of the Toun of Shroesbury, divers composicions were made bitwene hem [etc.].
- (1447) Shillingford1 : Bysekyth yow full mykely John Shillyngford..Mayer of the cyte of Exetre, yn name of hymself as mayer and alle the hole comminalte of the seyde cyte.
- (1450) Doc.Chester in Archaeol.5775 : All the Clergy, Barons, Knyghtes, Squiers, & all the cominaltee of your comite palatyne of Chestre.
- ?c1450 Brut-1447 (Trin-C O.9.1)457/25 : Herry Dene, Tayloure, was made keper of Ludgate prison by the Maire and all the communialte, in the Guyldhall.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)73/1,2 : To princys and to þe comunalte, how þei schulen ordeyn and reule alle þe parties of þe comunalte..alweie wiþ goddis lawe.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)76/6 : Bi lawis..maad with þe comunaltees assent.
- a1500(1396) Indent.Francisc.in RS 4.1 (Vit F.12)521 : Thes endentvre made betwene James Andrew, Mayer of the cytte of London, the Aldermen and comnalte of the same cytte, on the one partye, and freer John Malberthorpe, Wardyn of the freers minors in London.
- a1500(1396) Indent.Francisc.in RS 4.1 (Vit F.12)523 : Thys endenture made betwene Rychard Whyttyngton, Maier of the cytte of London, the Aldermen, and comnalte of the same cytte on the one party, and freer John Bruyll, Wardyn of the freers minors in London [etc.].
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306:Everett)61 : The Maire, Aldurmen, and Shoryvis, with all the comenalte of the Cite, him resseyved right worthely.
b
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.119 : Rote of þis malice is coveitise of preestis..Bi þis is þe comynalte of puple maad pore.
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)301/12 : A feue of þe grettste persones of stat..he sent into Engelond..& al þe communialte of þe toun þe king lete go.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)93 : Thou maist be..alone gostly, ȝif thou..loue not these worldely thinges that the comunalte loueth.
- (1443) Proc.Privy C.5.414 : Þe prelates..knyghtes, squiers, thriftimen & oþere cominaltees within þe countee of Lincoln.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)237/12 : There be in þis world þre maner of men, clerkes, knyȝthes, and commynalte.
- (c1458) Let.Oxf.in OHS 36343 : Þe sayd meyre, baylyfs, burgeses, and cominalte of þe sayd towne.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)54.10 : The comunaute of folke..folow the lordis in al that thai may.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)870 : Put no ful truste in the Comonalte, Thai be euer wauering in variance.
c
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.16ra (1.4) : Holy Writ and diuinite, i. doctoures of Holy Cherche and þe comunate of Cristen men, putten 7 ages of man.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.195r : The knyght thenne that caste him don putte his honde to his swerd to smyte hym ther with And thenne cried the kyng and seide 'Do way, gloton, kyng of Engelond am ich.' Thenne .. came the cominalte of knyghtes [L (Wm of Malmesbury): vulgus militum] and rered the kyng fro the erthe, comfortyng hym, and brought him another hors.
2b.
The House of Commons, the Commons.
Associated quotations
- (1451) RParl.5.226a : The Communalte of this your Roialme, in the same Parlement assembled, accused and empeched William de la Pole.
3.
(a) The membership of a guild, a guild; (b) a fellowship or brotherhood; also, (one's) companions.
Associated quotations
a
- (1423) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)110/46 : Þat þe saide Comminalte of alle Phisicians and Cirurgeans of London euerche yere of hemselfe mowe chose and presente to þe Mair of þe Cite..oon Rectour for þe Faculte of Medicyn.
- (1423) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)113/168 : Þat non be admitted at london for a graduate man in þe Faculte of Medicyns into þe Comunalte of Phisicians, bot he bryng..lettres of Recorde of sufficiente auctorite.
- (1437) RParl.4.509a : Lyke it youre Excellence to graunt..to youre humble Lieges, ye Communalte of Merchantz of youre saide Staple at Caleys, alle ye Libertees and Fraunchises [etc.].
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.308 : Bi the good advys of the worschipful men of the craft..of cirurgie in the citee of london & al the commounalte of the same craft..an ordinaunce..is maid & assentid, stabilli to stonde euere here aftur.
b
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.401 : God..chasith out alle yvel fro the boundes of his comynalite.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1422 : A Celerer sal schosin be Bi counsel of þe comunalte And fully bi þe hale assent Of þe priores & þe couent.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.124 : And loue it is, þat trewe lawes setteþ Þat felawes haue in theire comynalte.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)254 : She was full wele belouyd in certeyne Of hir lordes and of hir comenaute.
4.
Phrases: (a) in communalte, as common property; in equal shares; (b) in ~, in the presence of people, in public; out of ~, secretly.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)38/282 : Vnto þam-self þai hald noght fre, Bot castes al furth in comunalte.
- a1500(1413) ?Hoccl.Poems PS (Eg 615)p.lxii/362 : Charite Is a thing þat may to muche poepil suffice..Sithe it behouith, than, in communalte Among the nedi to be dispended, Let myne estate somwhat be amendid!
b
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)5962 : Ȝyf þou boghtest of any seriaunt pryuly..Þyng þat þou wystyst wel was stole..Hyt ys coueytyse and þeft pryue To bye þyng out of commalte [vr. comnalte].
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.110 : Ȝyf Crist wolde for pryde do þis myracle..he wolde in comunalte [vr. communete] do þis dede, and not þus oonli in desert.