Middle English Dictionary Entry

commū̆n(e adj.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms commū̆n(e adj. Also comun(e. com(m)oun, com(m)on, com(m)en, com(m)in.
Etymology OF com(m)une & L commūn-is.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) Owned or used jointly, shared; haven ~, own (sth.) jointly; ~ to (til), shared by; (b) of characteristics, destiny, etc.: common (to all, etc.); haven ~ with, have (sth.) in common with.
Show 14 Quotations
2.
(a) Of sentiment, opinion, advice, practice: shared, unanimous; (b) of actions: undertaken jointly; maken a ~ purse, make joint contributions.
Show 16 Quotations
3.
Shared by, or serving, the members of a community or organization; also, official, public (as opposed to private): (a) common feld; ~ godes; ~ purse; etc.; (b) ~ clerk; ~ counsel; ~ red; ~ rolle; ~ sel; etc.; (c) ~ rent; ~ fine; etc.; (d) ~ defence; ~ administracioun; ~ herde; (e) ~ prisoun; ~ belle; etc.
Show 38 Quotations
4.
Pertaining to, affecting, or open to, all the people of a community or class; public (as opposed to private); ~ profit, the common good; also, a commonwealth, or its people collectively; ~ wei, public road or path; ~ cri, public announcement or declaration; ~ gong, a privy; ~ honeste, public morality; ~ market; etc.
Show 35 Quotations
5.
Of frequent occurrence; common, usual, ordinary; ~ bene, common bean; ~ suite, ordinary set; ~ mesure, ordinary size; ~ seknesse, common disease; ~ wounde, ordinary wound; etc.
Show 21 Quotations
6.
(a) Familiar, widely known; ~ saue, a common saying; ~ sentence, a well-known opinion; etc.; (b) popular (as opposed to learned); ~ speche, the common language, the vernacular (as opposed to Latin); (c) customary, conventional.
Show 18 Quotations
7.
(a) General, comprehensive; (b) universal; a ~ thing, an all-inclusive entity, a whole.
Show 13 Quotations
8.
(a) Of low rank; ~ folk, ~ peple, the common people; (b) not of the clergy, secular; the ~ men, the laity; ~ cloth, secular dress; (c) Bibl. inferior, 'unclean'.
Show 14 Quotations
9.
Having an unfavorable or unsavory reputation, notorious: (a) commune feloun; ~ lechour; ~ scolde; ~ thef; ~ wrong, etc.; (b) promiscuous [but cp. sense 4]; ~ woman, ~ hore, a promiscuous woman, prostitute; also fig.
Show 20 Quotations
10.
Misc. uses: (a) general (uprising, confusion); (b) kind (to others); sociable, affable [cp. DMLBS s.v. communis, sense 8a.] ; (c) alike, having features in common; (d) gram. of a noun: common (not proper); of a pronoun: having a common form for two or more genders; of a verb: occurring as active and passive.
Show 10 Quotations
11.
in commune [OF en comune & L in communi]: (a) jointly, in common, in equal shares; (b) together, along with others; (c) in harmony; (d) in general, generally; universally; (e) in public, publicly; also, in the ~.
Show 28 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)24/16 : This litel hole þt is no grettere than a smal nedle shal be cleped the comune centre defferent of the planetes.
    • Note: New combination for sense 1.(a).
    Note: Gloss: "astron. ~ centre defferent, a hole in the limb of the epicycle part of an equatorie, which serves as the center deferent for all of the planets."
  • (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)34/32 : Nota..þt thy nedle ne be nat remewed whan it is stikyd thorw the commune centre defferent into any centre different on thy plate.
    • Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(a).
  • c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)47 : What man..That lovede commune profyt..He shulde into a blysful place wende.
    • Note: Additional quot. for sense 4.
  • ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)590/1 : Compownede medecynes forsothe ben of many formes..The þridde fourme is þe commune [*Ch.(1): comon] diaquilon and, made with þe rotes of yreos, is myke aproprede to scrophules..The fourþe fourme is þe grete diaquilon, proued..to softne and to resolue al hardenesse.
    • Note: New combination for sense 5.
    Note: Gloss: "med. ~ diaquilon, a plaster containing mucilages or juices extracted from plants, litharge (lead monoxide), and olive oil; = litel diaquilon [see litel adj. 5.(a)].
    Note: This 'common diaquilon' does not have as many ingredients as the 'mickle (or great) diaquilon.' Juhani Norri (Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary in English 1375-1550, Part I) indicates that the 'mickle diaquilon' is a "complex form of plaster made with plant juices and mucilages..contains juices and mucilages extracted from plants, oils distilled from plants, litharge, birdlime, lanoline, turpentine, pine resin, beeswax." See muchel adj., sense 5a. With reference to amount or degree: (c): "med. ~ diaquilon, an ointment of litharge, oil, plant mucilages and juices, and other ingredients; = gret diaquilon [see gret adj. 4.(b)]."
  • ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)520/21 : Be a bath arrayed..in þe whiche softenynge þinges be soden..houndes tonge..bilerne..smalache. Boyle ham lyȝtely ibrused with a boylynge in commune [*Ch.(1): symple; L simplici] water.
    • Note: Additional quot. for sense 5.
  • c1425 Contempl.DLGod (Mdst Mus.6)12 (E.22) : Ofte we take deynte metis wiþoute blame, and sumtyme loþer metis and comyn to eche man not wiþoute gilt of consience.
    • Note: Additional quot. for sense 5. ('ordinary or everyday' (food)); but perhaps cp. 8. 'low-class,' especially (c) 'inferior').
  • (1411) *Acc.R.Goring : [Trespass:] in la Comenefeld.
    • Note: New form: Also: comene-
    Note: New sense: "In field name."
  • (1459) Doc.in Gilbert Cal.Dublin 1301 : Hyt was grawnt by the sayd semble that every jure that ys weddyt, that ber not hys ball, that he schall pay xl s., and every dymyjure, xx s., and every comyne, as he may avordy and thys fynys to be raryt, halfe to the Mayre..and half to the tresowry.
    • Note: Needed for date in sense 8.(a).
  • c1450 Peniarth Accedence(2) (Pen 356B)8/40 : A qualyte accidentall in a noun ys a propurte to acorde to on þyng kyndely all only, and so hyt is a propur qualite as 'Petrus, Willelmus, Iohnnes,' or to many and þen hit is a comyn qualite as homo.
    • Note: New collocation for sense 10(d).
    Note: Gloss: ~ qualite, the quality that makes a common noun a common noun (as opposed to a proper noun).
  • c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1) (Pen 356B)2/44 : How knos þu þe comyn of ii gendyrs? For hit declynyt wt 'hic' and 'hec' as nominatiuo 'hic et hec sacerdos.'
  • c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1) (Pen 356B)2/45 : How knos þu þe comyn of iij gendyrs? For hit declynyt wt 'hic' and 'hec' and 'hoc' as nominatiuo 'hic et hec et hoc felix.'
  • c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1) (Pen 356B)7/296 : How mony partycypuls longon to a uerbe comyne? IIII..A partycypull of þe presentens in '-ens' or in '-ans' and a preter in '-tus' or in '-sus' and a futur in '-Ius' [read: '-rus'] and a noþer in '-dus' as 'criminans, -atus, -turus, -andus.'
  • c1450 Peniarth Accedence(2) (Pen 356B)12/168 : How know ȝe a verbe comyn? For hit endith in -r and comyth of no verbe endyng in -o, and betokenethe 'to do' and 'to suffer' in euery person and noumbere..Largior, experior, veneror, moror, [etc.].
    • Note: Supplemental quots. for sense 10.(d).
    Note: Modify relevant part of extant gloss: "..of a verb: occurring as active and passive; also, having a passive form and an active meaning, deponent."
Note: Sense 11. of commū̆n(e has been deprecated and its quots. sent to commū̆ne n. as sense 6..
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.--all notes per MLL

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