Middle English Dictionary Entry
conissaunce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | conissaunce n. Also conishaunce, conisantes, conusaunce, cognisaunce, co(g)noissaunce, konichauns. |
| Etymology | OF conoissa(u)nce, coniss-, conuss-. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Knowledge, understanding, information; (b) recognition; (c) ben of ~, to be known or familiar to (sb.), be of (one's) acquaintance.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4668 : Lo, there a noble conissaunce!..It were to every man sittyng, Of his lord have knowleching.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5559 : The toon yeveth conysaunce, And the tother ignoraunce.
- ?c1450 Brut-1447 (Trin-C O.9.1)458/11 : Y haue not full conusuaunce of theym.
- ?1457 Hardyng Chron.A (Lnsd 204)p.740 : To haue playne conyshance Of this Region.
- a1475 Heart & Eye(3) (Lngl 258)619 : Thus she shulde haue cognoissaunce.
- c1500 Myne hert is set (Rwl C.86)p.302 : Verray myrrour..of womanhed..Ful glad to me to haue congnossaunce.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.347 : Clerkes..That litill connyng had or conisaunce, In musike honorably God his seruice to auaunce In the chapell.
b
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)3650 : Here es a fowl mischance For defaut of conisance..had I þe sene, Þan had here no batel bene.
c
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)245 : Many other that were of his cognisaunce.
2.
(a) Any device, emblem, or badge by which a knight's allegiance, a sovereign's identity, etc., are made known; also fig. [quot.: 1532]; (b) a pennon with such a device.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3569 : Ȝif i encountre with þis kniȝt..how schal i him knowe, what konichauns here he bere?
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1638 : It was..usance That every man the conoiscance Of his contre bar in his hond.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)19.188 : 'What is hus conysaunce,' quaþ ich, 'in hus cote-armure?' 'Þre persones in o pensel,' quath he, 'departable from oþer.'
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2026 : His cote, wyth þe conysaunce of þe clere werkez.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5455 : He tok þe [dead] kynges conisaunce.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)193 : With corone & with conyschantis, as it a kynge were.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1128 : Conyschance [Dub: conyshaunce] of a kynge, with coron and septere.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)1466 : So blody was that Bischoppis wede His conysaunce..Þe Bretons ne couthe noghte knawe.
- (1451) Grant Arms in Young Barber-S.432 : Y, Clarensew, gyve the same conysaunce of Armes to the forsaid Crafte.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)730/1 : Lat every knyght have a standarde and a cognyssaunce by hymselff, that every knyght may draw to his naturall lorde.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)4419 : Jasone..To the knyght can he ryde; He knewe his conusaunce.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)510 : Thei knewe well, by theire armes and hir conysshaunce, that thei were noon of her companye.
- a1525(?1474) Cov.Leet Bk.394 : From hensforth I schall eschewe..to geve..any lyueree, reteigndour, or cognesaunce otherwyse then may accorde with the lawe.
- a1525 PPl.Creed (Roy 18.B.17)185 : Knytes in her conisantes clad for þe nones.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)24/113 : Mekenesse in countenaunce, with a manly hert..is the conisance of my livery.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)305/604 : Neile this Table on the Tree! Sith he kinge of Iews will be, he must haue Cognisaunce.
b
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)5684 : He bare a ful grete launce, And heng theron his conyssaunce.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)3654 : He hovis and heyes vp his lavnce, Wyth the wynd wevys þe conisaunce.
3.
Law (a) The hearing and trying of a case at law; (b) the right to try a case, jurisdiction.
Associated quotations
a
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)43 : xij men good and trewe of the next neghboures, to make a cognisaunce, &c., and that they have a syght of the tenement.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)111 : If dette or damage be behynden, before the ballives of the forseid toun, by iugement or be conisaunce maad aforn hem at the sute of men of other lond..be the most hastyff reddour doon.
b
- [ (1389-90) Statutes Realm2.61 : Al Conestable appartient davoir conissance des contractz tochantz faitz darmes & de guerre hors du roialme. ]
- (1447) Doc.N.Convocation in Sur.Soc.113177 : Of the which causes, as it is reherced in the said statute, the conisaunce hath of auncien tyme belanged to Courte Rial.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450(1438) GLeg.Pope Pelagius (GiL174) (Eg 876) 943/233 : The sike men be not constreyned therto, but it is comaunded hem that bycause of the conisaunce [F recongnoissance; L recognitionis] they shull go euery yere to Ametys and praie there.
Note: Editor: "conisaunce: "'formal acknowledgment'; MED records this sense for reconisaunce, sense 2., but only for legal contexts, and not at all for conisaunce."
Note: New sense.