| 释义 |
noblessen. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymons: French noblesce, noblesse. Etymology: < Anglo-Norman noblesce, noblesse (also noblés, noblez, and as an honorific title) and Old French noblace, nobleche, noblesce, noblesche, Old French, Middle French noblece, noblesse (mid 12th cent.; French noblesse ) celebration, superiority by virtue of valour or dignity (both mid 12th cent.), quality of one born into the nobility, body of people of great valour or quality (both late 13th cent.), the nobility (c1490) < noble noble adj. + -esse -ess suffix2. Compare Spanish nobleza (first half of the 13th cent.), Portuguese nobreza (end of the 13th cent.), Italian †nobilezza (13th–14th cent.), Old Occitan noblessa (14th–15th cent.), nobleza (c1400). Compare nobleye n., noblehead n., nobleness n., nobility n., noblety n., noblé n.2Common in Middle English and frequent until the 17th cent. In later use probably an independent reborrowing from French noblesse . Compare noblesse oblige phr. and n. 1. society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [noun] ?c1225 (?a1200) (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 129 Þe feorðe reisun is his preoue of noblesce & of largesce. 1340 (1866) 89 (MED) Þo þet makeþ ham zuo quaynte of þe ilke poure noblesse þet hi habbeþ of hare moder þe erþe þet berþ and norysseþ azewel þe hogges. c1395 G. Chaucer 468 Grisilde..I yow took out of youre poure array And putte yow in estat of heigh noblesse. a1456 (a1407) H. Scogan Moral Balade (Ashm.) 73 in F. J. Furnivall (1879) iii. 430/1 Vertuous noblesse Comþe not to yowe of youre Auncestrye. c1475 tr. C. de Pisan (Cambr.) (1977) 141 (MED) The name of noblesse is but a veyn thyng but it be illumyned with vertue. 1538 T. Cromwell in R. B. Merriman (1902) II. 118 The good affection whiche I bere towardes her for her vertues wisedome and noblesse. 1594 T. Kyd tr. R. Garnier ii. 297 True noblesse neuer doth the thing it should not. 1611 J. Speed ix. xii. 579/1 It being then a thing perpetuall and solemne not to fight without those signes of Noblesse. 1653 Bp. J. Taylor i. iii. 38 His arms of honour are extinguished, the noblesse of his Ancestours is forgotten. 1710 D. Manley I. ii. 250 Had he had a Nobless of Soul.., what might he not have done? 1886 J. Ruskin II. vi. 210 The noblesse of thought which makes the simplest word best. 1972 E. Pargeter vi. 174 In and out of season he must give off these sparks of personal brightness, to dazzle as he had dazzled James of Lusignan..with his ‘singular courtesy and noblesse’. 1991 C. Allmand (BNC) 71 In France, in the second half of the fourteenth century, some esquires (men on the very fringe of noblesse) were promoted over the heads of knights. society > society and the community > social class > nobility > title > title or form of address for persons of rank > [noun] c1390 G. Chaucer 2956 We..been redy to come what day that it like vn to youre noblesse [v.r. noblenesse]. 1425 IV. 271/2 Ye protestation made by Sire Wauter Beauchamp..by your Noblesses amitted and ygraunted. c1425 J. Lydgate (Augustus A.iv) i. 3776 (MED) We praye to ȝoure hyȝe noblesse To oure purpos for to condescende. a1500 ( J. Yonge tr. (Rawl.) (1898) 207 (MED) The best wordys that therin benne I shall here-to youre nobellese writte. 2. the mind > attention and judgement > beauty > splendour > [noun] > magnificence c1330 (?a1300) (Auch.) (1973) 4061 (MED) Of gold, of siluer, and noblesse, Þai founden grete riches. c1395 G. Chaucer 782 In gret noblesse..they ryden in her wey. a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer (Hunterian) 1108 Upon the tresses of Richesse Was sette a cercle for noblesse. c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer 471 Sawgh I never such noblesse Of ymages. c1470 tr. (Cleveland) (1977) 79 (MED) The taile of the which serpent upon the which it was sett betokend the highnesse and the noblesse of thempire. 1951 R. Graves 31 Such subtile filigranity and nobless of construccion Here fraternise in harmony. the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > fame or renown > [noun] c1350 (Harl. 874) (1961) 61 (MED) By þe erþe stiryng bitokneþ þe grete noblesse þat þe prechours shullen han. c1390 G. Chaucer 185 Thise marchauntz han hym told of dame Custaunce So greet noblesse. c1425 J. Lydgate (Augustus A.iv) iii. 483 (MED) Hector..rood..Amongis his lordis & knyȝtes euerychon As he þat was rote of al noblesse, Of knyȝthod grounde, of strengþe & hardines Þe verray stok. a1470 T. Malory (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 526 Sir Trystram, whan he behylde the nobles of thes twenty knyghtes, he mervayled of their good dedys. a1500 tr. A. Chartier (Rawl.) (1974) 3 (MED) In our tyme is fall the grette pryce and noblesse of Fraunce. society > society and the community > social class > nobility > [noun] > noble class a1500 tr. A. Chartier (Rawl.) (1974) 190 Thei..doubte full litle to put in aventure withowte reason and ordre all the noblesse of the realme [c1475 Univ. Oxf. the nobles and the reame]. 1543–4 in T. Ruddiman (1724) II. 182 Be the advise of the haile noblesse of this realme. 1604 R. Dallington sig. S4 The French Noblesse glorying in their Armes, call themselues,..The Arme of their countrey. 1615 G. Sandys (1637) 1 The Princes of the blood discontented, the noblesse factious. 1667 J. Dryden Let. to Sir R. Howard in Pref. That advantage..which the Noblesse of France would never suffer in their Peasants. 1753 Oct. 481/1 In France one of their noblesse must not marry a roturiere. 1796 C. Michell 153 A very few years ago, the opinions..of Europe were decidedly in favour of a monarchy, a noblesse and a census. 1813 61 243 Some of the first families of our Noblesse. 1898 J. E. C. Bodley I. i. iii. 170 Few of the local noblesse under the old Monarchy bore titles. 1917 H. L. Wilson (1936) ix. 158 Small wonder then that the women of the ‘old noblesse’, as I may call them, were outspokenly bitter in their comments upon her. 1990 M. Vale (BNC) 98 They were first styled nobiles viri only in 1256, and a tendency towards a late crystallization of a titled noblesse at this level is found in much of south-west France. c1704 Let. in E. Hamilton (1965) vi. 126 Upper garden 1st from the house minion, 2nd nobless, 3rd Brinion. 1860 R. Hogg 143 Noblesse... Fruit large, roundish-oblong, terminating with a small nipple. 1952 A. G. L. Hellyer (ed. 22) 400 Following vars. recommended—Peaches: early, Alexander and Hales Early; mid-season, Noblesse and Bellegarde. 1985 F. A. Roach xix. 184 Royal George, Admirable, Mignonne, Noblesse peaches and Violette Hatire and Roman nectarines are still grown today. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2022). <  n.?c1225 |
