noblesse
See also: Noblesse
English
Etymology
From Middle English noblesse, from Anglo-Norman noblesse, noblesce et al., Old French noblace, nobleche et al., from noble (“noble”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /nə(ʊ)ˈblɛs/
Noun
noblesse (usually uncountable, plural noblesses)
- The quality of being noble; nobleness.
- 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Clerke of Oxenfordes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], OCLC 230972125; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, OCLC 932884868:
- I yow took/ out of youre pouere array / And putte yow / in estaat of heigh noblesse.
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIX:
- his moder had discouerd in her pryde / how she had wroughte that by enchauntement / soo that he shold neuer be hole vntyl the best knyghte of the world had serched his woundes / […] / And yf I fayle to hele hym here in this land I wylle neuer take more payne vpon me / and that is pyte for he was a good knyghte and of grete noblenes
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
- 1612, Ben Jonson, Epigrams
- But thou , whose noblesse keeps one stature still
-
- The nobility; peerage.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:
- Faire braunch of noblesse, flowre of cheualrie, / That with your worth the world amazed make, / How shall I quite the paines, ye suffer for my sake?
- 1668, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, M. DC. LXVI. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], OCLC 1064438096, (please specify the stanza number):
- All gentlemen are almost obliged to it: and I know no reason we should give that advantage to the commonalty of England to be foremost in brave actions, which the noblesse of France would never suffer in their peasants
-
Anagrams
- boneless
French
Etymology
Old French, see noble + -esse
- Cognate with Catalan noblesa, Portuguese nobreza, Spanish nobleza
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /nɔ.blɛs/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɛs
Audio (file)
Noun
noblesse f (plural noblesses)
- nobility
Derived terms
- lettre de noblesse
- noblesse de robe
- noblesse oblige
- titre de noblesse
Further reading
- “noblesse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle English
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman noblesse, noblesce et al., Old French noblace, nobleche et al., from noble (“noble”).
Noun
noblesse (uncountable)
- noblesse
- 1470–1483 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “[The Tale of King Arthur]”, in Le Morte Darthur (British Library Additional Manuscript 59678), [England: s.n.], folio 35, recto, lines 30–32:
- That is to me ſeyde kyng lodegreaūs the beſte tydyngꝭ that eu[er] I herde · that ſo worthy a kyng of proveſſe ⁊ nobleſſe wol wedde my dought[er] ·
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
-
Descendants
- English: noblesse