mountance

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Middle English

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Etymology

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Old French montance.

Noun

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mountance

  1. amount; quantity; extent
    • 1357, John Mandeville, The Travels of Sir John Mandeville[1]:
      And from thence go men to the city of Hebron, that is the mountance of twelve good mile.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Pardoner's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 861-864:
      [...] ‘In al this world ther nis no creature,
      That ete or dronke hath of this confiture
      Noght but the mountance of a corn of whete,
      That he ne shal his lyf anon forlete;’
      [...]
      [...] ‘In all this world there is no creature,
      That has eaten or drunk of this concoction
      Only so much as the amount of a seed of wheat,
      That he shall not immediately lose his life;’ [...]
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Manciple's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 252-256:
      [...] ‘For al thy waiting, blered is thyn yë
      With oon of litel reputacioun,
      Noght worth to thee, as in comparisoun,
      The mountance of a gnat; so mote I thryve!
      For on thy bed thy wyf I saugh him swyve.’
      [...] For all thy watching, thou hast been tricked
      By one of little reputation,
      Not worth, compared to thee,
      The value of a gnat; as I may thrive!
      For on thy bed I saw him copulate with thy wife.

References

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