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)

1. 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

2. The nobility; peerage.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Qveene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for VVilliam Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, book I, canto 8:

     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

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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)

1. 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.

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Middle English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman noblesse, noblesce et al., Old French noblace, nobleche et al., from noble (“noble”).

Noun

noblesse (uncountable)

1. 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