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/
• Rhymes: -ɛs

Noun

noblesse (usually uncountable, plural noblesses)

1. The quality of being noble; nobleness.
   • 1612, Ben Jonson, Epigrams:

     But thou , whose noblesse keeps one stature still

2. The nobility; peerage.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     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?

   • 1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, 1666. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, (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

Related terms

• noblesse oblige

Anagrams

• boneless

French

Etymology

From 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.

Middle English

Etymology

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

Noun

noblesse (uncountable)

1. noblesse
   • (Can we date this quote by Malory and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     I woll never take more payne uppon me – and that ys grete pite, for he was a good knyght and of grete nobeles.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Clerke of Oxenfordes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:

     I yow took/ out of youre pouere array / And putte yow / in estaat of heigh noblesse.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1470–1483 (date produced), Thom̃s Malleorre [i.e., 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 quotation)

Descendants

• English: noblesse