"coward" meaning in Middle English

See coward in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈkuːard/, /ˈkɔu̯ard/
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|fro|coart}} Borrowed from Old French coart, {{af|enm|coe|-ard|lang1=fro|t1=tail}} Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard Head templates: {{head|enm|adjective}} coward
  1. cowardly Categories (topical): Fear
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-adj-oIeF-W~0 Disambiguation of Fear: 61 10 17 8 4 Categories (other): Middle English terms suffixed with -ard Disambiguation of Middle English terms suffixed with -ard: 27 27 23 23
  2. (rare) stupid Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-adj-wtIUpITp Categories (other): Middle English terms suffixed with -ard Disambiguation of Middle English terms suffixed with -ard: 27 27 23 23
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: couard, couward, cowart, cowerde, coword, cuward, kowarde
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /ˈkuːard/, /ˈkɔu̯ard/
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|fro|coart}} Borrowed from Old French coart, {{af|enm|coe|-ard|lang1=fro|t1=tail}} Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard Head templates: {{head|enm|noun}} coward
  1. coward, knave Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-noun-NVN~4TsT Disambiguation of People: 38 0 56 0 6 Categories (other): Middle English terms suffixed with -ard Disambiguation of Middle English terms suffixed with -ard: 27 27 23 23
  2. (rare) idiot, simpleton Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-noun-dwRzhU3~ Categories (other): Middle English terms suffixed with -ard Disambiguation of Middle English terms suffixed with -ard: 27 27 23 23
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: couard, couward, cowart, cowerde, coword, cuward, kowarde Related terms: cowardie, cowardise, cowardly, cowardnesse
Etymology number: 1

Noun

Head templates: {{head|enm|noun}} coward
  1. Alternative form of couherde Tags: alt-of, alternative Alternative form of: couherde
    Sense id: en-coward-enm-noun-xX7qt~p~
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "coward"
          },
          "expansion": "English: coward",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: coward"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "cooart",
            "3": "coort"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: cooart, coort",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: cooart, coort"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
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      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardie"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardise"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "cowardnesse"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 27 23 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 0 56 0 6",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "enm:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "coward, knave"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-noun-NVN~4TsT",
      "links": [
        [
          "coward",
          "coward#English"
        ],
        [
          "knave",
          "knave"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 27 23 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-noun-dwRzhU3~",
      "links": [
        [
          "idiot",
          "idiot"
        ],
        [
          "simpleton",
          "simpleton"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "couard"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "couward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "cowart"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "cowerde"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "coword"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "cuward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "kowarde"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "coward"
          },
          "expansion": "English: coward",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: coward"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "coart"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 27 23 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "61 10 17 8 4",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Fear",
          "orig": "enm:Fear",
          "parents": [
            "Emotions",
            "Mind",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "cowardly"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-adj-oIeF-W~0",
      "links": [
        [
          "cowardly",
          "cowardly"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 27 23 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "stupid"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-adj-wtIUpITp",
      "links": [
        [
          "stupid",
          "stupid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) stupid"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "couard"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "couward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "cowart"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "cowerde"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "coword"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "cuward"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "kowarde"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "couherde"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of couherde"
      ],
      "id": "en-coward-enm-noun-xX7qt~p~",
      "links": [
        [
          "couherde",
          "couherde#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Fear",
    "enm:People"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "coward"
          },
          "expansion": "English: coward",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: coward"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "cooart",
            "3": "coort"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: cooart, coort",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: cooart, coort"
    }
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  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "coart"
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      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "cowardie"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowardise"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowardly"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowardnesse"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "coward, knave"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "coward",
          "coward#English"
        ],
        [
          "knave",
          "knave"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "idiot",
          "idiot"
        ],
        [
          "simpleton",
          "simpleton"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) idiot, simpleton"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "couard"
    },
    {
      "word": "couward"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowart"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowerde"
    },
    {
      "word": "coword"
    },
    {
      "word": "cuward"
    },
    {
      "word": "kowarde"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Middle English terms suffixed with -ard",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Fear",
    "enm:People"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
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        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "coward"
          },
          "expansion": "English: coward",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: coward"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "coart"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French coart",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "coe",
        "3": "-ard",
        "lang1": "fro",
        "t1": "tail"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard",
      "name": "af"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French coart; equivalent to Old French coe (“tail”) + -ard. Compare taylarde.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "cowardly"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cowardly",
          "cowardly"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "stupid"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "stupid",
          "stupid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) stupid"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkuːard/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈkɔu̯ard/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "couard"
    },
    {
      "word": "couward"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowart"
    },
    {
      "word": "cowerde"
    },
    {
      "word": "coword"
    },
    {
      "word": "cuward"
    },
    {
      "word": "kowarde"
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Fear",
    "enm:People"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": "coward",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "couherde"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of couherde"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "couherde",
          "couherde#Middle_English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "coward"
}

Download raw JSONL data for coward meaning in Middle English (4.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-23 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (0c0c1f1 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.