noblesse

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

• (UK) IPA^(key): /nə(ʊ)ˈblɛs/

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?

   • 1668, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, M. DC. LXVI. […], 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

• boneless

Old French, see noble +‎ -esse

• Cognate with Catalan noblesa, Portuguese nobreza, Spanish nobleza

• IPA^(key): /nɔ.blɛs/

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• Rhymes: -ɛs

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noblesse f (plural noblesses)

1. nobility

• lettre de noblesse
• noblesse de robe
• noblesse oblige
• titre de noblesse

• “noblesse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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

noblesse (uncountable)

1. noblesse
   • (Can we date this quote by Prior 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.

   • 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 quote)

   • 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)

• English: noblesse