lemman

-- [D. pencil.] [29] The word "lemman" is used by Chaucer in both senses, but more frequently in the feminine.

The Works of Lord Byron. Vol. 2 George Gordon Byron Byron 1806

And then sche seyde, that he myghte not ben hire lemman: but sche bad him gon azen unto his fellowes, and make him knyghte, and come azen upon the morwe, and sche scholde come out of the cave before him; and thanne come and kysse hire on the mowthe, and have no drede; for I schalle do the no maner harm, alle be it that thou see me in lyknesse of a dragoun.

The Voyages and Travels of Sir John Mandeville 2004

And then sche seyde, that he myghte not ben hire lemman: but sche bad him gon azen unto his fellowes, and make him knyghte, and come azen upon the morwe, and sche scholde come out of the cave before him; and thanne come and kysse hire on the mowthe, and have no drede; for I schalle do the no maner harm, alle be it that thou see me in lyknesse of a dragoun.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation 2003

But he knew not of the tiding that came to his lemman.

Roman de Brut. English Layamon

And then sche seyde, that he myghte not ben hire lemman: but sche bad him gon azen unto his fellowes, and make him knyghte, and come azen upon the morwe, and sche scholde come out of the cave before him; and thanne come and kysse hire on the mowthe, and have no drede; for I schalle do the no maner harm, alle be it that thou see me in lyknesse of a dragoun.

The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 08 Asia, Part I Richard Hakluyt 1584

One may also use the index to discover that such terms as lemman, gent, suete brid, fetys, and other such specifically courtly terminology (which English poetry had inherited from the French romances) already seemed to Chaucer and his audience often démodé, déclassé -- no longer so groové, en effet.

VERBATIM: The Language Quarterly Vol XI No 1 1984

75 “Leman” (M.E. “lemman”, O.E. “leof mann”, ‘lief man’, i.e., ‘dear one’), ‘mistress’ in a bad sense.

The Nibelungenlied 2007

(although it should be noted that at this time final "e" was NOT silent, but could be sounded if needed for the metre). partial glossary: brere: briar, thorny stem of rose dowve: dove drueries: tokens, gifts ey: egg fer: far flour: flower lemman: lover longynge: longing ony: any rynde: bark, rind see: sea ston: stone suster: sister unbred: not yet sprouted, in seed wythouten: without

The Riddle Song (2: I Have a Young Suster) 1430

Ij [is Ixxvi A DISCOURSE ON His lemman holden openly No man fo hardy to alke why.

Antient funeral monuments, of Great-Britain, Ireland, and the islands adjacent 1767