lemman

From Middle English lemman, lefmon, leofmon, from Old English lēof +‎ mann, equivalent to lief +‎ man.

lemman (plural lemmans)

1. Alternative form of leman (“lover”)

lemman

1. genitive singular of lemma

• lammen

• lemon, limman, lefmon, leofmon, leveman

From Old English lēof +‎ mann.

lemman (plural lemmans)

1. leman (a lover or sweetheart, especially a secret lover or mistress; a paramour)
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Manciples 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, folio xcix, recto:

     There is but litel difference truely
     Betwyxt a wyfe, that is of hye degre
     If of her body dishoneſt ſhe be
     And a poore wenche, other than this
     If it ſo be they werke bothe amys
     But for the gentyl is in eſtate aboue
     She ſhal be called his lady and his loue
     And for that tother is a poore woman
     She ſhal be called his wench, or his lemmã [...]

     There truly is very little difference between a wife of honourable rank if she is faithless in how she deals with her body,
     and a penniless woman without rank, except that if they both behave badly then, because of the gentlewoman's rank,
     people call her his lady love, but call the poor woman his slut or his leman.

   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter V, in Le Morte Darthur, book VI (in Middle English):

     Thenne within an houre there came the knyghte to whome the pauelione ought
     And he wende that his lemā had layne in that bedde
     and soo he laid hym doune besyde syr Launcelot
     and toke hym in his armes and beganne to kysse hym
     And whanne syre launcelot felte a rough berd kyssyng hym
     he starte oute of the bedde lyghtely
     and the other knyȝt after hym
     and eyther of hem gate their swerdes in theire handes

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• English: leman, leaman, lemman

lemman

1. indefinite plural of lemma

• lammen, malmen