▪ I. moyen, n.1
(ˈmɔɪən)
After 15th c. only Sc. Forms: 5 moene, 5–6 moyane, -ene, moyne, 5, 7 moien, 5–9 moyan, 6 moyanne, myane, pl. moyance, 7 moyand, 8 moyean, 5– moyen.
[a. OF. moien (mod.F. moyen), subst. use of moien (moyen), later form of meien adj., middle: see mean a.2 Cf. mean n.2]
† 1. A middle condition or quality; = mean n.2 1.
| 1484 Caxton Chivalry 86 Yf there were no vertue bytwene the ouer grete and ouer lytyl there shold be no moyen. |
† 2. Something interposed or intervening; = mean n.2 6. Obs.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 24 b/1 Syth the pryncypal angellis ben nyghe to god, and ben without moyen enlumyned of god. |
† 3. A mediator. = mean n.2 9, 9 c. Obs.
| 1455 Rolls of Parlt. V. 286/1 Request made unto you..to be moyen unto the Kynges Highnesse to ordeyne and name a persone. 1458 Paston Lett. I. 421 To bee my good and tendre moyen..unto the Kinges goode grace, for th' excuse of my nown comyng. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 279 b/1 Thenne late us praye unto this hooly Saynt Saynt Iohan baptist to be a moyen bytwene god and us. |
† 4. A means, agency. = mean n.2 10. Obs.
to make moyen(s: to take steps, use efforts. to find (the) moyen(s: to find out a way, contrive. Cf. mean n.2 10 d.
| 1440 in Wars Eng. in France (1864) II. 444 Youre partie aduerse and the saide due might not godely haue founden the moyens and the weyes to haue communed to geder. a 1470 Tiptoft Tulle on Friendsh. (Caxton 1481) b j, That the said feblenesse sholde be the moyen to attain to that which they desire in friendship. 1502 in Lett. Rich. III & Hen. VII (Rolls) II. 112 We have made suche secrete moynes as we can to knowe howe the exchaunge of the said. l. M. crownes myght be made. 1572 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxi. 117 The moyane for till find, How that yai micht eschew ye quene. 1581 Hamilton Cath. Traictise 20 Thir sort of men not onlie be sic moyens drauis sindrie to thair faction, but also [etc.]. |
† b. Means, resources. = mean n.2 12. Also pl.
| 1580 Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 316 Personis..that hes the moyen to leif on thair awin. 1591 Abp. Adamson Recant. (1598) B j b, I..beseekis zou to make intercessionne..to the King, that I may haif sum moyance to liue. 1593 Aberdeen Reg. (1848) II. 84 To have sufficient rent of thair awin, or some honest moyen, industrie, craft or occupatioun, to leive on. 1609 Hume Admonit. in Wodrow Soc. Misc. (1844) 587 Thei who have best moyen to remane, perhappis werie first. 1617 J. Chamberlain in Crt. & Times Jas. I (1848) II. 7 The greatest part of the prime Scots..make no great haste homeward, which perhaps may be for want of moyens, as they call it, to carry them along. |
5. Mediation, intercession; exercise of influence to bring about something, instigation; influence used on behalf of another, interest. † moyen of (or at) court: court influence. to make moyen(s, to intercede, make interest, negotiate (with), make overtures. = mean n.2 13 a.
| 1454 Paston Lett. I. 309 And that ye lyke seke a moyen of such frendys as ye can best avyse and may verrayly trust uppon to gyde thys mater. 15.. in Cochran-Patrick Rec. Coinage Scotl. (1876) I. 98 Ane Inglischmane..vpon fair promisis be moyen of cowrte was appointed maister Coinyeour. 1581 Aberdeen Reg. (1848) II. 42 Thair be moyanne of court, sinister and wrang informatioun, hes purchest ane gift and preuilege of our said Souerane Lord. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis 800 With Monsier then he moyen maid. c 1610 Sir J. Melvil Mem. (1735) 347 The Master of Gray had made moyen for Mr. Archibald. 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. lix. 160 We are using our weak moyen and credit for you up at our own court. 1649 Bp. Guthry Mem. (1702) 14 King Charles..preferr'd Men by Moyen at Court. a 1651 Calderwood Hist. Kirk (1678) 243 By moyen he [Bothwell] got presence of the King in the garden. 1706 A. Shields Ch. Commun. (1747) 62 The Priesthood was acquired and kept by Moyen. 1717 Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 221, I hear he has been at London making moyen and friends to be made Principal of the Old Town College. 1721 Kelly Scot. Prov. 243 Moyen does mickle but Money does more. 1777 J. Love in Mem. (1857) I. 330 Little improving of the moyen which I have through Christ in heaven. c 1820 G. Beattie John o' Arnha (1826) 17 When Charlie Stuart, the vile Pretender, Made moyen to be our Faith's Defender. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxix. (1873) 218 His purpose being, as his father phrased it, ‘to lay moyen for a placie come time’. |
b. pl. in the same sense.
| 1471 Arriv. Edw. IV (Camden) 9 Dayly came certayne personns on the sayd Erlls behalve to the Kinge, and made great moynes, and desired him to treat withe hym. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 165 Thinkand na thing better nor they wald mak thair moyenis witht him. 1873 Leg. North, Guidman o' Inglismill 30, I mith hae moyens laid to win wi' you. |
† 6. Instrumentality. Chiefly in phrases by or through (the) moyen of: (a) by the instrumentality of (a person or thing); (b) in consequence of, by reason of, owing to. by this or that moyen, by means of this or that; in this or that way; thus. Cf. mean n.2 14. Obs.
| 14.. Lett. Marg. Anjou & Bp. Beckington (Camden) 160 The socour and trust of oure moene that she putteth in us. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 268 The witnes.., be the moyen of the quhilkis ilk ane..thinkis to prove his entencioun. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 108 Be quhat moyane sall I red me of this mischeif. a 1651 Calderwood Hist. Kirk (1843) II. 198 By my moyen muche innocent blood hath beene spilt. 1703 D. Williamson Serm. bef. Gen. Assemb. 58 Connived at by the Moyen of the..Noble Lord. |
† b. pl. with sing. sense. Obs.
| a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 284 Convenit ane consall be his moyance of the maist pairt of the nobilitie at Edinburgh. Ibid. 331 Quhither the castell was so strong or the gouneris corrupit be the Earle of Angus moyans, I can nocht tell. |
▪ II. † ˈmoyen, n.2 Obs.
Forms: 6 mayan, moyan(e, myan(d, myone, 6–9 moyen, 7 moyenne, 9 Hist. moienne.
[a. OF. moyenne, subst. use of moyenne fem. of moyen adj., middle(-sized): see moyen a.]
A kind of cannon; = culverin moyen (see moyen a. c.).
| 1509 in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) II. 279 note, Three hundred small artillery, under the names of myand, culverins, and double-dogs. 1569 Reg. Privy Council Scot. II. 25 That thair be ane moyen and ane falconer convoyit towart Dunbartane. 1577 Ibid. 655 Twa myonis. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) VIII. 194/2 Moyens, which carried a ball of 10 or 12 ounces. 1802 C. James Milit. Dict., Moienne,Fr. A piece of ordnance, which is now called a four pounder, and which is ten feet long, was formerly so called. |
▪ III. † ˈmoyen, a. Obs.
[a. F. moyen middle: see mean a.2]
Middle.
| 1481 Caxton Myrr. ii. iii. 68 Thise two flodes [Tigris and Euphrates] trauerse many grete contrees so longe tyl they mete in the see moyen. 1550 J. Coke Eng. & Fr. Heralds §26 (1877) 63 As well of tyme past, moyene as present. |
b. Of middle rank. (In quot. 1483 absol. with plural ending).
| 1481 Caxton Godefroy xxvi. 59 Here ye maye here how so moche peple was loste by the folye of the moyen peple. 1483 ― Gold. Leg. 308/1 Alle spirites ben sent for us. The superyors ben sente to the moyens, the moyens [printed moyest] ben sente to the lowest. 1485 ― Chas. Gt. 82 And in thys bataylle was slayn..many other of the moyen people. |
c. Of middle size.
| 1513 Acc. Ld. Treas. Scot. (1902) IV. 510 For xxvj chargeouris to the culvering moyaine. Ibid. 517 Item, the first culvering moiyane, drawin with viij oxin. 1515 Ibid. (1903) V. 27 Chargit with twa culvering myance. |
▪ IV. moyen, v. Sc.
(ˈmɔɪən)
[f. moyen n.1, or a. F. moyenner of equivalent formation.]
1. trans. To accomplish by the use of means; ‘to manage or bring about’ (E.D.D.).
| 1589 R. Bruce Serm. Sacram. ii. (1590) H 3 b, This conjunction is moyaned, be twa speciall moyans. |
† 2. To compromise. Obs.
| 1598 J. Melvill Autobiog. & Diary (Wodrow Soc.) 441 The best part thought it meittest to tak tyme to mollefie and moyen maters. |