▪ I. † ging, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 genge, 2–5 geng(e, (4 geing, 6 gin), 3–6 gyng(e, 4–7 ginge, 6–7 ghing, 3–7 ging. Also 1 ᵹegenge, 2 i-geng.
[OE. gęnge, ? str. neut., troop, company (also = gong n.1), latrina, in which sense it has a wk. gen.pl. gęngena); corresponding formally to ON. gengi success, help, support, vogue, currency; f. root of gang v. The word in the senses explained below is prob. to be regarded as an abbreviation of the fuller form ᵹegęnge, which etymologically expresses the notion of ‘a going together’; cf. ᵹegęnga masc., companion; the ON. word has prob. in like manner lost the OTeut. suffix ga- = OE. ᵹe, y-.]
1. A company of armed men, a troop, army, host.
| a 1100 O.E. Chron. an. 1070 Hereward & his genge. 1154 Ibid. an. 1138 [Hi] sloghen suithe micel of his genge. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 87 God bisencte þa þe pharaon and al his genge. 13.. K. Alis. 922 Alisaunder, in the mornyng, Quyk hath armed al his gyng. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1225 He..Gedrit all his gynge And his grounde held. a 1400–50 Alexander 3618 And he was graythid [with] a ging of grekis kniȝtis. |
2. The retinue of a great personage; a family, household, train of servants. Also pl. One's followers or ‘people’; people in general.
| c 1205 Lay. 11159 Þa læuedi ælene..to Jerusalem wende mid richere genge. a 1300 Cursor M. 2378 Abram went and wit him loth, His geing, his catel, ilk crot. c 1300 Havelok 786 Him and his genge wel he fedde. a 1330 Roland & V. 49 He sende him grace him to slo, Þat had y-wrouȝt so michel wo, & slawe godes ginges. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2882 He offert onestly in honour of Venus, A gobet of gold, þat gyngys might se. a 1400–50 Alexander 1648 (Ashm.) Þan gas he furth with his gingis [MS. Dubl. gyng] to godis awen temple. 1508 Dunbar Test. of A. Kennedy 98, I will nane haif bot our avne gyng. 1601 Munday Downf. Earl Huntington iii. i. in Hazl. Dodsley VIII. 145 For all your dagger, wert not for your ging, I would knock my whip-stock on your addle-head. c 1626 Dick of Devon i. ii. in Bullen O. Pl. II. 13 The mermaydes of those Seas..when they by Drake And his brave Ginges were ravishd. |
3. gen. A company; a gang, pack, set, train.
| c 1200 Ormin 3918 Þatt teȝȝre [angels] genge shollde ben Wiþþ gode sawless ekedd. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 455 Þat dysplesez none of oure gyng, For ho is quene of cortaysye. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1600 Þis gaye genge of grece to rome gunne ride. a 1400–50 Alexander 2435 For-þi bees glad now, all þe gingis ȝe sall na gref haue. 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. ii. ii, Let mee not liue, an I could not find in my heart to swinge the whole ging of 'hem, one after another. 1627 Drayton Agincourt, etc. 147 Rollo..Who still led the Rusticke Ging. a 1652 Brome Damoiselle i. i. Wks. 1873 I. 383 Could I but dream..his youthfull Ghing Could stretch to get him out. a 1653 Middleton & Rowley Span. Gipsy iii. i. M.'s Wks. (1885) VI. 161 Welcome, poet, to our ging! |
| transf. 1642 Milton Apol. Smect. (1851) 274 Proceeding furder I am met with a whole ging of words and phrases not mine. |
b. spec. The crew of a ship or boat. Cf. gang.
| 1594 Carew Tasso (1881) 54 So hardy ging of Marriners forth blowne, In venture to deskry some straungy shore. 1633 T. James Voy. 56 The Cock-swaine with his ging, were to goe in the Boate. 1670 Cotton Espernon ii. viii. 408 The Ghing of all the Gallies in the Harbour being drawn out every night to water this Cours. |
| attrib. 1635 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virg. 173 Doing himselfe the office of Boatsonne, ghing-captaine. |
c. In depreciatory sense: A crew, rabble; rout.
| a 1175 Cott. Hom. 243 Se forme is se deofel and his igeng. c 1325 Body & Soul 92 in Map's Poems (Camden) 348 Fare awey the foule Swyke ant thi cursede genge. 1592 Greene Upst. Courtier E 2, What a Ging was here gathered together, no doubt Hell is broke loose. 1625 Gill Sacr. Philos. ii. 173 Ebion, Cerinthus, Photinus, and the rest of that ging. 1659 Torriano, Ciurmatore, one of the basest crue or ghing. |
4. Used to translate L. gentes: Nations, heathen.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter ii. 8 (Horstm.) Aske ofe me, and .i. to þe sal Giue genge wele mare with-al. a 1340 Hampole Psalter ii. 1 Whi gnaistid þe genge & þe folke thoght vnnayte thyngs. |
▪ II. † ging, v.1 Obs. rare—1.
[Echoic; cf. jingle.]
intr. To jingle, tinkle.
| 1570 Levins Manip. 135/34 Ging, tinnire. |
▪ III. ging, v.2 Mining. ? Obs. trans.
(See quots.) Hence ˈginging (dial. gingonin) vbl. n.
| 1747 Hooson Miner's Dict., Ging up a Shaft. Where the Oages lye not far of from the Day; in old Shafts, the Miner, by ordinary Timber and Stoprice, or sometimes by Walls from the Top of the Oagues, makes a wary and frugal Shift to support it. 1802 Mawe Min. Derbysh. Gloss. (E.D.S.), Gingonin, sb., walling up a shaft, instead of timbering, to keep the loose earth from falling. 1824 J. Mander Derbysh. Miners' Gloss., Ging up a Shaft, that is climbing up a Shaft. [Prob. an erroneous guess.] Ibid., Ginging a Shaft is also arching the mouth of an old useless Shaft, which is usually done with stone in order to prevent Cattle falling therein. 1847 in Craig. 1883 Gresley Gloss. Coal Mining, Ginging, the walling or lining of a pit-shaft. |