Re: medieval english was knight ranks and titles

Mike wrote:
> "Mike" <bakerdivert@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:11ks0ju3gubei28@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Some OED quotes using the word sergeant might help. "<c1330 Chron Wace
> (Rolls)>
> > Seuen thousand now we are Of knyghtes to bataille zare, Wythoute seriauntz
> &
> > other pytaille[foot soldiers]. <c1314 Guy Warw.> On ich side he seye come
> > kniztes, Burieys [?] and seriaunce redi to fiztes. <c1450 Merlin> And
> the
> > barons..were well viij knyghtes, with-outen seriantz and arblastis [a type
> > of cross bow]. <c1456 Law Arms> Sevin thousand knychtis, four score of
> > thousandis of sergendis."
>
> What do Burieys and viij mean above?

Not sure about Burieys, but the "j" is a Roman numeral. It's a scribal
convention to write the third "i" as a "j", since "j" was a variant of
"i"; "iij", "xiij", "xxiij" etc. Hope that helps.

.