gleeman en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡliːmən/
Etymology
From Middle English gleman, gleoman, from Old English glēomann, glīġman, corresponding to glee (“music; minstrelsy; entertainment”) + man. Cognate with Scots gle-man, gleman (“gleeman, minstrel”).
Meanings
-
(historical) A professional singer, bard, or other entertainer.
The ancient Celts carefully distinguished the poet, who was originally a priest and judge as well and whose person was sacrosanct, from the mere gleeman.
1948 (revised 1952), Robert Graves, The White Goddess, Faber & Faber 1999, p. 17“One truth would I set high above all others,” repeated the gleeman.
1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 19:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gleemen | Number=Plur | lexicographic |