choirmanquiremann.
/ˈkwʌɪəmən/ A man who sings in a choir; a ‘singing man’.
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society > faith > church government > laity > lay functionaries > chorister > [noun]
songereOE
childOE
clergionc1325
choristerc1360
chanterc1384
quirera1425
choirman1488
singing man1527
clerk1549
chorista1552
songman1599
singing boy1666
sing-man1691
white boy1691
white man1691
choirist1773
secular1786
chorister-boy1817
choirboy1843
1488 Will of Walter Stalworth (P.R.O.: PROB. 11/8) f. 145v A preest of goode name..& a goode quereman.
1502 in S. Tymms Wills & Inventories Bury St. Edmunds (1850) 95 I wyll that an honest prest and a queerman shall syng for my soule.
1570 B. Googe tr. T. Kirchmeyer Popish Kingdome ii. f. 16 Some other..sing, whom Quier men they call.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Chorieux, Queeremen, singingmen, quirresters.
1766 J. Entick Surv. London in New Hist. London IV. 109 Choirmen, to sing mass daily.
1888 S. H. Little in Dublin Rev. Jan. 106 No choirman..should be able to consider himself a necessity to the choir.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1889; most recently modified version published online March 2018).
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