Obs. Forms: 1–5 cristen, 3–4 -ine, 4 -yn, -ene, -un, crestin, -en, 4–5 cristin, crystene, 4–6 crysten, -yn(e, 5 cristeyn, 6 christin, chrysten, -un, (Sc. christing), 6–7 christen, (dial. cursen). [OE. cristen:—WGer. cristin (OS. and OHG.) ad. L. christiān-us CHRISTIAN. In ME. occasionally influenced by the corresp. OF. crestien. In the 16th c. it was, like the Fr., refashioned with ch-, and at length entirely assimilated to the L., as CHRISTIAN.]
1. = CHRISTIAN: of persons. Cf. CHRISTENMAN.
c. 890. K. Ælfred, Bæda, II. xx. (Bosw.). Se mon wæs se cristenesta and se gelæredesta. Ibid. (c. 893), Oros., VI. xiii. Ælc cristen mon hæfde frið & sibbe.
c. 1175. Cott. Hom., 243. Se þridde is wel nieh þe cristen man.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 22. Uor alle cristene soulen.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 15. Than … biginne we, God cresten men for to be.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Laws T., 288. Arryued been this cristen [v.r. cresten] folk to londe.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, A vj. A batayle of Crysten men ageynst the Sarasyne.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 381. Exchaunged for christen prisoners.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., xi. As I am a cursen man.
1623. Lisle, Anc. Sax. Mon. (1638), Pref. to Serm. Comfort to christen mens soules.
1640. Brome, Sparagus Gard., III. vii. By my Cursen soule. Ibid., IV. v. We be Cursenfolke as good as your zelfe.
2. Of things.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., VI. xii. Ane cristene boc.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1474 (Cott.). To fight al for þe cristen lay.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 1. The cristen feyth is affermed and corrobered.
c. 1511. 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.), Introd. 31. In the crysten beleue.
1553. Bale, Vocacyon, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), I. 336. That we shulde haue … our Christen doctryne from their unchristen byshoppes.
b. Christen name: the name given at christening; the Christian name (see CHRISTIAN a. 6).
1549. Latimer, 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 88, margin. Brybes … are callyd gentyl rewardes, but that is not theyr chrysten name.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. iv. 8 (Q q). I am sworn brother to a leash of drawers; and can call them all by their christen names.
1626. L. Owen, Running Reg., 7. They must change their Christen names, and their Sir names.
1679. Mrs. Behn, Feign’d Curtizan, I. ii. My Grandmother wou’d never own me if I should change the cursen name she gave me.
3. absol. A Christian. Only about 1500 made a true sb. with plural -s (? after French).
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., VI. xxx. Ealle þa cristnan.
a. 1131. O. E. Chron., an. 1128. Betwenen ða Cristene and þa heðene.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 32. Ðe Cristene þet beoð ine heþinesse.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 19704. At fott þe cristen to prisun.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. I. 91. Cristene and vn-cristene him cleymeþ vchone.
c. 1430. Life St. Kath. (1884), 5. Not oonly to cristen but also to paynems.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxiv. 511. For to hewe all the cristeyn in peces … The crystens had ben shreudly handled.
1530. Tindale, Pract. Prelates, Wks. (1573), 346. Tyrants did oft-tymes persecute the christen.
b. Even christen [OE. emne-cristen, ME. em-cristen]: fellow-Christian; often collectively, fellow-Christians. See EVEN-CHRISTIAN.
