Forms: α. 4–5 lutenand, -a(u)nt; 5 leu(e)-, leuȝ-, lyeu-, 5–7 lieu-, 6 lyue-, liue-, lieue-, leaue-, lew-, 7 leiu-; 4–7 -tenante, -aunt, 5–6 -aunte, 5–7 -ant, 6–7 -ent, -tennent, -ante; 6 Sc. lewtennand, 4– lieutenant. β. 4 leef-, 4–5 leyf-, lyef-, 4–6 leve-, 5–6 lyff(e-, 5–8 lief-, 6 lefe-, lyffe-, lyve-, lieuf-, 6–7 live-, liefe-, leive-, leif-, 7 liev-, life-, + second element as in α; 5 luf-tenand, luff tenande, 6 leftenaunt, -tennant, -tenant. [a. F. lieutenant, f. lieu place + tenant holding (see TENANT); cf. LOCUM TENENS.
The origin of the β type of forms (which survives in the usual British pronunciation, though the spelling represents the α type) is difficult to explain. The hypothesis of a mere misinterpretation of the graphic form (u read as v), at first sight plausible, does not accord with the facts. In view of the rare OF. form luef for lieu (with which cf. esp. the 15th-c. Sc. forms luf-, lufftenand above) it seems likely that the labial glide at the end of OF. lieu as the first element of a compound was sometimes apprehended by Englishmen as a v or f: Possibly some of the forms may be due to association with LEAVE sb. or LIEF a.]
1. One who takes the place of another; usually, an officer civil or military who acts for a superior; a representative, substitute, vicegerent.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxi. (Eugenia), 40. To quham … þe hale senat gef þe cure of Alysandir þe cyte þar lutenand þar-of to be.
1375. [MS. 1489] Barbour, Bruce, XIV. 139. Schir Richard of Clare, That … luf-tenand Was off the king of Yngland.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VIII. 143. Hubert archebisshop of Caunterbury was leeftenaunt [v.rr. lutenant, levetenaunt] of þe pope and of the kyng of Engelond.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 73. I his grace have so poursuied, That I was mad his lieutenant.
14[?]. Lydg. & Burgh, Secrees, 2194. Oon singuler man to make thy leyf tenaunt, To the ne thyne is not avayllable.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccli. (1482), 322. He beyng that tyme lyeutenaunt of the kyng in Normandye.
c. 1500. Melusine, lxii. 369. Sersuell … held the said Fortres as lieuftenaunt & Captayne there for the kyng of England.
1534. Act 26 Hen. VIII., c. 4 § 1. Any Justiciar, Steward, Lieuetenaunte, or other officer within wales or the marches of the same.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 4271. To Christe he [the Pope] is gret Lewtennand.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 106. They are his Liefetenants, his vicegerents in his Church.
1610. Shaks., Temp., III. ii. 20. By this light thou shalt bee my Lieutenant Monster, or my Standard.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath. (1839), 400. God was king, and the high-priest was to be, after the death of Moses, his sole viceroy or lieutenant.
1703. J. Logan, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 192. It will be extremely necessary to procure a lieutenant for some time at least in thy interest.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F. (1869), III. lxvii. 698. His lieutenants were permitted to negociate a truce.
1845. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. 231. Though called king, he was in fact only a lieutenant of the sultan.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), III. xi. 49. He had the trustiest of lieutenants in his brothers.
† b. fig. (Now not used, on account of the specific associations of the word.)
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVI. 47. Ac liberum arbitrium letteth hym some tyme, Þat is lieutenant to loken it wel by leue of myselue.
c. 1425. Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 1254. Then made Vertu Reson hys lyeftenaunt.
1461. Liber Pluscardensis, XI. viii. He [God] maid Natur to be his luff tenande.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. (1633), 303. Where … Fore-sight, with his Lievtenant Resolution, had made readie defence.
1621. Quarles, Argalus & P. (1678), 110. Parthenia (whose tears Are turn’d Lieutenants to her tongue).
a. 1708. Beveridge, Thes. Theol. (1711), III. 241. The Holy Ghost, Christ’s Lieutenant, that supplies the place of the absent Captain.
c. As a formal title of office, usually with defining phrase indicating the object or locality of delegated command, as in Lieutenant of the Tower (of London), the acting commandant delegated by the Constable; Lieutenant of Ireland, of a county (now always LORD LIEUTENANT), and in various other designations now only Hist.
1423. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 198/2. He beyng the Kynges Lieutenant in the said Londe [of Ireland]. Ibid. (1454), V. 240/2. The Duk of York, the Kynges Lieutenant of his Parlement.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., III. xxiv. 192. Lieutenaunt of the toun of Calays.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 35. Preamble, His Lyeutenaunte of Ireland and Gardeyn of the … Marches.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., IX. 206. Henrie Stuart, quhom the king … maid leauetennant of the gret Gunis.
1596. Sir J. Smythe, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 89. Mr. Leivetenant of the Tower.
a. 1604. Hanmer, Chron. Irel. (1633), 140. Whereupon he made Reimond Lievetenant of the forces.
a. 1613. Overbury, A Wife (1638), 187. He doe’s not feare the Lieutenant o’ th’ Shire.
c. 1667. Cotton, in N. & Q., 9th Ser. VIII. 41/1. I am through his Magestyes gratyouse Favor lieutenant off ye Forrest.
1679. Wood, Life, 30 April. He was lieftenant of the ordinance.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3810/8. Her Majesty has been pleased to appoint Sir George Rooke … Lieutenant of the Navies and Seas of this Kingdom.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., I. ii. 61. King Robert III. had a younger brother Alexander, who was made lieutenant of the northern part of the kingdom.
† d. Used as an equivalent for L. legatus, proconsul, suffectus, Gr. ἡγεμών. Obs.
1388. Wyclif, 2 Macc. iv. 31. Suffectus … ether lutenaunt.
1526. Tindale, Luke ii. 2. Syrenus was leftenaunt in Siria.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 9. Metellus celer, proconsull or leauetenaunte of Fraunce.
1557. N. T. (Genev.), Luke iii. 1. Lieutenant of Jurie.
1636. E. Dacres, trans. Machiavel’s Disc. Livy, II. 639. Fulvius remaining Lieftenant in the army … for that the Consull was gon to Rome.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., i. (1736), 9. A great Overthrow was given unto the Iceni by the Roman Lieutenant Ostorius.
1741. Middleton, Cicero, I. vi. 408. The whole administration of the corn and provisions of the Republic was to be granted to Pompey for five years, with a power of chusing fifteen Lieutenants to assist him in it.
† e. (See quot.) Obs.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 72. That Christmas the Temple Sparks had enstalled a Lieutenant, a thing we Country folk call a Lord of Misrule.
2. Mil. and Naval. (As a prefixed title, often abbreviated Lieut., and in combs. Lt.) a. In the army: The officer next in rank to the captain. † Also in captain-lieutenant (see quot. 1727–51; cf. lieutenant captain in 3). b. In the navy: The officer next in rank and power below the commander. † Also lieutenant at arms (see quot. 1769).
a. 1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 1. Who in his youth applied himselfe to the warres, and was lieutenant to a companie of horsemen.
1642. Althorp MS., in Simpkinson, Washington (1860), p. lxxxii. To liefetennant Scotts horse of oates j. pecke.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 52. A lievtenant of a foot company.
1653. Baxter, Chr. Concord, 82. The Lieutenant of the Troop … needs no new Commission.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Captain, Captain-lieutenant is he who commands a troop, or company, in the name and place of some other person, who has the commission, with the title, honour, and pay thereof; but is dispensed withal, on account of his quality, from performing the functions of his post.
1844. Regul. & Ord. Army, 3. Second Lieutenants take rank of Cornets and Ensigns.
1876. Voyle & Stevenson, Milit. Dict. (ed. 3), s.v., In the footguards 24 of the lieutenants have the rank of captain in the army, and are called lieutenants and captains.
b. 1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Sea-men, 6. The Lieutenant is to associate the Captaine, and in his absence to execute his place.
1757. Smollett, Reprisal, II. ix. Lieftenant Lyon commands a tender of twelve guns.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Z 4 b. The youngest lieutenant of the ship, who is also stiled lieutenant at arms,… is particularly ordered … to train the seamen to the use of small arms.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, xxi. The Admiralty … had … promoted him to the rank of lieutenant.
3. attrib. and in Comb., signifying generally one who acts as deputy to the superior officer designated, as in † lieutenant-admiral (in the Dutch navy), lieutenant-bailiff (in Guernsey), † lieutenant-fire-worker; † lieutenant-captain (see quot.); lieutenant-colonel, an army officer of rank next below that of a colonel, having the actual command of a regiment; hence lieutenant-colonelcy, the office or rank of lieutenant-colonel; lieutenant-commander (U.S.), a naval officer, in rank next below a commander, and next above a lieutenant; lieutenant-governor, the deputy of a governor, esp. (a) in the British colonies, the actual governor of a district or province in subordination to a governor-general; (b) in the United States, the deputy-governor of a state with certain independent duties and the right of succession to the governorship, in case of its becoming vacant; hence † lieutenant-governancy, lieutenant-governorship, (a) the office of a lieutenant-governor; (b) the province under his government; † lieutenant-prætor = L. proprætor. Also LIEUTENANT-GENERAL.
1693. Lond. Gaz., No. 2867/3. On Sunday last *Lieutenant Admiral Allemond passed by Dover with 4 great Dutch Men of War.
1682. Warburton, Hist. Guernsey (1822), 49. The Bailiff … is the chief judge of the royal court; his office may be executed by deputy, who is called the *lieutenant-bailiff.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Captain, *Lieutenant-Captain is the captain’s second; or the officer who commands the company under the captain, and in his absence…. In some companies, &c. he is also called Captain-lieutenant.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., III. v. He might haue beene Serieant-Maior, if not *Lieutenant-Coronell to the regiment.
1707. Vulpone, 8. Collonels, Lieutenant Collonels, Majors, Captains.
1876. Bancroft, Hist. U. S., V. xix. 549. The subject was referred on the part of Howe to Lieutenant-colonel Walcott.
1797. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), II. 446. Your good father tells me you are in great hopes of the *Lieutenant-Colonelcy.
1842. Thackeray, Fitz-Boodle Pap., Pref. (1887), 14. His papa would have purchased him … a lieutenant-colonelcy.
1878. N. Amer. Rev., CXXVII. 224. *Lieutenant-Commander J. G. Walker had been sent in the iron-clad Baron de Kalb.
1800. Asiatic Ann. Reg., Char., 51/2. Mr. Harris was soon after appointed a *Lieutenant Fire-worker.
1595. Maynarde, Drake’s Voy. (Hakluyt Soc.), 13. The *Leiftenant-governor and some others were taken prisoners.
1707. Lond. Gaz., No. 4341/3. Colonel Richard Sutton is made Lieutenant-Governor of Hull.
1849. Cobden, Speeches, 72. If we take the case of our North American colonies: we have five colonial and five lieutenant-governors.
1880. V. Ball, Jungle Life India, i. 47. The official residence of the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal.
1784. Laura & Augustus (1794), II. 50. *Lieutenant Governancy.
1745. Observ. conc. Navy, 44. Many have either had Governments or *Lieutenant-Governorships.
1886. Athenæum, 24 April, 556/1. The Reports on Public Instruction in Bengal and the North-Western Provinces … show considerable difference in the state of education in the two lieutenant-governorships.
1618. Bolton, Florus, II. xiii. (1636), 130. Anicius, *Lieutenant-Praetor, subdued them in an instant.
