Men In Armour Database (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Sunday, April 21, 2013, 19:49 (4235 days ago) @ m p griffiths

Thanks MPG for the link to the Men In Armour database, another excellent source !.
Searching this survey I found it particularly interesting to see the original author was quite logically & properly "grading" the men in accordance with their individual physical "stature", so presumably an indicator of their ability as fighting men, and that stature is a Middle English word. In my searching I see some men described as of "meanest stature", presumably meaning a man on the small side, or in poor if not sickly physical condition, so not of ideal fighting stock.
Yet these days that same description would probably suggest a man of opposite characteristics and ideal for warfare, "he's a mean man...!"

What a great language we have !!