subs. (colloquial).—Any sort of allies or connections—racial, parental, hired, voluntary: with or without the possessive. At Harrow = relations or visitors: ‘I’ve got PEOPLE coming down.’
13[?]. English Gilds [E.E.T.S.], 332. Where-thurgh the kynges lege PEOPELL scholde be disceuyd.
1440. Generydes [E.E.T.S.], I, 1966.
| And what PEOPYLL they brought among them three, | |
| Mynne Auctour seith it is a wonder to see. |
1474. CAXTON, Game of the Chesse [T. L. KINGTON-OLIPHANT, The New English, i. 331. Caxton is fond of using PEPLE for homines; a queen should spring of (from) honest PEPLE, p. 27 (ed. Axon); we now often use my people for my family].
1602. SHAKESPEARE, Twelfth Night, iii. 3. You slew great number of his PEOPLE.
1743–5. R. POCOCKE, A Description of the East, I. 33. A stranger … being conducted … to the Pacha’s coffee room, is civilly entertain’d by his PEOPLE with sweetmeats and coffee.
1790. BRUCE, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, I. 141. Some of our PEOPLE had landed to shoot.
1841. LEVER, Charles O’Malley, xxxvi. Our PEOPLE have not been engaged.
