Middle English Dictionary Entry
dēlai(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dēlai(e n. Also (late) dalai, dele, dilaie. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A delay, postponement; ~ of time, postponement of the day of payment; fallen in ~, to be in arrears; feinen a ~, pretend a hindrance, find a pretext for delay; upon ~, lying in wait; (b) a pause in a battle, truce; a stop in a journey; withouten ~, without pause or respite; (c) maken delaie(s, setten delaies, to delay, procrastinate, tarry, waste time; putten in ~, putten of in ~, postpone (sth.), put (sb.) off; (d) deliberateness, slowness; with ~, in an unhurried manner.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8717 : Some feynede a delay, & some al out wiþ sede.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2268 : For thogh the signe shewed a delay, Yet wiste he wel that graunted was his boone.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.824 : This false knyht upon delay Hath taried til thei were aslepe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2353 : Bot lang he led him with de lay.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)15576 : But þou shal couer & coumforte hem þat þou seest in delay.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6097 : In abydyng & in swiche delaies Gret harme may falle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4841 : To kepe hym lowe vnder hir seruyse, With delaies she hilde hym forþe on honde.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)132/21 : Alle holy desires growen bi delaies.
- (1425) RParl.4.271b : The remenaunt of yis Articles semeth sekyng delaie.
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)29 : Ocur is on diuerse maneres, As if þou..sellest derre for þe lone & for þe respite of þe lone, or delay of tyme.
- (1461) Doc.in HMC Rep.3 App.313a : Within oure propartie of the Bourghe of Bruggewater, oure lyvelode is gretely fallen in delaye, for lak of oversight..We therfor have yeven authorite..unto..Richard Quatermayne and William Brownyng..for to take due and juste inquerre and examinacion of the said delayes.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)95 : A Delay: delacio [read: dilacio], prolongacio.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4745 : By and by, makynge [vr. havyng] no delaies, Mortally þei fauȝt þritty dayes With-outen eny Interrupcioun.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1875 : He spedde hym so, makyng no delayes, That in space of a fewe daies The heghe toures of Thebes he gan se.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)36.348 : Thus Alle the leve longe day, Ypocras there heng with-owten delay.
c
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)484 : Þov spekest folie..& makest muche delaye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3180 : He goth forth..and made no delay.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1294 : No lenger maked he delayes.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)5351 : Ȝyf þou madest euer any delay, And ledyst one lyte fro day to day.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)6897 : Also hyt ys grete curteysye To ȝyve ȝoure almes hastylye, Nat for to make long delay.
- ?a1400 Guy(1) (Sln 1044)625/37 : Bote ay ich fonde gode enchesoun For to putte it in delay.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1237 : Manhod bit make no delaye To venge a wrong.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1448 : Ne tarieth nat, ne setteth no delayes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3062 : Hym list no lenger put it in delay.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4852 : Wommen kan holde a man ful narwe..Day be day to putte hym in delaies, To stonde vnsur betwixe hope & drede.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)588 : Dethe..liste no lenger to make no delai.
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)15/35 : The barons were sore agreved and put it of in delay till the hyghe feste of Eester..and put it of in a delay tyll the feest of Pentecoste.
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)16/13 : We wille put hym no more in delay.
d
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3744 : Al delay he gan to sette asyde.
- a1500(?c1400) Triam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)583 : Syr Rogers Corse, with nobull delay They beryed hyt the tothyr day.
2.
In phrases: (a) withouten delaie(s, sauns ~, without delay, hastily, immediately; withouten ani (ani-kin, ech, more) ~; (b) withouten (sauns) ~, without hesitation, assuredly, certainly.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300(a1250) Harrow.H.(Dgb 86)237 : Þou dedest wel wiþhouten delay þe comaundement of þe lay.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)17480 : Þe king..lette beade..þat hii come to Ambres-buri wiþ houte delaie.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)524 : Ich hote ov euerechone þat ȝe beon þat ilke dai At mi maner at Clarindone with-outen ani [Hrl: ech] de-lai.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.512 : Into his prisoun y schuld be don Wiþouten more delay.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)66 : Þey..hadden set a certein day To wenden þider wiþ outen delay.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 25.17 : Thei camen to gedire hidur withoute ony delay [L sine ulla dilatione].
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)52/79 : Þat withoute any delay þat þey be put out of þe breþerhede.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2974 : Dame Prudence, with outen delay or tariynge, sente anon hir messages.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12807 : Blethli said þan Ion, par-fai, Wit-vten ani-kin de-lai.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.254 : Philip without delayes salle gyue þat ilk tenement Tille Edward.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)791 : He wolde wiþoute delay Come afore þe iustice.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.989 : Þat ȝe anoon, with-oute more delay..Of Troye lond þe bowndis þat ȝe leve.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)4167 : He wil cum and dyne wiþ þe Tomorn at prime, withowten delay.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2033 : Anoon withouten more delay..I bicom his man.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)28.440 : Al this schal ben declared sauns delay.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)344 : He wold pay my rawunsone Withowtyn delees.
- c1475 Guy(4) (Cai 107/176)9403 : Go we thedir with-owte delaye.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)21 : With a scheperde con he mete And gret hym..Without any delay.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)1842 : Withoute more dalay, To morow suerly I will make yow a knyght.
b
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)31.234 : It groweth..Every day Bettere thanne other with-owten delay.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)35.100 : It was the heyest that Evere Men say; thus hem Semede withowten delay.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)197/1428c : Was knyght neuer..That bettir bar him sauncs de-laye.
- a1500(?a1425) Ipom.(2) (Hrl 2252)178 : And to hyr go, as I you saye, I dye for hyr, with oute deley!
3.
Law (a) A legal delay claimed by a litigant, postponement of a trial or of one's appearance before a court; also fig.; ~ bi essoine, a postponement obtained by essoine q.v.; jour ~, a day set for a postponed trial; setten in ~, to postpone the execution of a judgment or sentence; (b) a legal objection; an excuse for not making payment, entertaining a suit, etc.; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3418 : The sentence of that ilke day Mai non appell sette in delay.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.86 : Whanne þe teþynge empledeþ a foreyn, þe foreyn haþ his delay [F ses delais] of eyȝte dayȝes in-to eyȝte, by-þowte day of towne.
- c1430 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/2)p.87 : Aftur þre sumaunces he may, ȝyf he wole, haue a daye of toun..and ȝyf a foreyn emplete þe dousun, he ne nat but for to aske þe daye of toun ne no oþer delay saue essoigne.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)25 : Ȝif oon of hem be seek and axene the ferste delayes be essoynes, and that other aperyn in court, they shulden doon alle essoynene til an other day.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)37 : And after that myse iointe, have the partyes her delayes be essoyne.
- a1450(c1409) Man haue hit (Dgb 102)24 : Crist his postles tauȝt in speche..Gostly and bodyly þe soules to leche And bad hem make no iour delay.
- a1450(c1409) Man haue hit (Dgb 102)104 : I rede we drede domesday..For þere schal be no iour delay.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)10534 : That Rud Entendement Be somownyd to appere..ageyn a certeyn day, Wyth-oute prolongyng or dellay.
b
- (c1435) Let.Christ Ch.in Camd.n.s.1912 : Which pension ys yn grete trouble, and many delayes made ageyns hit by thabbote and the covent..And one of the delayes ys thys: they seyn, for as moche as your acquytance specifies of parcell of a gretter summe due unto you before tyme, whiche parcell yf they schall pay hit wold bynd ham.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Pseudo-F.(Dub 245)305 : But þei seken mannes help and fals dilayes to lette knowyng of treuþe.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.18.14a : Thu schalt nought..with suche delayes and excepcions escape.
4.
?Accusation, criminal charge [by confusion of Latin dilatio ('delay') and delatio ('accusation'); may also less plausibly be construed as belonging to 3.(a)].
Associated quotations
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.197v : William of Ou, accused of treson, putte him to fyght with his accusour but sloghlich he dude his appell; he was blende and gilded: that delay [L (Wm of Malmesbury): illa delatio] harmed many innocentes and worthy men of which William de Aldery a man of fair shap and the kynges godfader was take and demed to the galwes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Treat.Penit.Job (Pep 2125)180/23 : He owyd to his lord..ten thousond besauntes..and he praid his lord respit and day [?read: delay] of his dette as he that had not wherof to yeld þat dette.
Note: New spelling, (error) 'day', presumably for 'delay'. Quot. may be otherwise construed and emended.