Middle English Dictionary Entry
elōquent adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | elōquent adj. |
| Etymology | OF eloquent, L ēloquentem. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of persons: possessing fluency, good style, and effective expression; well-spoken, persuasive; talkative; (b) of oratory or style: fluent, persuasive; literary, poetic.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.393 : In his speche Of wordes he was eloquent.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)211/11 : Hit be-howyth..that he bene corteyse, wel Spekynge, and eloquente wythout Ianlynge.
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)330/9 : An eloquent man, whos name was Piers de la Mare; & þis same Piers was chosen to be speker for the communes in þe parlement.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)3a/b : Arnold, most eloquent latyn man.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)138 : Eloquent, or wel spoke man or woman: Eloquens, Dicosus.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)83/18 : Mercury ȝe calle godd of þe tung, bi-cause he was wonder euloquent in spekyng.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Benedictus DDS (LdMisc 683)55 : Sum [wives] meek, somme crabbid, summe be elloquent.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)235/30 : Ane eloquent speker.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)1970 : Wyn..makith..The tounge Elloquent.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)55/15 : The eloquent man whech hite Plauctus..whanne he had leisere, than wold write tales of ful grete sentens.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)32/45 : In commynycacioun & talkynge þey byn Cicerones, þat is to say as eloquent & as gay yn speche as was þat grete Rethoryan Marcus Tullius Cicero.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)54/32 : He [a king] shal be doutyd whanne þey seen hym in wyt eloquent and yn his werkys wysly doand.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)116/22 : He ys fowl, eloquent, and deceyuant.
- a1500(1426) Lydg.Hen.VI TP (Hrl 7333)275 : He þat was..In rethoryk famous & eloquent.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)316/28 : A massager..he was right wise and eloquent.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.37 : Rethorique, whos faconde Above alle othre is eloquent.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)71 : Francyss Petrarke..A boke had made with style full eloquente..of men famouse and grete.