Middle English Dictionary Entry
enemī n.
Entry Info
| Forms | enemī n. Also enmi, enme, anemi, elmi. Pl. enemī(e)s. |
| Etymology | OF enemi, anemi. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One who, as an individual, hates or seeks to injure (someone); dedli enemi, mortal ~, bodili ~; (b) an adversary of God, an unbeliever or heathen; one who is opposed to (or fails to observe) a Christian doctrine or virtue; coll., the enemy.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)952 : On of hornes enemis.
- c1400(1389) Wycl.25 Art.(Dc 273)492 : Brennyng charite to frende ande enmye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1355 : This Dionise, Which was hire dedlich Anemie.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3834 : Þe chylde, hys enmye, aȝens hym came.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)6827 : Þi enmyes [Vsp: faas] best þu findes o stray, þu bring it ham, sua wil þis lay.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)7206 : Thoru egging of his enmys [Vsp: wiþerwin].
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.237 : Godis word witnessiþ we shuln ȝiue & dele oure enemys, And alle men þat arn nedy.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.5.79 : What pestilence is more myghty for to anoye a wyght than a famylier enemy?
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)653 : For our enmes sal we pray.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)9 : He wold slee hym..as his mortall enmye.
- (1461) Paston (Gairdner)4.18 : Almyghty Jesu..send you the victorye of your elmyes [sic].
- (1471) Paston (Gairdner)5.129 : Your elmyse and your frendis.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)78/169 : God byddyth the lovyn þi bodyly enmy.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)28/28 : He þat praythe deuotly for his enmy.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)266 : Heroudes..vnder stod Þat swete Jhesu milde of mod Was miȝhti king and poustifs and destruyde is enemis.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.66.6 : Vois of the Lord ȝeldende ȝelding to his enemys.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.532 : Ther been enemys of Cristes croys.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.12 : As he which out of conscience Is enemy to pacience.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2080 : He and his Was all our lauerd enemis.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)20719 : Þe juus þat war godds enemi.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)1616 : His merci was bifore purvaid..His enmijs [Vsp: wiþerwins; Frf: famen] all forto spill.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.841 : Froward enmy he was to Cristis lawe.
- a1450 Charm in MLQ 4(1901)6 : Kynge Charlys..went to the bataly ayens goddys enmijs.
- c1450(?a1400) Roland & O.(Add 31042)48 : All þay buskede þam for to..struye there goddes Enymys.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)72/11 : His Enimyes schul likke þe erþe.
2.
A member of a hostile armed body in war, civil strife, or private feud.
Associated quotations
- c1390 RSicily (Vrn)54 : I am flour of chiualrye; Myn enemys i may distruye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4355 : His contre stant fulofte harmed, Whan thenemis ben woxe bolde.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.1.7 : Ȝoure lond..schal be disolat as in the distriyng of enemyes.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.120 : Who so was..His enmy, þe toþere toke þan his vengeance.
- (1423) RParl.4.199a : Obryn, Irish enemy to oure Lorde the Kyng.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.46.7 : He made asauȝt aȝens the folk enemy [L gentem hostilem].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)19b/b : Dedicio: ȝyldyng to henemy.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1205 : Thurghe helpe of thy hande, thyne enmyse are struyede.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)53/26 : Hafe I noȝte sorow & disese ynoghe of enemyse wit-owtten?
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3970 : A felle man in fight, fuerse on his enimys.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)462 : Holdyn in hys enmys handes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)19/21 : [Excalibur] was so bryght in his enemyes eyen that it gaf light lyke thirty torchys.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)41b : An enmy slaer: hosticida [cp.Medulla 33a: Sleer of enemyes: Hosticida].
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)1686 : Now y wene to vengyd be On myn enmyes þat hate me.
3.
Of an evil spirit, esp. the Devil: (a) the foe (of mankind); (b) enemi fend, enemi of hell, gostli enemi, old enemi, the enemy of man's soul, the Devil; (c) a demon or evil spirit.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2785 : The deuel which is oure enemy.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)7/2 : For sche was euyr lettyd be hyr enmy, þe Deuel.
- c1440(?a1400) ?Nassyngton Trin.& U.(Thrn)192 : To lere vs to wrestyll..Agayne þe fandyng of þat Enmy.
- a1450(?1348) Rolle FLiving (Cmb Dd.5.64)85/27 : Þe devyll, þat es enmy till all mankynde.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)45.672 : The dewk Gaanor, In whom the Enemy hadde Entred thor..and bereft hym Clene his Mynde.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)2191 : And sergauntys [acolytes] he made also..The Enmy to putte away, Out of bodyes nyht & day.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)19a/b : Þe olde enemye temptith as it were counsailinge.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)12930 : Þe enemy fend [Vsp: warlau wili] þo him [Jesus] souȝt.
- (1422) Reg.Spofford in Cant.Yk.S.2380 : The holy ordyr of clene maydenhede..a yens whome oure goostly enimy most bysyly moves batell goostly of fleshly lustes.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)65/33 : Vpon þat hill the enemy of hell bare oure lord & tempted him.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)299 : Tentacyoun..Of oure gostly enmye, wych is euere boun Mankende to trappe.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)125/24 : She had vij husbondes, the whiche were mischeued and slayne bi the Annemy of hell.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.131 : Þe olde enemy [L hostis antiquus] cryde openliche in þe ayer.
c
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)122.23 (v.2:p.312) : 'Thou art youyn by .. doom into the handys of thyn enmy'; [at] which wrud [read: wurd], Lucrecius .. was takyn with a deyule.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)20 : I am the sone of the enmy that begiled my moder with engyn.
4.
Of non-personal agents: (a) one of the three chief foes of mankind; gostli enemies; (b) a destructive force or quality, such as death, chance, a pagan deity, or a vice; (c) astrol. the hostile power (of a planet); (d) of animals and plants: ben enemi, be harmful; (e) med. ben enemi, be harmful or injurious. [In (c, d, e), enemi may be adjectival.]
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2611 : The thre enemys of mankynde..the flessh, the feend and the world.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)14a/a : [Angels] teciþ [sic] vs þe manere of fiȝtinge aȝens gostliche enemyes.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1110 : Þe world es Goddes enmy by skille.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1037 : His commandmentes..to fulfille, And to be proved here in gastly batayls Of gastly enmys þat man oft assayls.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)3 : A knyght that dothe exercise hys armes and dedys off knyghthode in gostly dedys, in conqverying his gostly ennemees and ouyrcomyng þe peple and aventure off the world.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)28 : Þe bad aungel þanne bryngyth hym iij enmys so stout: þe Werlde, þe Fende, þe foul Flesche.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)56 : Mankynde hath ouercome his gostly e[n]mijs..þe Werld, þe Fende & þe foule Flesch.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.15.26 : At the laste the enemy, deeth, schal be distroyed.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4594 : Lo, how fortune turneth sodeynly The hope and pryde eek of hire enemy!
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.681 : Thanne is Accidie enemy to euerich estaat of man.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.866 : Al that is enemy and destruccioun to nature is agayns nature.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1532 : That mortiel enemy..is Daunger, Which is mi ladi consailer.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6753 : For Venus, which was enemie Of thilke loves micherie.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)85a/b : Yȝen ben enemyes & þeues & robbiþ mannes in wit.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2180 : [Love's] enmy called Schame..For lak of manhod drawiþ hym euer a-bak.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Rom.7.13 : Synne, þat is to sey, enemy.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1589 : For no thyng es gret enmy Vnto godes folk als glotony.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.943 : For alle hise [Saturn's] werkes ben grevance And enemy to mannes hele.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)161a/b : Þe crabbe is enemy to þe oystre.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)220a/a : Þer is oþer maner carduus þat is enemy to corn.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)251b/a : The brere þat groweþ in feeldes..is enemy to plowes and to fruyt.
e
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)72a/b : Colde is enemy to þe synowes.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)176b/a : For colde is more enmy to nature þan hote.
5.
= enmite, hostility, hatred, malice.
Associated quotations
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)47/77 : Ȝif any of þe forsaide bretherhede be enpresoned falslich by enme, oþer by fals conspiracie.
- a1450(c1400) Wor.Serm.(Wor F.10)37/511 : I maynat be i pes: men ha so grete enmie to me, & so miche euel speke om me.
- a1450(c1400) Wor.Serm.(Wor F.10)38/528 : Þer wil no man haue enme to þe.
- a1450 Lydg.TB (Dgb 232)2.2292 fn. : Enmy [Aug: What had we wonne..But enmyte, þouȝt, & sorow, & wo.]
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)851 : In maner of scorne þuse wordes he sayde, For to him he hadde a preueyȝe enmyȝe.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)15 : Enemy of þe obstinat, wan þe synnar wil not dewli obey ne a mend.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)87 : Þey kepe noiþer clene lif, ne wedding, but on sleþ an oþer bi enemy.