Middle English Dictionary Entry
envīe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | envīe n. Also invie, anvie. |
| Etymology | OF envie; cp. L invidia. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Ill-will, hatred, enmity, hostility; spite, malice; (b) an instance of enmity.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)312 : Þe gywes slowe and nome [Jesus] ffor enuye.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)445 : Gret enuye was ham be-twene, Þei riden to-gedire wiþ speres kene.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.285 : Whanne sche had ouercome þe envie of alle enemyes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.121 : For enuye and yuel wille is yuel to defye.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)66 : The godes of Discorde was not prayed therto and therefor for invie she com onsent for.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)6543 : Þe kyng off Fraunce wiþ enuye Haþ aryuyd in Normandye.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)10493 : Ector with envy evill he dyssayuet, Dang hym to dede.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)84/1 : Of gret enuye and malice he pursued aftir hem a grete weye.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)206/24 : For the cursede enuye þat he hadde to this ymage..he toke a swerd and smote it þrowȝ in the myddel.
- c1475 Earth(3) (Rwl F.32)22/74 : Enuye and hate.
b
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1479 : Ther ros a contek and a gret envye.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)386 : Betwex hem was a litil envye.
2.
(a) The feeling of annoyance and ill-will toward another occasioned by his superior advantages, envy, grudge; also, hostility;--with to phrase, occas. with at, of, ayaines, with; (b) an instance of this feeling.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)47/27 : To þe guodnesse of þis holie Man þe deuel hadde envie.
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (Hrl 2277)91 : To him heo hadde gret enuye þat he scholde so riche beo.
- c1300 SLeg.Dunstan (Hrl 2277)69 : Þe deuel hadde of him gret enuye and onde.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)2009 : Þe kyng of Poile hadde gret enuie þat þe Romains made swich maistrie.
- c1330 Body & S.(5) (Auch)323 : Niþe and ond and envie Oȝaines god and alle hise.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)11 : Ine þis heste is uorbode enuie of oþre manne guode.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12082 : At him had he ful gret envi.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)847 : Þe deuele..Had grete envye with swech maner sedys.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)1974 : At [Generides] he had envie.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)600 : The felle dewke..To Gye had grete envye.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3083 : The king somdiel hadde an Envie.
3.
That one of the 'deadly sins', usually listed as the second or third of seven, whose antithetical virtue is charity.
Associated quotations
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)220/188 : Þurch prede oþer þurch an vie, oþer þurh wreþe, oþer þurch oþer manere of diadliche senne.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)16 : Þet uerste heaued of þe beste of helle ys prede, Þet oþer is enuie, þe þridde wreþe.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)833 : Hire trewe loue ouer-com Envye.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.388 : Deedly synnes..Pryde..Ire, Enuye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.10 : After Pride the secounde..That vice is cleped hot Envie.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3915 : T[h]e þryd[e] synne ys enuye.
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)76/25 : Envie distroyit charite; wrethe, paciens [etc.].
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)106/5 : A willing þat þe oþire man lak þilk good, whiche willing is a moral vice callid envie.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)82/2 : Þe modyr is Enuye, here two dowterys arn ioye of þin neyghbourys harme & sorwe of þin neyghbourys good.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)24/51 : Som in pride, Ire, and enuy..Som in sloth and lechery.
4.
Harm or injury; ills.
Associated quotations
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)26 : Discese and oþer enuyes.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)60/32 : Enquere of þe dysese & enuye of þe pouere and feble.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)215/293 : Envye doe by no woman, to doe her shame by night or day.
5.
Eagerness, enthusiasm.
Associated quotations
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)2240 : Þese foles..wiþ greet envye þis werk [the tower of Babel] bigon.
- a1500(?c1400) Triam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)341 : They rode forthe wyth grete envy To seke aftur the quene.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)4052 : Him to slen þai han gret envie.
Note: Supplementary material for sense 5.--per SMK
Note: ?In sense 4., put quots. under anoi n., senses 2.(a) and 2.(b).--per SMK