Middle English Dictionary Entry
facǒunde n.
Entry Info
| Forms | facǒunde n. Also facunde, faucon, (error) fauknun. |
| Etymology | OF faconde, L fācundia. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. facundie n.
1.
(a) Fluency, facility, or elegance of speech, eloquence; ?also, manner of speaking [Chaucer quot.]; (b) facility, skill (in the use of language).
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 St.Mary Magd.(1) (Auch)138 : Wonder þai hadde more & lesse of hir faucoun & hir fairnisse.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.431 : Al manere of arguynge may be i-bend toward every side by the facunde of þe pledere.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.50 : Pallas..Hir facound eek ful wommanly and pleyn, No countrefeted termes hadde she To seme wys.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.108v : In these days me seith John Scotte a man of grete lecture and fauconde florysshed.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)23 : Of thi faucon be thou bolde and pleyne, And of thi worde bothe clene and certeyne.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9435 : Alle þre..schol we go..& speke þer speche & þer facounde.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)144.460 (v.2:p.435) : Austyn .. sheuyth with a brygh and cler fauknun [read: faukun] and speche many spacis of heuenys, manye sytys .. of londis.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)11.4 : Thaire lippes, that is thaire facunde and thaire skilles, ere of thaim self, noght of god.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)56/4 : It semes a kyng to haue fair faconde, and þat he be fair spekand.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.117 : Thogh men and alle creatures ware prechours with facounde.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.37 : Rethorique, whos faconde Above alle othre is eloquent.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1560 : Uluxes..His eloquence and his facounde Of goodly wordes whiche he tolde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)129a/b : Þey schulden..haue good facounde in all maner of langage.