Middle English Dictionary Entry
fāvǒur n.
Entry Info
| Forms | fāvǒur n. Also favor, faver, fovour, favourure (error). |
| Etymology | OF favor, -our & L favōr-em. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Disposition to act to another's advantage; sympathetic or friendly regard; good will; grace or benevolence (of God, a superior); esteem (of the multitude); propitious regard (of Fortune); (b) disposition to approve; assent, sanction; (c) good graces; (d) of ~ with favorable bias, generously.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)230 : Maydenhod..onderuangþ..þe fauour of oure lhorde Iesu crist.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2682 : Wommen..folwen al the fauour of fortune.
- c1400(1389) Wycl.25 Art.(Dc 273)487 : When men seyne more þo masse for money and worldly favoure þen for devocione.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4178 : He hadde most fauour in her sighte.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)249 : Favor of þe folk..Reves a man sight, skylle, and mynde.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)191/36 : Þei spare noman þat hath trespaced nouþer for loue ne for fauour.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)29b : Fauour and grace haþ chosen and promoted oure kniȝtes þat were woned to ben chosen by worschipful and trauailous dedes of armes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12850 : With fauour and frendship of freikes.
- (c1456) Let.Oxf.in OHS 35336 : Alle maner love, hate or drede, favoure or ony odyr affeccyon.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)24.3 : Thai doe wickidly to get thaim the fauour and lufredyn of this warld.
b
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)25 : Offa..by favoure of pope Adrian..yaf the archebysshoppis palle to Aldulphe.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.32 : Put aside all wantonnes and rageis And in connyng haue delite and favoure.
c
- c1475 A philosophre (Hrl 372)p.40 : Myn owne dere lorde, take me unto your grace, To stande in favoure of your weel favoured face.
d
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)3.132 (v.1:p.22) : Iuno .. liche a pryncesse .. helde the regalie .. after whos deth for hir nobilness Thei list of fauoure to calle hir a goddesse.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)3.138 (v.1:p.22) : Venus [and] Vulcanus .. the duellers of either cuntre Of fauour made goddis clepid to be.
2.
(a) The manifestation of good will, sympathetic regard, or the like; an act of good will; don or shewen favour; (b) help, assistance, aid, support; succor, relief; (c) Poet. one who shows good will or renders assistance; benefactor, helper.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1210 : Men sholde an old wight doon fauour.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)102 : Ye my lord..Han alwey shewed me fauour and grace.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1884 : Dede wil na frendshepe do ne favour, Ne reverence til kyng ne til emperour.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)626 : Thanne wol I don hire this favour, that she Shal han right hym on whom hire herte is set.
- (1443) Doc.Trade in BRS 777 : Þe grete trouthe, favour, and gode will þat þe seid Henr' hade shewed and done to theym.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.162r : Leofric erle of Hereforde .. defended the kyng ever more with his manhod and ffauour ayenst the mayntenours of duc Godwyne.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.242 : Þat is þe fauere of vnponyschement.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)2286 : Launcelot Answeryd with grete fauoure.
- c1500(a1449) Lydg.Aesop (Trin-C R.3.19)398 : To shewe hym of gentylnes gret fauourure [read: fauour] The second course he brought in mele & floure.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3969 : Hir querelle Schal haue no fauour nor sustened be.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)182/36 : Prynce Dermot, Seynge hym-Selfe on euery Side besieget, wythout helpe and fououre.
- (1434) Misyn ML (Corp-O 236)128/32 : Our gostely ee..haldis with it favyr & heet of þatt light vnknawen.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.96 : Ageyn feyntise to fynde sum fauour.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1746 : We haue..ffele fryndes and fauer out of fer londys.
- (1457) Lin.DDoc.97/27 : Nor I shal yef fauour, help, socour, assistence, or counsel to hem.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.413 : Elfleda, favour [Higd.(2): favor; L favor] of citeȝeynes and drede of enemyes.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)519 : Now faire blisfull, O Cipris, So be my favour at this tyme! And ye me to endite and ryme Helpeth that on Parnaso duelle.
3.
Mercy; leniency.
Associated quotations
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.1312 : [Thou] to þi silfe wilt do no fauour.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4024 : Do no favour..It fallith nothyng to thy name To make faire semblaunt, where thou maist blame.
- a1450(1400) Eche man be war (Dgb 102)15 : Weye o lawe in euenhede, Bytwen ffauour and vengeaunce.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)119 : He shal..be arted..to shew rigoure þer as fauour awght to be shewid.
4.
(a) Special or biased regard or treatment; partiality, bias; (b) something conferred to show special regard.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.595 : Thow shalt nat swere for enuye, ne for fauour, ne for mede, but for rightwisnesse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2789 : The Sampnites to him broghte A somme of gold, and him besoghte To don hem favour in the lawe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2844 : Every man the lawe dradde, For ther was non which favour hadde.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.164 : Mediacioun Of [b]rocage, roted vp-on mede, Ay vnder-meynt with fauour or falshede.
- (c1425) *Oath Bk.King's Lynn : Wiþouten affeccioun or fauour, ffraude or male engyne.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)409 : A Priores aw to be slike Þat scho luf ilkon in-like And noght til on for fauor spare.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)2065 : Voyde fauour and sey ryght.
- (1455) Lin.DDoc.78/13 : Put aparte all maner of affectuouse percialite, favour, seruice, or reward.
b
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)122 : We beyre moch gretter charges yerely than done the Scottis, wich oftentymes is for the ffauour þat we do to the persones þat kepe ham [the marches], wich ffauoure þe Scottis do not.
5.
(a) Attractiveness, comeliness, charm, beauty; (b) appearance, looks.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.395 : God hath swich fauour sent hire of his grace.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2839 : An harpoure..made a lay of gret fauoure.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Lover's NYG (Add 16165)37 : She passeþe..Dydo of Cartage..by fauour of vysage.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)36/22 : He toke grete hede vnto here fairehede and good schappe and fauoure.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)25/79 : I [God] maide man sich a creatoure, ffarest of favoure.
b
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)100/9 : Þeire fauour schuld sodenly & gracyously be chaunged, þat iche good man þat hem sawe schulde be fayne & ioiful to haue hem in companye.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.4ra (Prologue) : Loue & charite ouercommeþ simple men, but couetouse of temporal lucre or of praysing or of fauour ouercometh hem þat bene childer of þis worlde.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.4rb (Prologue) : I do it noȝt for cause of lucre of fauour as oþer men doþ, þat þai be sene wise onely in myche speche of speking men þat bene nowe.
Note: ?New sense. Editor's gloss: 'patronage'.