Middle English Dictionary Entry
felonīe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | felonīe n. Also velonie, felun(n)i, feleni, filoni. |
| Etymology | OF felonie, felunie, felenie. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Treachery, betrayal; deceit, guile, craft; an act of treachery or craft.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)332/315 : For euere þe deuel, and alle his, of feolonie doth þenche.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of god (Hrl 913)51 : A serpent he com þroȝ felonie And makid Eue chonge hir þoȝt.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1446 : He biþoȝte him of felonie [B: one feloniȝe, on velonye].
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)2014 : Understond tow of þat felonie þat tow in Lombardi ous dedest, When þou mi lord betreydest.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1056 : Mordre..excedeth in comparisoun Al felonye, falshede, and tresoun.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)3406 : The emperes..Was combird wit fynde of helle..With wychecraft and felonye, For to make the childe to dye.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1169 : She hid so hir felony & spak so in covert, That Beryn myȝt nat spy it.
2.
Villainy, wickedness, sin, crime; a villainous deed, a transgression, wrong, sin, crime.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)108 : Men seith þat feolonie [vr. felonye] nas neuere non þat womman ne can bi-þenche.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.281 : He was wounded for oure mysdedes and defouled by oure felonyes.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.215 : It schal noght stonde with me so To worchen eny felonie In love for no such Envie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3249 : Of crualte the felonie Engendred is of tirannie.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1137 : Wit pine it sal þe [Cain] ȝeild þi fode, For þe mikel felunny [Frf: felone; Göt: felonie].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2834 : Ar ȝee be tane And for þair [the Sodomites'] felunne [Frf: felonyȝe] be slaine.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)58b/a : Scelo..to do fylony..Sceleratus..felonye or Synne.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.1.29 : Felonye is emperisse and floureth ful of richesses.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.4.36 : Thei..performen felonyes and schrewednesses.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.3.28 : The whiche thing to trowen of God, I deme felonye and unleveful.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)20.72 : Vppon the Se felonie to do.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)38 : Þe felowny of ydolatrie.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)563 : Where artou, charlys, with thy chyualry, That sufferyst me to haue thys felonye?
- a1500 *Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149:Hulme)273b : Thou whych takest awey the felonyes and þe trespassynge of synnes.
3.
Law Crime against a feudal superior involving forfeiture of a fee; crime against the crown (such as murder, rape, or theft), of a class more serious than 'trespasses'.
Associated quotations
- ?c1335 Whose þenchiþ vp (Hrl 913)p.134 : Of feloni hi ne takeþ hede, Al þilk trepas is ago.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4230 : And with an hardy herte he gan to crye Vengeaunce and iustice of this felonye: My felawe mordred is this same nyght.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)5984 : He wul weyte hyn oþer felunnye, hym to sle, or to endyte, Or þeft he wyl on hym wyte.
- (1433) RParl.4.447a : For felonies and trespasses betwene the Kyng and partie, and partie and partie.
- (1436) RParl.4.497b : One William Pulle..the seid Besecher felonousely..revysshed..the seid grete and horrible felonye.
- (1447) RParl.5.137b : That all suche takynge of distresses in Wales..be felonie, and that the doers therof..be punished therfore as Felons.
- (1449) RParl.5.152b : Yat it please youre Highnesse..to pardon and acquite all and every Prest..of al maner feloniez of Rape done byfore the first day of June next comyng.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1107 : Theuys y-dampnyde for felony, From þe Galoys he wolde hem lede.
4.
(a) Violent temper, ruthlessness; ill will, evil intention; ~ of herte; (b) a hostile accusation.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)299 : Ore louerd euenede him-sulf to a lomb..for it is with-oute felonie and milde ase ihesu crist.
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)331 : He wule..bere vpon þe felonie, And segge þat þu art a spie.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)149 : Þe milde..byeþ riȝtuolliche lhordes of hire herten ac ire and felonie his amaystreþ.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.543 : Another ire is ful wikked, that comth of felonye of herte auysed and cast biforn with wikked wil to do vengeaunce.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)264/186 : And wiþ þe is he [Satan] wroþ..he wol fonde ful bisily T[o] Cuiþe to þe his feleny.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1311 : Sle no man with þyn honde with-outyn iustyce, for felonye [F feolunie] Ne for no manere of robbrye.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4391 : Þan fel þat wijf to feloni And foreiud sun a trecheri.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25599 : Do wickednes vte of vr thoght, And feluni [Frf: felonie]..And envie and tene.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2038 : The gret felonye In his apport, lik as he wer wood.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4734 : A peyne also it [love] is joious, And felonye right pitous.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)8/24 : Halde na feluni in þi harte.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)2074 : Voyde fro yow..Wraththe, Ire, & ffelonye.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)66 : Þe myssigginges..is huanne þe on peyneþ þannoþren and ziggeþ þe greate felonyes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Remove spelling "velonie", found in Glo. Chron. B, quoted as B-variant
to c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11) 1446:
He biþoȝte him of felonie [B: one feloniȝe, on velonye]. This
has been reinterpreted as a form of vileinie n. (ID MED51141).