Middle English Dictionary Entry
firmament n.
Entry Info
| Forms | firmament n. Also furm-. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The arch or vault of the heavens on whose surface the clouds, moon, sun, and stars appear to be; the sky; (b) the visible sky conceived as being highest above the earth and closest to heaven, or as being the lower limit of heaven itself; also, heaven as the abode of God and his angels; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)248 : Four monþes hi were in þe see..huy ne yseiȝen no-þing bote þe se ant þe firmament.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.398 : To a turet sir Gij is went, & biheld þat firmament Þat thicke wiþ steres stode.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.200 : This Aristotle..Unto this worthi yonge king The kinde of every element Which stant under the firmament..Fro point to point he gan devise.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2219 : Bright was the day and blew the firmament.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.594 : On his schulders square, Of verray myȝt, þe firmament he bare.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.3.8 : The firmament stant dirked with wete plowngy cloudes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12498 : All flasshet in a ffire the firmament ouer.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)35/422 : I se on the firmament..the seven starnes.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)204 : Þulke [angels] wenden out of heouene also, and aboue þe oþure beoth, An heiȝ onder þe firmament.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)221 : Þikke Þowsandez..Fellen fro þe fyrmament, fendez ful blake.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)12592 : Thogh thow..Falle doun ffro the ffyrmament Off verray ffeyth, doun ffro so fer With the Angel lucyfer.
2.
The expanse of space about the earth where the realms of heavenly fire are, and the regions through which the heavenly bodies move; also, the regions of the atmosphere where birds fly and clouds float, and from which rain falls; the air.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)422/81 : On [purgatory] is in þe firmament, þare gret brenningue is Of fuyr þat hath þare is stude and of þe sonne.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)95 : Ðo god bad ben ðe firmament Al abuten ðis walkne sent, Of watres froren, of yses wal, Ðis middel werld it luket al.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8147 : In þe firmament þat folc hom þoȝte hii sey A long suerd red as fur.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)8.114 : Þe Foules in þe Firmament, heo feedeþ hem in winter.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.673 : Astronomie is the science..Which makth a man have knowlechinge Of Sterres in the firmament, Figure, cercle and moevement Of ech of hem in sondri place, And what betwen hem is of space, Hou so thei moeve or stonde faste.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2491 : Yn þe fyrmament, as þey ȝede, Foure fyres he sawe of grete drede.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)138b/a : Of good coloure like þe ayre or like þe firmament, with a menere of whitenesse.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)693 : For there nys planete in firmament, Ne in ayr ne in erthe noon element, That they ne yive me a yifte echone Of wepynge whan I am allone.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)35 : Þundris and leuenes, reynes and oþir wederes, swech as come fro þe firmament.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)2573 : The sonne schall stonde stylle In the firmement.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)46 : Fowlys in the fyrmament..felle dedd to þe grownde.
3.
Astron. (a) The sphere of the fixed stars, the eighth sphere of the Ptolemaic system; (b) the primum mobile whose rapid east-to-west motion imparts like movement to all the lesser spheres (not always regarded as distinct and separate from the sphere of the fixed stars); (c) any of the celestial spheres; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)105b/a : Þe firmament þey clepiþ þe firste heuen and þe laste as philosophrs meeneþ. In þe ouermest partye þerof beþ þe bodyes of sterres.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)716 : Meptanabus..tauȝtte hym þe cours of sone & mone, And al þing þat was to done By sterren & by þe firmament he hym tauȝtte verrayment.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1620 : Sche knewe of þe firmament þe trewe cours, and of þe sterris alle, And by her mevyng what þat schulde falle.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.m.5.4 : The sterres of Arctour, ytorned neygh to the sovereyne centre or poynt, that is to seyn, ytorned neygh to the sovereyne pool of the firmament.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)120/30 : The half of the firmament is betwene þo ij sterres.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)155b : Þat signe of þe firmament þat is called leo .i. þe lyoun.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)141 : Ase is þe sterre þet hatte saturne makeþ þet asemoche yernþ in onelepi daye mid þe firmament ase þe firmament hine let.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.295 : O firste moeuyng, cruel firmament, With thy diurnal sweigh that crowdest ay And hurlest al from est til occident That naturelly wolde holde another way.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)111b/a : Alle þe planetis meueþ by double mevinge, by here owne kynde mevinge of þe west in to þe est aȝens þe meuynge of þe firmament & by oþir meovinge out of þe est in to þe west & þat by rauyschinge of þe firmament; by violence of þe firmament þey beþ I rauysched eueriche day out of þe est.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.m.1.28 : He schal forleten the laste hevene and he schal pressen and wenden on the bak of the swifte firmament [L uelocis ætheris].
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.39.8 : Whan that the sonne, by mevynge of the firmament, cometh to his verrey meridian place.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)114a : Þere ben foure principal wyndes after þe foure quarteres of the firmament or þe welkene.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)413 : Eiȝte firmamenz þare beoth..Þe Ouemeste is þe riȝtte heouene in ȝwan þe steorrene beoth..þare bi neoþe beoth seoue firmemenz.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.22 : Every juggement Which longeth to the firmament Bothe of the sterre and of the mone.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)66/4 : Þe firmament of þe moone.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)96/34 : And þanne it [þe sawle] purchasys anoþer gouernance, to it come to þe sercle or to þe firmament of vnderstondynge, whore it shall wel lyk.
4.
(a) A firm foundation; (b) establishment.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Tim.3.15 : Þe hous of god þe whiche is þe kyrke of þe quyke god, pyleer and firmament of soþnes.
b
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ps.150.1 : Herie ȝe the Lord in hise seyntis; herie ȝe hym in the firmament [L in firmamento] of his vertu.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.689 : Orbis..Is that which we fro therthe a ferr Beholde, and firmament it calle, In which the sterres stonden alle, Among the whiche in special Planetes sefne principal Ther ben.
Note: New sense: 3.(d) in the Aristotelian astronomy of Brunetto Latini: a celestial sphere surrounding the earth (cp. orbis].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 Interpol.Rolle Ps.(1) (Trin-C B.5.25) 653/150 : He shal be firmament [L firmamentum] in erþe; in heiȝtes of mounteynes he shal be abouelifted.
Note: Editor: "Rolle translated firmamentum as festenynge, and the reviser reverts to this in the commentary. MED firmament gives the sense required here 'firm foundation' for only one case (sense 4(a)) in Pauline Epistles 1 Tim. 3: 15, where it translates the same word as here."
Note: Additional quot., sense 4.(a).