Middle English Dictionary Entry
florishing ger.
Entry Info
| Forms | florishing ger. |
| Etymology |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A sending forth of flowers or shoots; the season of blooming or budding; bloom, blossoms.
Associated quotations
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.288 : Nazarenus is as muche for to seye as florisshynge..for in the flour is hope of fruyt in tyme comynge and in foryifnesse of synnes hope of grace wel to do.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)881 : Euery ȝere at þe florysyngge, whan þe vynys shulde spryngge, A tempest..began to falle.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)10726 : Þis wand suld florisching [Vsp: fluring] bere, And suld of þe Rote of jesse spring.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)28b/a : Floria: tyme of floryssynge.
2.
(a) Decoration, ornament; the act of illuminating letters in a manuscript; (b) embellishment of speech or writing, rhetoric; also, sophistry.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1301 : Hyt nedeth noght yow more to tellen..Of this yates florisshinges, Ne of compasses, ne of kervynges.
- (1467) Acc.Howard in RC 57420 : Item, for capital drawynge iij C and di..Item, for floryshynge of capytallis, V C..Item, for byndynge of the boke.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.15 : Nouȝt sotilte of sentence, noþer faire florischynge [L venustas] of wordes, but swetnesse of deuocion..schal regne in þis book.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2082 : Þei feith aforn pretente And can her fraude with florissyng wel diffende, And flaterie, only þe worlde to blende.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3681 : I want flouris also of rethorik, To sue his florischyng or his gey peynture, For to discriue so fayre a creature.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Hrl 1766)9.3446 : No rethoryques nor florysshynges delyctable.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apost.(Dub 245)437 : Sequestre we al mannes lawe..al þe drede of florishyng of men of þe world.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Sln.122 Artist.Recipes (Sln 122) 115/6 : Take a pensel oþer a florischyng penne and drawe smale drawthis vpon þe blewe lettere.
Note: Glossary: "florischyng adj. 'for flourishing, ~ penne'."
Note: New sense, ger. as adj.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Sln.122 Artist.Recipes (Sln 122) 113/28 : Forto make fyne blakk for florschynge.
Note: Additional quote, sense 2.(a).