Middle English Dictionary Entry
fọ̄l adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | fọ̄l adj. Also ful, foul. |
| Etymology | OF fol. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of persons: foolish, stupid, ignorant, imprudent; (b) of things, actions, ideas, emotions: foolish, absurd, senseless, ill-advised ~ largenesse, prodigality; prodigal expenditure (= fol-largesse, q.v., for which this is likely an anglicization).
Associated quotations
a
- a1250 Orison Lord (Nero A.14)200 : Me nis he fol chepmon ðet buð deore awoc þing.
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(LdMisc 108)130 : Nis non of eov þat can A-mong so manie grete Maistres answerie a fol womman?
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)573 : Þe oþere ffoole maydenes.
- a1350 Ne mai no lewed (Hrl 2253)43 : Nou wol vch fol clerc þat is fayly Wende to þe bysshop.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)380 : Ich wene þou art a fole musard!
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)218 : Þe gate was y-sset aye þe fole maydines þet hedden hare lompen ydel.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) John & Boy (Phys-E)116 : Crist was funden Imang wis men, And noht Imang fol felawes.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.167 : Þis is a fole Briton. He spak no maner þing for regne to gif raunson..Bot for prison bisouht.
- a1475 In place (Hrl 3954)194 : Men xal vp-ryce And wende for, boþe fol & wyce, To Iosaphat sekerly.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)168 : Foole: Stultus, fatuus, baburrus, babiger.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)102 : Yef he be fool or fell or vilenis, ye owe better to suffre hym.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.138 : The virgynes wise of thaire oyle gaf noght virgines fole.
b
- ?a1300 Loue is sofft (Dgb 86)20 : Loue is fol, loue is fast, loue is frowringe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3341 : Hii þat wiþinne were..smite out in an fole wille.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1361 : To aski þat neuer no wes, It is a fole askeing.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2269 : Which torneth..Sothfastnesse into lesynge Thurgh fol ymaginacion.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)247b/b : Sicomorus..as it were a fool or a nyce figge tree.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.10 : Þe secound word of Crist forbediþ fool jugement.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)1a/b : Abligurio [read: Abligurigo]: foul [?read: fol] largenes.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.196v : The 'prodigus' is thulke that so fole-largenesse huldeth oute, and spendeth his gode, that litell mynde or none he deserueth in the worlde therof, nother meryt of God; 'liberales,' that is 'fre-large', buth thulke that wyselich spendeth amonges his neyghbours and yeueth to strangers.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)218/7 : Philosophie is no more but loue of witte and cvnnynge, and abstynence of foly, and Victorie of foole wille.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)131/25 : A ful thynge hit is to a kynge..to be harde and scarse.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.2.35 : Allas! now lyth he emptid of lyght..and is constreyned to loken on the fool [L stolidam] erthe!
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.36 : Foole vnwit þat to h[y]mself doth lye.
- c1450 O lewde book (Frf 16)1 : O lewde book, with thy foole rudenesse.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)273 : Whan we be parted be fole enprise.
2.
Sinful, wicked; ~ semblaunt, evil appearance or demeanor.
Associated quotations
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)4/20 : Nis hare nan þe ne feareð ofte untoheliche ant gulteð ilome, oðer ifol semblant oder in vuel dede.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)112b : Of mon þet ȝe misleueð þurh his fol semblant oðer bi his wake wordes.
- c1275 Þene latemeste dai (Clg A.9)42 : Þu wrecche fole bali, nu þu list on bere.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)15026 : Vortiger þe fole [Clg: swikele] king.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)26 : Þe zeuende boȝ of prede ys fol drede and fole ssame.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)44.12 : For-ȝete þy fole þoȝtes.
- c1390 Evang.(Vrn)24 : He þat eggeþmon to quede..me wolde lede To wikked wille or fool dede.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)283 : Þaȝ I be fol & fykel, & falce of my hert.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)22/9 : We commande the..þat þou leue thi fole pride and thi vayne glory.
- a1450 Who þat liste loke (Stw 951)45/200 : Þe wyfe of kyng of grece Menelay, Whiche was þe fool synnere ouer mesure, Helayne.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)7537 : Your wicked thought..That meveth your foole eloquence.
3.
Lecherous, lascivious, wanton; ~ woman, a loose or unchaste woman, a prostitute.
Associated quotations
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)14a : Ha leas hire meidenhad & wes imaket hore..þullich þe hali gast lette writen o boc forte warni wummen of hare fol ehnen.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)241/28 : Heore red huy nomen alle þreo fole wommen to bi-come, An raþer þanne heo in swuche houngur weren to libbe bi heoredom.
- a1325 Stond wel moder (Roy 12.E.1)48 : Sune, help alle at nede,..m[ay]den, wyf, and fol wyman.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)300/54 : Þis fool wommon, of whom I mene.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.853 : The fool lookynge of the fool womman and of the fool man.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.885 : Harlotes that haunten bordels of thise fool wommen.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.442 : So wys man was nevere non, Bot if he wel his yhe kepe And take of fol delit no kepe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.569 : Of fool usance..Ther was no wif ne maiden there..Whom thei ne token to defoule.
- a1450 SLeg.Suppl.Bod.(Bod 779)386/14,20 : A bed me gan him make..& dede wit him fool women, to habben of hem þe syȝte..þus fram fool wille him-self he chastid þere.