Middle English Dictionary Entry
animāl adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | animāl adj. |
| Etymology | L animālis. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. animat.
1.
Physiol. Pertaining to that 'faculty' of man, seated in the brain and the nervous system, which 'animates', i.e. produces and controls movement, perception, and thought; vertu or spirit animal.
Associated quotations
- [ (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)22b/a : Þis vertu is a myȝt of þe soule..þis vertu haþ þre parties: on hatte naturalis & is in þe liuere, þe oþir hatte vital & also spiritualis & haþ place in þe herte, þe þridde hatte animalis & haaþ place in þe brayn. ]
- [ (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)23a/a : Þis blast breþ..is nedeful..also to þe gendringe of þe spirit þat hatte animalis þat ȝeueþ felinge & meuynge. ]
- [ (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)23b/a : The vertu þat hatte virtus Animalis haþ place..in þe brayn & haþ þre parties..ordinatiua, sencitiua, & motiua. ]
- [ (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)27a/a : A spirit is a subtil aier [or] substaunce þat eggiþ & excitiþ þe vertues of þe body to here doynge & workes..þe same spirit [vitalis] perischiþ & passiþ furþere to þe dennes of þe brayn and þere he is..I made sotile and bicomeþ spiritus Animalis..So þis spirit animalis is I gendrid in þe formest den of þe brayn. ]
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2749 : The vertu expulsif, or animal, Fro thilke vertu cleped natural, Ne may the venym voyden ne expelle.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)119/16 : Animal vertues, þat ben vertues of þe brayn.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)11a/b : Under þe pannicle is sette rethe mirabile contexed wyþ arteriez alone comyng fro þe hert, in which bi elaboracioun of þe spirit uitale is made þe animale [*Ch.(2): in þe whiche spiritus animalis is made by trauayle of þe spirit vitalis].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)119b/b : Oþer forsoþ giffeþ opium to drinke. And þai do yuel..ffor I haue herd þat wiþ grete fiȝtyng of þe vertue animale & naturale þai..falle in to..frenesy, And bi sewyng in to deþe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)157a/a : Wherfor G[alen] proueþ..þat þe brayn is bigynnyng of animal vertue [*Ch.(2): þe principal membre of the bestely vertue].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)17b/b : In þe whiche [the heart] þe grete norisshynge blood..is made sotil and spiritual, þe whiche is byqueþed by þe arteries..to the brayne, in þe whiche in defieng it takeþ anoþer nature or kynde and it is made animalis [*Ch.(1): animale] i. þe spirit or blood of lyf, and to the lyuer and it is made naturalis i. þe naturel spirit, and to þe testicles..and it is made generatyues i. þe spirit of gendrynge.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)16/22 : Þe palesye vniuersel comeþ of haboundaunce of viscous humouris closynge þe metis of vertu animale, sensityue and motyue.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)2385-90 : By meane of a treble spirite the soule of man is to his body knitte, of which iii spirites one is called vitall, the seconde is called the spirit naturall, the iiid sprite is spirit animall..the sprite vitall in the hert dothe dwell; the sprite naturall, as olde autours tell, to dwell in the lyver ys therof fayne; But spirit animall dwelleth in the brayne.
2.
Alch. Of a phase or 'species' of the 'philosopher's stone': related to, or affecting the spirit animal; ?also [Lydg. quot.], related in some fanciful way to living creatures [cp. animal n.].
Associated quotations
- [ (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2542 : These olde philosophres..Thre Stones maden..The ferst..Was lapis vegetabilis..The Ston seconde..Is lapis animalis hote, The whos vertu is propre and cowth For Ere and yhe and nase and mouth..And forto fiele and forto go..The wittes fyve he underfongeth To kepe, as it to him belongeth. The thridde Ston..is cleped Minerall. ]
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)534 : Misteryes..of stoonys Specially of three: Oon myneral, Anothir vegetatyff..Oon..Anymal, ffoure Ellementys wrought Out for the noonys: Erthe, Watir, and Eyr..Ioyned with ffyr, proporcyoun maad Egal..I dar seyn..Is noon suych stoon ffounde in the lapydarye.
- a1500 *Of this matter (Ashm 759)129a : This is the mercury that we call Vegitabl, mynerall, and Anymall, Our quyksiluer and our lac virginis.