Middle English Dictionary Entry
fọ̄lish adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | fọ̄lish adj. Also foles, folich. |
| Etymology | From fọ̄l and -ish suf. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of persons: (a) insane; (b) wicked; ?lecherous.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450 Dc.291 Lapid.(Dc 291)31 : Þe maladye þat taketh a man lunatyk, whereby he failleth & is folisshe & witles longe tyme.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2777 : Þaa foles feluns þat war fuus All vmlapped loth huse.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)360 : Ȝowre Sostyr wrowhte as a folisch wommanne.
2.
Of opinions, doctrines, emotions, etc.: (a) stupid, unintelligent, misguided, foolish; (b) ?heretical.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.793 : Thyn ire and folissh wilfulnesse.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)26020 : He paste alle prouinces and schires In foles willes and desires.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)2a/b : Jamerius, which made or shewed a maner bestely cirurgie in which he nemned many fond or folish [L fatua; *Ch.(2): lewde] þinges.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)157 : Foolis han suche seid folisch opiniouns..vpon tho ymagis and upon the vsis of hem.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)162 : Þe folisch errour, lo, of mannys mynde.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)102 : It is a folych hope to wene to be saue among the byttynges of synnys.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)86/9 : Preised of folisshe louers of þis worlde.
b
- c1432 Bishop Notes in PMLA 49 (Cmb Dd.14.2)457 : Fals bulles and fals scriptures and gilful..to be comuned 'follysch, dampnablysch' in diuers places.
3.
Of the world order or fate: irrational, senseless, blind.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.6.9 : Whethir wenestow..that this world be governed by foolyssche happes and fortunows, or elles wenestow that ther be inne it ony governement of resoun?
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.5.47 : Men wenen that ther be somwhat foolissh and confus, whan the resoun of the ordre is unknowe.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.1.37 : Hap is a bytydynge ibrought forth by foolissh moevynge and by no knyttynge of causes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Though the example from Scrope's Othea (sense 2.(a)) could in theory belong to fọ̄llī̆ch adj. (i.e. contain -li suffix rather than -ish suffix), and it was so interpreted in the print MED, the Othea seems to spell adjectives and adverbs with the former suffix exclusively with -li(e. [From A. Esposito of OED, personal communication.] The meaning is the same regardless.