Middle English Dictionary Entry
fō̆rmen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | fō̆rmen v. Also fourmen. |
| Etymology | L formāre & OF fourmer. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To create (something), to make (out of nothing); (b) to give life to (someone), create (a person, a soul); (c) to give shape or structure to (a person, a beast, a part of the body); formed, shaped, having a (certain kind of) shape or appearance; formed bi kind or bi nature.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)89.2 : To-fore þat..þerþe were fourmed and þe werld.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.94.5 : Of hym is the se, and he made it, and the drie [WB(2): drie lond] his hondis formeden.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.45.7 : I the Lord..foormende [WB(2): fourmynge] liȝt and shapende dercnesses.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1665 : He hatz formed þe folde.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1730 : Þei [planetis] wern..Eternally yformed and creat.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1053 : By that Lord that formede est and west.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)2 : He þat made vs on þe mulde And fare fourmet þe folde.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)65/2 : Herby hadde he knowynge of sterrys and þynges formed.
b
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1168 : God..Formede hire wimman to be born.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2168 : Be god..þat gart me be fourmed.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.44.2 : The Lord, makende and foormende [L formans] thee fro the woombe.
- c1390 As I wandrede (Vrn)34 : God..Þat fourmed me with wittes fyue.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3245 : O thou divine pourveance, Which every man in the balance Of kinde hast formed to be liche.
- a1450 Dux Moraud (BodPoet f.2)47 : Thorow þe grace of þat ich kyngk þat formyt vs alle.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.380 : No creature vnder criste can formen [C: make] hymseluen.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1792 : By thilke God that formed man alyve.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1061 : The fulsomeste freke that fourmede was euere.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)16/2 : Ye be made and fouremed to haue as myche worschipp and goode, and more, than euer your fadre had.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.295 : God hath shewed thus his tokenyng To hym that was framed and formed of clay.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)747 : Mannes lymes ifourmede beoth þat þare ne faillez nouȝt.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3179 : O cler leom..stod fram him..Yfourmed as a dragon.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)49/665 : Ich haue don al þat y can To make it fourmed [Vrn:To don hit formen] after a man.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.21 : For he that is the formere principal Hath maked me his vicaire general To forme and peynten erthely creaturis Right as me list.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1618 : Of naturis disputen and termyne Sche koude also, and þe causis fynde Of alle þinges formed as by kynde.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Num.17.8 : Thei spred abrood with leeues, into almaundes be fourmed.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.315 : In vayn fro this forth have ich eyen tweye Ifourmed, syn youre vertu is aweye.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1189 : Wel fourmed was hir face and cleer.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)25/9 : Þat worme es turned till a fewle perfitely fourmed.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)46b/a : It is no wonder yf in þe ydropisy of a hote cause in þe same partie of þe lyuer is colde & hete togider, one as fourmed & coniuncte, þe toþer as fourmyng & antecedyng.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)163a/b : Þai wirke it by fyre or by a þing yfourmed like to fire [L similem igni].
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1071 : Eneas..formed wel of braunes and of bones.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)246 : Half hire beaute shulde men nat fynde In creature that formed ys by kynde.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)673 : The fayre lady, bryght and shene, ffayrer formed was neuer none.
2.
(a) To make or fashion (something), build, construct, devise; (b) to make (sign of the cross), pronounce (a word), form (a mental picture).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)270/330 : He fourmede euene þane put.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1341 : Fals fantummes of fendes, formed with handes Wyth tool out of harde tre.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.817 : Paradis stood formed in hire yen.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.17.1 : God formede man of erthe.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.330 : Fourme hit [thyn hous] so that faire hit stonde.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1540 : Was neuer sython..Cite so large..fourmyt in vrthe.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)427 : A faire rode In he broghte Fourmede ewenn als he gane blede.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2761 : Of alle maner levis..I-forgit & I-fourmyd..Of sylvir & of gold.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)94 : Ȝif man fourmeth enes þe croyz.
- c1390 Hilton ML (Vrn)283 : Þise wordes are gode wheþer þei be souned in þe mouþ or elles formed in þe herte.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.4.232 : Ymaginacioun ..takith of wit the bygynnynges to seen and to formen the figures.
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)139/27 : He answerde me bablynge as a childe..but he myȝte formen non worde.
3.
(a) To compose or write (a letter, a treatise, etc.), frame (an argument); (b) gram. to make (a linguistic form), to form (a part of speech, a comparative, etc.), to inflect (a word).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1012 : Sche hath hise lettres..formed in an other weie.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)20/26 : Bokis and treticis of moral vertues, clenly þerupon foormed and writen.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)158/36 : Prelatis..foormeden þe comoun crede of articlis of bileeue.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)172 : Upon the iie evydence, y foorme this argument.
b
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)79/19 : Where of is þe comparatif degre formyd? Of his positif.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)111 : How knowyste a verbe passyf? That at endyth in r, and is formed of an actyf, and bytokenyth suffryng.
- ?a1500 My lefe (Sln 1210)14 : I kownsel ye To furme thi vj tens..And have mynd..Both of nowne and of pronowne.
4.
(a) To deploy or arrange (men for battle); (b) to arrange (something), negotiate (a peace), prepare for (a feast), appoint (a seat in heaven).
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.115 : Walter Spek ros on hand, þe folk to forme & taile.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)417 : Byfor þe four ȝates he formes to lenge Sixtene þousand.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6338 : The fyfte, þat was fourmit of þo fuerse batell, Was Menelay the mighty with his men all.
b
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)8.39 : Þat I ne schal..biforen þe Face of my Fader fourmen or seetes.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.99 : Þe bisshop of Parys þe pes þan formed he.
- a1500(?c1414) ?Brampton PPs.(1) (Sln 1853)p.35 : Thei schulde..thanke here God..That formyth and stabelyth kynges see.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)10946 : Þai fourmyt a fest with a fyne wille.
5.
To inform or instruct (someone), to train or educate, to guide or advise; to give instructions; to develop (manners or habits), to learn.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Dunstan (LdMisc 108)95 : He fourmede þoruȝ al enguelond, þat ech person scholde cheose To witien him chaste fram lecherie oþur his churche leose.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)43 : Jak, thi formur is a fole, that thus thee hath yfourmed, to make so lewid an argument.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.371 : Go now to any degre, and but if gyle be mayster, And flaterere his felawe, vnder hym to fourmen, Moche wonder me thynketh.
- c1450 *Mannyng HS (Cmb Ii.4.9)136a : He was fyrst formyd a frerer In þe chyrch of Carysmere.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)307 : How may I lerne of hym that is vnlerned, How may a thing informal fourme me?
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)24a : To drawe a hawke on fist and to rewle hir in all poyntes whan sche is formid at all.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.107 : Þe frist þat ȝou formed to þat fals dede.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)71 : What may þey do but..abid til þei be formid wiþ holy writ, how hem is best to do?
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)17.29 : Swilke ere all that ere with him, and thaire maners ere fourmed of samen lifynge.
6.
To be constituent parts of (a whole), to form.
Associated quotations
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.169 : The fyngres fourmen a ful hande.
7.
Of a hare: to make or have a burrow [cp. forme 4].
Associated quotations
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)13 : Whan an hare abideþ and formeth in a playn contre.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Dc.45 Artist.Recipes (Dc 45) 149/10 : 'Anuwe'. 'Purfere', oþer 'forme', oþer after sum men 'purfyle'.
Note: Glossary: "forme v. inf. 'draw or define a contour, outline'...see also purfle." Clarke's gloss of purfle = 'apply a contour, border, or outline'. Cf. MED purfiling ger. and OED purfle, v.
Note: New sense.