Middle English Dictionary Entry
fortūne n.
Entry Info
| Forms | fortūne n. |
| Etymology | OF; L fortūna. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The goddess of fortune, personification of fate [= Roman Fortuna]; (b) dame ~, ladi ~, Lady Fortune; (c) blind ~; fals ~; ~ whel; whel of ~; ~ is mi fo, etc.; (d) godes of ~, yiftes of ~, fortunes yeving, the gifts of Fortune, worldly prosperity, temporal goods, success due to chance.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)693 : How falsly has fortune founde me nowþe.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3537 : But ay fortune hath in hire hony galle.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.65.11 : Ȝee that..putten the bord of fortune [L Fortunæ mensam] and offren licoures vp on it.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1252 : Why pleynen folk so in comune On purueiaunce of god or of fortune.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2645 : What man that is norisshed by fortune, she maketh hym to greet a fool.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2625 : Thus the whiel is al miswent The which fortune hath upon honde.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.186 : He shal fynde me hus frende, quaþ fortune.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)887 : Tyl fortune of her iniquyte Hadde envie of his prosperite.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.617 : O fortune, executrice of wyrdes!
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)2/9 : So it happenyd as Fortune wold.
- a1475 Cato(2) (Rwl G.59)474 : Say thou noght that fortune is blynd.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)76 : Þe leuedy fortune went hare hueȝel eche daye and benymþ and yefþ.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)181 : Efter þise uiȝtinge comþ..dame fortune mid al hare hueȝel.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23719 : Dame fortune turnes þan hir quele.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5331 : [This] love cometh of dame Fortune.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)2449 : Lady ffortune, þou art chaungable.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5103 : Dame ffortune had turned her whel Donward til wo, þat er was wel.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1547 : Her suster, dame Fortune, Ys wont to serven in comune.
c
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3913 : Fortune was first freend and sitthe foo.
- (?c1375-a1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3587 : Thus kan fortune hire wheel gouerne and gye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.139 : Every climat hath his diel After the tornynge of the whiel, Which blinde fortune overthroweth.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)13.14 : Thenne was fortune my foo, for al here fayre byheste.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.65 : Thilke blynde goddesse Fortune.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)270 : False fortune in fyghte, That wondirfulle whele wryghte.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)618 : For fals Fortune hath pleyd a game Atte ches with me.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)48 : The whele of fortune turned ayenst this lande.
- a1500 Wast bryngyth (Cmb Ff.2.38)p.184 : God ys wryȝt of fortune whele.
d
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)76 : Hy clepieþ þe smale guodes: þe guodes of time, þe guodes of fortune [hap].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.454 : Goodes of fortune ben richesses, hey degrees of lordshipes, preisynges of the peple.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.5.5 : Al were it so that the yiftes of Fortune ne were noght brutel ne transitorie.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.2.64 : Freendes schulde nat ben rekned among the goodes of fortune.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)5a/b : If he schulde cure wiþoute knowleche þerof, it were noȝt of his gifte but of fortune.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)276 : Worldly godis, whiche ben comounly callid godis of fortune--as be þese: money, rentis, feeldis.
- c1450(c1375) Chaucer Anel.(Benson-Robinson)44 : With his tryumphe, and laurer-corouned thus, In al the flour of Fortunes yevynge, Let I this noble prince.
2.
(a) Chance, accident; bi (of) ~, by chance, as it happened, accidentally; (b) that which happens to someone, fate, destiny, luck; tellen ~, to foretell (someone's) future, tell (one's) fortune; ~ of werre, fortune of war.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1428 : For euere mo we mote stonde in drede Of hap and fortune in oure chapmanhede.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.640 : The chances of the world also That we fortune clepen so..Al is thurgh constellacion.
- ?c1400 Chaucer Bo.(Add 10340)1.pr.6.636 : Wheþer wenest þou..þat þis worlde be gouerned by foolisshe happes and fortunes?
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.826 : Til of fortune he com into Ytaille.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.4238 : By fortune as he met a Troyan knyȝt.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12463 : Hyt fell thus by fortune.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1841 : Þe werwolf..wist alle here happes & þe fortune þat wold falle for here dedes after.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2659 : Arcite of Thebes..by his fortune hath hir faire ywonne.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4189 : That oother man was logged wel ynow, As was his auenture or his fortune.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1497 : She may haue bettre fortune than yow semeth.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.481 : Er þis fortune byfalle, fynde me shal þe worste.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.61 : Graunting to eueryche..Lik fortune as he hath disseruyd.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.m.3.21 : Yif the forme of this world is so seeld stable, and yif it torneth by so manye entrechaungynges, wiltow thanne trusten in the tumblynge fortunes of men?
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1177 : Ne had my fortune bene faire, fey had I leuede.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)168 : Þou hidist from vs þe knowyng..what fortunes or chauncis schulen bifalle to vs in þis lijf.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)50.373 : Hider fortvne schal bringer him to Me.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)79/8 : The olde kynge..for the fortvne that to hym was fal on euery syde so vnwyttyngly, was ful Sorroful.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.5.59a : Which trees tolde him his fortunes, that lyked him but litel.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)184 : Some tyme he wan and many tymes he loste, as is the fortune of werre.
- -?-(a1439) Oratory in Archaeol.52309 : The same chirche..is att þis Day of noo value, for fortune Of fyr that late hath happed þere.
3.
(a) A state or condition brought about by fate or chance, lot; esp., a desirable state, prosperity, good luck, success; (b) ilondes of ~, the happy isles of the western ocean; (c) pl. goods, possessions.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2749 : If thy fortune chaunge that thow wexe poore.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3257 : Ther mihte no fortune laste Which was grevous.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3012 : To do profit to the comune, He tok of exil the fortune.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)17.133 : The feorthe is a fortune þat florisshiþ þe soule With sobrete [from] alle synnes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3256 : Farewel þanne my myrthe & my solace, And my welfare, my fortune, and my grace.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5631 : He is apaied with his fortune.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.4.120 : How manye men, trowestow, wolde demen hemself to ben almost in hevene, yif thei myghten atayne to the leste partye of the remenaunt of thi fortune?
- a1500(?c1414) ?Brampton PPs.(1) (Sln 1853)p.17 : As fortune chaungyth, so muste we.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)180a/a : The Ilondes of fortune stonden in occean aforne þe lefte syde of mauritania..Errour of naciouns and makyng of poetis trowed þat þise Ilondes were paradys.
c
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.63 : Conigaste, that made alwey assawtes ayens the prospere fortunes of pore feble folk.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.76 : The fortunes and the richesses of the peple of the provinces ben harmed or amenused.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.Lear (Göt Hist 740)455 : O irefull forton…Qwy schewys þou so to me þi wreth!
Note: New spelling