Middle English Dictionary Entry
antecēdent adj. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | antecēdent adj. & n. |
| Etymology | ML & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Logic & ethics A prior assumption or principle, a premise; ~ trouth; ~ ded, a preceding act as causing a later act.
Associated quotations
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.41 : Þes heretikes..maden þis truauntis argument: ȝif God biddiþ þat Y shal love my frend, he biddiþ bi contrarie witt þat Y shal hate myn enemye. But..þis sueþ al oonli whanne antesedent and consequent ben convertiblis in kynde.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)311 : Wiþoute goddis affermyngis maad to vs..vpon substancialy antecedent trouþis to hem in whiche þese ben formaly and substanciali includid and out of which informal argument þese folewen.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)435 : Forto gete feiþ vpon eny þing, þat is to seie vpon eny article, poynt or conclusioun, þe same article or his antecedent oute of which he folewiþ muste be affermed or schewid to vs to be trewe.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)119/36 : Wherfore folewith þat oure deedis ben not morali good or morali badde wiþout sufficient avisement of resoun fallyng vpon hem immediatli..or ellis mediatli bi her antecedent deedis, þat is to seie, her afore goyng forþ leders, causers and forþ bryngers deedis.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)141/35 : Now þan lete þe chirche of god graunte al þat folewiþ oute of þe antecedent aȝens which I argue here.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)62/12 : The consequence is fals; nedes, the antecedent mot ben of the same condicion.
2.
Med. cause or materie antecedent, a prior corporeal cause of disease [see quots.].
Associated quotations
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)64/15 : Þer ben ij maner of causis þat makiþ blood to blede out of a mannys body: þe oon cause is clepid cause coniuncte; & þe toþer cause antecedent.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)21b/b : In apostemez which bene made bi wey of deriuacion, þer is for to giffe beyng ymakyng & beyng y made..Beyng y makyng is þe materie antecedent [L materia antecedens] or goyng a fore that floweþ; Beyng y made is þe materie coniuncte which is fluxed & incuned or weged in þe place.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)80b/a-b : Causez of vlcerez beþ double: antecedent and coniuncte [*Ch.(2): goynge tofore and ioynede to gidre]..Causez antecedentez ar shrewednez of humours & ouermych quantite of hem myȝti for to corrode & for to corrupt particlez of þe body.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)110b/a : Causez antecedentez [*Ch.(2): causes goynge afore] beþ humours disposed to be aduste & to be turned in to melancoly.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)24a/a-b/a : The special causes [of apostemes] ben 3: þe primytifz, þe antecedent, & þe ioynede. Þe primatyf causes ben fallynge & smytynge; þe antecedent causes ben þe foure natural..humours & foure vnnatural..The coniuncte..causes..ben þe materes þe whiche ben gadred togedre & fastned in þe membre.
3.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.356 : [God] a graciouse antecedent. And man ys relatif rect..He a-cordeþ with crist in ys kynde.. In case..In numbre.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.364 : Thus is relacion rect ryht as adiectif and substantif A-cordeþ in alle kyndes whit is antecedent.
- c1414 Lin-C.Informacio (Lin-C 88)105/29 : Qwat shal þu do if þi relatif be set betwen two antecedents of diuers gendur longing both to one thing?
- c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1) (Pen 356B)8/340 : In how mony schall þe relatyue and þe antycedens acord?
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)100 : The thrydde acorde in gramer is by twene the relatyf and the antecedent. In how many maners schull they acorde? In thre: in gendre, in noumbre, and person.
- a1475 Peniarth Informacio(1) (Pen 356B)93/46 : Such case, seche gendur, seche nowumbour as the antecedent schulde be yff he stode þer as relatyue stoumbus and the relatyue wheyr put away.
- a1500 Donatus (1) (StJ-C F.26)1028 : In how many schal þe relatyf & þe antecedent acorde? In thre..In gendyr, nowmbyr, & persone.
- a1500 Hatton Informacio (Hat 58)111/41 : For when I haue a nown relatyff folowynge ij antecedentis of diuerse gender hauyng both reward to oone thynge, þe relatyff schall acorde wt þe latter and not wt þe fyrst antecedent, for to my nyxte substantyue schall myne adiectiue be bere and to myne nyxte antecedent schall my relatyff be referred, but yf the sentens lette hyt as in thys Latyn: 'Canis tuus occidit ouem meam, quem ego interficiam.'
4.
Pl. ?the front matter (preface, etc.) of a book.
Associated quotations
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.1v : Thys boke with hys antecedens and consequens was ful ended the vj day offe Augustus the ȝere of Oure Lorde a Ml CCCC xlviij.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. antecedent matter.