Middle English Dictionary Entry
hardī adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | hardī adj. Also ardi, hardiȝe, herdi, hardẹ̄. |
| Etymology | OF hardi, ardi (from Gmc.); the form herdi perh. influenced by hard adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Mutual influence or confusion between this word and the partly synonymous hertī adj. is likely.
1a.
(a) Of persons, animals, dispositions: strong in battle, fearless of danger, stout-hearted; ~ herted; ~ (hardiest) of honde; ~ as lioun; (b) daring (to do sth.), resolute, bold; ben ~, to dare (to do sth.); (c) of actions, faith: requiring resolution or courage, firm, fierce; (d) of trees: vigorous, sturdy; also, notable, glorious.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1729 : Porphire & Auguste wurðen..se hardi for þi..þet ha wenden..ȝarewe to alle.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)141/9 : Beoð eauer aȝein him hardi [Nero: herdi] ase liun i treowe bileaue.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)4348 : Þou har mochele hardiere and þi seolf of mochele mihte.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)14470 : Þis beoþ þe ardieste [Clg: hæhste] men þat euere bere wepne.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)966 : Ich ne drede me of no man, þe hardiore ich may beo.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)p.4 : Heo..ne sparede for no sorewe..Ne for siknesse..Ne for peryl in the see..Hou thinȝth thou, nas heo hardi noȝt?
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2121 : Ðe king him bad ben hardi & bold.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1240 : He nadde nouȝt so hardi fflesch muche neer him to go.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)1136 : Orped þou art and of grete miȝt, Gode kniȝt & ardi in fiȝt.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)3454 : Full faine þai war þan of þat fare And hardiar þan þai war are.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1945 : Turnus, with the hardy fiers corage.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2649 : His hardy herte myghte hym helpe naught.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.2404 : The king his hardi contienance Behield.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)264b/b : Þey [lambs] mowe be þe boldere by cause of companye and þe hardyere.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)471 : He bad hire make hardy chere.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.303-5 : And euere þe lasse þat he [poverty] bereth, þe hardyer he is of herte..And an hardy man of herte amonge an hepe of þeues.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)371 : He..gladly hym biddes Þat his hert & his honde schulde hardi be boþe.
- c1400 SLeg.Geo.(2) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)88 : Þu erte a worthy mane & herdy herte has þu.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1888 : Into the hall the righte way he took..Not afered, but hardy as lyoun.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.601 : Fortune..Helpeth hardy man to his enprise, And weyveth wrecches for hire cowardise.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.830 : Troilus..Yong, fressh, strong, and hardy as lyoun.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)338 : The hardy sperhauk eke, The quayles foo.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3878 : This was sir Gawayne..Mane hardyeste of hande, happyeste in armes.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)12 : With him was mony lordinge Hardi of honde.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)243 : Were he neuyr so harde [rime: duȝte], Þus bidus þat brothe.
- ?a1425 Brut Descr.Edw.III (Lamb 491)333 fn. : A wel and a hardy hertid [Hrl 753: he was a wele hard-herted man, for he dred neuer of none myshappes].
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)27/12 : Yet were there fyffty thousand of hardy men.
- a1475 Gawain & CC (Brog 2.1)92-3 : A hardyer knygȝt not be fonde, Full herdy he was and bolde.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)60b : To make hardy: Animare, inanimare.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)249 : He that is not hardy at this nede is not worthi to be a knyght.
b
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)2378 : Ȝe worþ euere afterward hardy to prechi of me ffaste.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9277 : Þer was of welssemen þe verþe ost..Þat liȝte were & hardi muche folc to abide.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)123/18 : Hope..ous makeþ strang and hardi uor to ondernime..þet..þet paceþ uirtue of man.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.35.5 : Þey wern not hardy [L non sunt ausi] to pursuen þem.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Eph.6.20 : So that in it I be hardy for to speke, as it bihoueth me.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4594 : No man more orpid nor hardier to firȝt [read: fiȝt], Nor desyrous for to han victorie.
- a1450(c1395) WBible(2) Pref.Jer.(NC 66)75 : The which thing for I shulde be hardy to do, the studie of Orygen stiryde me therto.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)6a : Þey ben noȝt stedfast, ne bold, ne hardy to fyȝte.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3873 : My soule..nys no tyme so hardy Ouȝt of my body forto go.
c
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)126/5 : Hardi [Nero: Herdi] bileaue bringeð þe deouel o fluht.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2088 : Gracian..uor is ardy [B: hardiȝe] dedes, of him uor dradde ynou.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1347 : Ne knyght in armes to doon an hardy dede To stonde in grace of his lady deere.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)7659 : Þis batal was hardy [Vsp: hard; Trin-C: harde] I-nogh.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)112 : Mete & drynke schul they haue grete plente, Coraious and hardy batayl to make.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)239a/a : Palma..is a tree noble & hardy [L nobilis et insignis].
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)176 : The byldere ok, and ek the hardy asshe.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.453 : Dayly make hem dronken; hardiest [L animatas], I am expert, so be they forto grete In magnytude, & brynge in pomys grete.
1b.
Used as noun: a brave or valiant person, a bold animal.
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)16/29 : He be-gyleþ þe heȝe men, and þe uayre, and þe riche, and þe wyse, and þe hardi, and þe worþuolle.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2976 : Þe hardieste þat were of al þe trome polte hem to þe fliȝt.
- c1475(?c1425) Avow.Arth.(Tay 9:French&Hale)259 : Þe hed of þat hardy He sette on a stake.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)28/23 : Ponthus..dide sloo the hardiest that wold abide.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)160/22 : The good kynge Dauy, the worthy hardy.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)171/4,5 : Arystotle..descreuyth the hardy in thys maner, 'The hardy puttyth not hym-Selfe in perill by Smale thynges that lytill avalyth.'
2.
(a) Audacious, presumptuous, rash, foolhardy; ben ~, to have the audacity or temerity (to do sth.), dare foolishly, presume [cp. fol-hardi]; (b) quick, ready, eager.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)33/21 : Tu, a sunful mon, art se swiðe hardi [Nero: herdi] to keasten cang ehnen up o ȝung wummon.
- a1275 *St.Marg.(2) (Trin-C B.14.39)214 : Haue þi pais, þou foule þing..ne be þou so hardi lengore þat tou duelle.
- a1300 I-hereþ nv one (Jes-O 29)98 : 'Louerd,' hi seyden alle, 'hwo is so hardy man Þat durre þe bytraye?
- a1350(1307) Execution Fraser (Hrl 2253)214 : Ȝef eny were so hardi þe body to remuy.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)278 : I nas neuer ȝet so hardi to neȝh him so hende.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.19.20 : Þou shalt doon awey euyl..þat oþer men heerynge hauyn drede & been not hardy [L audeant] to do such þyngys.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1180 : No wedded man so hardy be tassaille His wyues pacience.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7752 : Nartou so hardy..More to seen Candulekes face.
- (1411) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)93 : That no manere man ne child..be so hardy to wrestell, or make ony wrestlyng within the seintuary ne the boundes of Poules.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1074 : Ful lowely he hire preyde To be nought wroth, thogh he, of his folie, So hardy was to hire to write.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)21/34 : Yef any sistir ouþir broþir of þordir be sua hardi at comun wid her [an excommunicant]..suil[ke] sentence sal sho haue.
- a1425 Nicod.(1) (Add 32578)365 : Þe Iuwes..answerde with herdy chere, 'we blame hym noȝt withoutyn skille.'
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)3.1232 : That noon of hem all Be hardy more a god hym for to calle.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)971/28 : And ye be so hardy to do so more, we two shall meddyll togidirs!
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)60b : Hardy..temerarius, qui sine concilio agit.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)329 : Ho made the soo hardi [vr. herdy] To com into thys stede?
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)9 : Iff ony man weere so hardy for to spoyle him of his armys, after þat he were yburied, he shuld lese his life.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.71 : Whanne þe senatoures and þe Romayns hadde i-take to rede to forsake Italy for drede, þis Scipio drouȝ out his swerd and forbede hem, and seide nouȝt so hardy.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)prol.76 : Heo scholde not beo so hardi to deceyue so þe peple.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.539 : Makth me hardi, soth to seie, That I dar wel the betre preie Mi ladi.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.161 : Wher a womman is al one, It makth a man in his persone The more hardi forto wowe.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.342 : Petre was of greet bileve, and hardi in axing.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)27/23 : Than woll they be the more hardy whan they se you but aboute twenty thousande.
3.
In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1194) CRR Rich.I in Pipe R.Soc.149 : Godardus filius Stonhardi.
- (1194) CRR Rich.I in Pipe R.Soc.1455 : Willelmus Hardi.
- (1206) Assize R.Lin.in Lin.RS 221363 : Gaufridus Hardy.
- (1297) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 16136n : Regin. Hardyman.
- (1315) Feet Fines Kent in Archaeol.Cant.13293 : Thomas Hardy.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10215 : Walto Hardiman.
- -?-(1352) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.9645 : Adam Hardi, marchaunt, de Kirkby.