Middle English Dictionary Entry
hū̆militẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hū̆militẹ̄ n. Also humilitie, umellete. |
| Etymology | OF h)umelité, h)umilité. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The virtue of humility; -- also personified; (b) humble behavior or conduct; with al (most) ~, with greatest humbleness, very humbly.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)88 : Loue of herte, ful of pite, Þat is verray humilite.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)115/14 : Cause of alle þyse dignyte, Þorȝ clennesse and humylyte, Was godes owene grace.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)6.109 : Þer beoþ seuen sustren þat..ben porters..Þat on hette Abstinence, and Humilitie [vrr. humylite, meknesse] a-noþer.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pri.(Manly-Rickert)B.1665 : Lady, thy bountee, thy magnificence, Thy vertu, and thy grete humylitie, Ther may no tonge expresse in no science.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.45 : She floured in virginitee With alle humilitee and abstinence, With alle attemperance and pacience.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.476 : The remedie agayns pride..is humylitee or mekenesse, that is a vertu thurgh which a man hath verray knoweleche of hym self.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.223 : Humilite was tho withholde, And Pride was a vice holde.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.MG (Hnt HM 111)44 : Thow shapen art by goddes ordenance, Mene for vs, flour of humilitee.
- c1445 Chaucer CT.Cl.(Hlk 667)E.932 : Humilitee [Heng: Men speke of Iob, and moost for his humblenesse].
- a1450 Holy maydyn (Sln 2593)p.138 : Thou art his moder for humylite.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)574 : Seyn Benet..With hym brouht a ladder long, In the wych men myhte se xij grees off hymylyte.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)135/22 : Humylite Engendryth lowe, that destrueth envy and hatredyn.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)98/37 : And let some haue the flowre of humylite.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)41 : By the fadir..is vndirstond mekenesse or humilite, withoute which þere abideth no vertue in a man.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)9876 : Cleodalis wepe for pite; He seiȝe his lord humilite.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2876 : Right as men seyn that ouer greet homlynesse engendreth dispreisynge, so fareth it by to greet humylitee or mekenesse.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.481,482 : Also the humylitee of mouth is in foure thynges..Humylitee eek in werkes is in foure maneres.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.988 : Another signe is humylitee in confessioun.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2050 : And he [the king] with gret humilite Out of his Char to grounde lepte.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)10166 : Loued he was in þat cuntre For his muchel humilite.
- (1419) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.2.165 : We ȝoure humble liges and servitours, with all subjection and humilitee, We recomend us to ȝoure roial Majestee.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1116 : Þei obeying, with alle humilite, His biddyng holly, & made no delaye, To come echon ageyn a certeyn day.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3544 : We se ofte that humilite Bothe ire and also felonye Venquyssheth.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3 : To whom þat I, with moost humylite, Euyr recomende me lowly as ȝoure preest.
- a1450 Holy maydyn (Sln 2593)p.138 : This is a song of humylyte.
- c1460 Chaucer CT.Fkl.(NC 314)F.753 : Humilite [Heng: With ful gret humblesse, She seyde].
- a1475 VPhilibert (Brog 2.1)p.36 : I mad ful promes with ale humylyte.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1413 : Syr nemes stert forth with humilite And fette forthe the Crowne & the naylys thre.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)107/4 : When he hadde done that office of humylite, he taught why he hadde done it.
- 1534(?a1500) Cov.Pl.ST (Croo:Craig)556 : He grant me grace, Be yonder star that I see..Thatt I ma hym worschipe with umellete.