Middle English Dictionary Entry
īdelnes(se n.
Entry Info
| Forms | īdelnes(se n. Also hidelnesse. |
| Etymology | OE īdelnes |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Vanity, futility; something useless or worthless; a waste of time; idle words or thoughts; (b) in ~, in vain, uselessly, without cause or reason; sweren in ~, to swear profanely, take (God's name) in vain.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)124/4 : Ic eow bidde..asmeȝen hwær heoræ wælan beoð bicumene..& heore worldprude þære ydelnesse.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)211 : At pleȝe he teldeð þe grune of idelnesse, for al hit is idel þat me at pleȝe bihalt.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)133/27 : Ðat he worðliche him loki mid alle hise lemes..þo earen, ðat hie bliðeliche ne hlesten ydelnesses.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)165/17 : Al þet fulðe schaweð him & wringeð ut þet wursum biuoren al þe wide worlt..nawt ane of werkes ah of idelnesses of wordes & of þohtes þe ne beoð ibet her.
- ?c1250 PMor.(Eg 613(1))7 : Mest al þæt ic habbe ydon ys idelnesse and chilce.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)74/13 : Litle zennes..we doþ ofte..wordes ydele, trufles, scornes, and alle oþre ydelnesses [Vices & V.(2): vanytees].
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)164/34-6 : Ydelnesse, ydelnesse, ydelnesse, and al þet ich izi is ydelnesse; þet is to zigge, þe wordle is ydelnesse, and zuo hi is al uol of ydelnesse.
- c1400(1389) Wycl.25 Art.(Dc 273)494 : Þes þat done not curatis office schulde not have frutis þat longen to þo office, nomely when þai bene stronge of body, and lyvyn in ydulnes of worldely vanite.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)11.2 : Idelnesses [L Vana] spake þai thurgh þair breste, Ilkan to his neghburgh neste.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5049 : It wer ydelnes Me to preswme by and by texpresse Hir beute al.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2441 : Of alle this to gynne a newe tale, It were in soth a maner ydylnesse.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)72a/b : He lesiþ in idilnesse [L inutiliter] þe tyme þat is I-grauntid to trauaile inne.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)756 : Swere nat hys name yn ydulnesse.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28257-9 : Gode for to do me thoght vnspede; In idele-nes was all my dede; Þe tyme þat ic in lijf has lende In idel-nes ic haue it spende.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6664 : Þan had nat þe harmys be so morid On vs echon..Nor spent oure labour so in ydelnes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.4418 : Al in veyn and in ydelnesse Was her requeste.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3323 : For ye may well..Youre wordis waste in idilnesse [F en oiseuse].
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)17 : It is lawfull for to swere be god, bot in no comyn speche, ne in Idulnes.
- a1500 PPl.A(1) (Dub 213)6.58 : In ydelnes [Trin-C: Swere nouȝt..And nameliche an ydel þe name of god almiȝt].
2.
(a) Inactivity, lack of employment; sloth, indolence; (b) idleness personified; (c) relief from work or strain, leisure time, rest; ~ of contemplacioun, quiet state of meditation.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4736 : Forr clene dede & clene swinnc Iss Drihhtin swiþe cweme, & himm iss idellnesse laþ, & all forrswundennesse.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)24911 : For idelnesse is luðer on ælchere þeode.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)3/25 : Hie me haueð imaked heuy and slaw on godes weorkes ðurh idelnesse.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)99/29 : Þæt þær nan swuster embe ydelnesse [L otio] & unnitte spece beo.
- c1300 SLeg.Dunstan (Hrl 2277)62 : To worke he wolde his honden do to fleo idelnisse.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4023 : Hor ydelnesse hom ssal bringe to sunne of lecherye.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)31/21 : Þe þridde is ydelnesse, þet is a zenne þet deþ moche kuead..Vor huanne þe dyeuel uynt þane man ydel; he hine deþ to worke.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.17 : Yet seen men wel by resoun doutelees That ydelnesse is roten slogardye.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.353 : Men of þis lond..vseþ moche playes and hydelnesse and huntynge [L ludis, otio, et venationi].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2787 : Thanne thus in getynge richesses ye mosten flee ydelnesse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1104 : He mai the more stonde stille, And use his ydelnesse at wille.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)10.152 : He..cast hym to lyue In ydelnesse and in ese and by oþers trauayle.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)89/33 : But for ensaumple of good werkes & dedes, & forto put awey sleuþe & ydelnesse.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.83 : The cursyd vice of slouthe and ydelnesse.
- a1425 Cursor (Glb E.9)28750 : For fasting and gude bisines Gers a man fle lustes of fless; And Idilnes and dronkinhede, þir vnto sins wil lightly lede.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)59a/a : For coldnez forsoþ is shewed Idelnez [L ocium], for hete mouyng.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1722 : She wroughte To kepen hire from slouthe and idelnesse.
- ?c1430(c1400) Rule & T.St.Francis(1) (Corp-C 296)46 : Þei þat kunnen not, lerne þei; not for coueitse to take hire, but for ensample to putte awey idelnesse.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3265 : Witz clennesse and stody was his moost labour, The mouled ydilnesse fro his soul to dryf.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1829 : All þat wons in religioun Aw to haue sum ocupacioun..For ydilnes..Es grete enmy vnto þe saul.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)228/29 : Þat made þe synne of Sodomme, pride and grete plente of brede and idelnesses.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.40.24b : Hit is good to þe þat þou turne nouȝt þi reste vnto idelnesse.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)3.5 : I rase fra ded til lyf, fra ydelnes til exercise in godis seruys.
b
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1940 : Nat was foryeten the porter ydelnesse, Ne Narcisus, the faire, of yore agon.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1273 : Faire Idilnesse [F La belle Oiseuse] thanne saugh I, That alwey was me faste by.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Diet.(Sln 3534)52 : Ware of rere-suppers..and slombryng ydilnes, Whiche of alle vices is cheif porteresse.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)11636 : I am a poopet..Douhter to Dame Ydelnesse.
c
- a1300(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Jes-O 29)87/132 : Þe mon..on his youhþe swo swinkeþ and worldes weole her iwinþ, þat he may on elde idelnesse holde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)79a/a : In þat sermoun he preiseþ moche good busines of traueile, But in þe ende of þe sermoun he settiþ deuout idilnes of contemplacioun tofore busines & traueile.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)134b/b : If feblenez come for þingez anyntyng be þe eye conforted with riste & ydilnesse & moystyng metez.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)141a/a : Forto make þe pacient bodie fatte wiþ norisschynge of good metes and drinkes and ydilnesse and reste and oþer sucche.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.125r : After him regned Alfrid bastard his brother -- this though he were elder than Egfrid yut for his bastardie was he putte fro the regne so that .. he went into Irland ther for to be seker for hate of his brother, So that in his ydelnesse þere he yaf his lust to scole þourgh which he wax a grete philosoffre.
- c1450 Treat.Perf.(Add 37790)256/24 : The secunde, that is to saye inwarde sylence, is ydlenesse of mynde and of alle vyces the inremembraunce, and also of alle heryngys and ymagynaciouns vtter priuacioun.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)137/31 : Nature loueþ idelnes & bodely reste.