Middle English Dictionary Entry
absō̆lūt ppl.
Entry Info
| Forms | absō̆lūt ppl. |
| Etymology | L |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Free from compulsion or limitation, unrestricted; ~ from (fro, of), uncontrolled by, free from, independent of; (b) free from imperfection or deficiency, complete, perfect; (c) not relative to something else, essential, intrinsic; of a judgment: not dependent upon comparison for its validity; (d) gram. not in normal syntactic relation; ablatif case ~, an ablative absolute.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.4.61 : Thanne trowe I that thilke selve fredom of wil schal duellen al hool and absolut and unbounden.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.6.228 : Thei ben absolut of necessite and ne forleten nat..of the liberte of hir owne nature.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.6.265 : Than ben thei absolut fro the boond of necessite.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)28 : Crist..of his absolut power may al þing, and no þing is vnpossible to him.
- a1500 LDirige(2) (Hrl 1706)352 : That may he nat passe ne be refreyned But be thyne absolute powere.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)58/55 : We accorden that suche passions of desyre shul nat be nempned, but holden for absolute from al other livinges and provinges.
b
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.10.31 : Nat..of thinges amenused and inparfit, but..of thinges that ben alle hole and absolut.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.11.24 : And so as ich of hem is lokkynge to othir, thei han no power to bryngen a good that is ful and absolut.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.175 : Complet and absolute Fro all defaut and diminucioun.
c
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)299 : Þer may no man make a comparisoun bitwixe his worþines in godis and an oþer mannys worþines in godis, but if first and bifore he haue an absolute jugement, feeling, and knowing of his owne worþines in it silf.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)178/35 : What a þing is þe natural, absolut, and vttir goodnes of oure deede is not ȝit of ȝow seid.
d
- a1450(a1397) WBible(2) GProl.(Cmb Mm.2.15)p.57 : An ablatif case absolute may be resoluid.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)98 : An ablatyf case absolute: As the mayster stondyng in the scole I am a gast, magistro stante in scola sum perteritus.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1414 Lin-C.Informacio (Lin-C 88)105/4 : In how mone maners shal þu begynne to make a Latyn an to construe? In foure. Qweche foure? First be a vocatif case, by a nominatif case, or sumqwat set in þo stede of a nominatif case, be an ablatif case absolute, an be a verbe inpersonil.
Note: Antedates (d)
- a1475 Peniarth Informacio(1) (Pen 356B)98/272 : In how mony manerys schall the ablatyue case absolute be expowned?
Note: Postdates (d)