Middle English Dictionary Entry
imparfit adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | imparfit adj. Also inparfiȝt, imperfite, inperfecte. |
| Etymology | From parfit ; cp. L imperfectus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Sinful, immoral; (b) of clergy, monks, etc., and their life: not engaged in, or not fully conducive to, the serious quest for spiritual perfection [difficult to distinguish from (a)]; (c) not perfectly formed, not complete, immature; also, rudimentary, elementary.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.50 : Þanne artow inparfit..and one of prydes knyȝtes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.93 : Out of holicherche alle yueles spredeth, There inparfyt presthod is prechoures and techeres.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.426 : Inparfyt is þat pope þat al peple shulde helpe, And sendeth hem þat sleeth suche as he shulde saue.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)4.389 : Moste partie of þe puple..wilnen..as best were for hem-selue, Thauh þe kyng and þe comune al þe cost hadde; Al reson reproueþ such imparfit puple.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Phil.3.15 : Who so we be þat ar parfyt, fele we þat we ar imparfit in comparysoun of þe perfeccyoun þat is comyn.
- (1458-9) *Plea & Mem.R.Lond.GildhA 83.m.2 : Þe said John..was compelled by þe said Craneford broþers of þe said Denyse..bicause of their imperfite livyng, to wed þe said Denyse.
b
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)16.136 : Preoueþ by pure skyle inparfit alle þynges, 'Nemo bonus', Bote leel loue and treuthe.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)40/1-2 : Þe vertewe of meeknes..is inparfite when it is caused of any oþer þing medelid wiþ God þof al it be þe cheef.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)41/1,11 : Þe toþer [cause of meekness] bifore is inparfite; for whi it schal..faile at the ende of þis liif..it is inparfite meeknes; Neuerþeles ȝit it is good & algates must be had.
- c1440(a1396) Hilton SP (Thrn)46/31 : Othir saules þat ere in þis lyfe inperfite..sall haue þe lawere mede in þe blyse of Heuen.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)349 : Salamon..was feerd forto aske..the hardir, hiȝer, and perfiter wey -- askid mekeli and discreetli the imperfiter wey, as it which was to him surer and meeter than was the perfiter wey.
- a1500 Add.Hymnal (Add 34193)473/52 : A Ryse we now with violent fresch corage, As thys cok steyth us and doth excite, Lest sompnolentes cast us in disparage, As laches folk of lyvyng inperfyte.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)108a/b : Coluri beþ Iseide as hit were colitauri and haueþ þat name of þe tayle of a wilde oxe þat areriþ his taile & makeþ an inperfite cercle.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.10.18,29,36 : For alle thing that is cleped inparfyt is proevid inparfit be the amenusynge of perfeccioun or of thing that is parfit..the nature of thinges ne took nat hir begynnynge of thinges amenused and inparfit [L ab deminutis inconsummatisque], but it procedith of thinges that ben alle hole and absolut..yif ther be a blisfulnesse that be freel and veyn and inparfyt, ther may no man doute that ther nys som blisfulnesse that is sad, stedefast, and parfyt.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)140b/a : Þe cure leueþ ofte times inperfecte.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)467 : In alle maner labouris or kunnyngis it is to bigynne at þe liȝter, at þe sympler, and at þe inparfiter..þe lower party of þis seruyce is liȝt, symple, ruyde, and inparfite.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)1.18.4 : Upon this forseide plate ben compassed certeyn cercles that highten almyncanteras, of whiche somme of hem semen parfit cercles and somme semen inparfit.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.163 : That þing þat is so symple in his kynde..Þe folisch errour..of mannys mynde..han devided..Transportyng so to fals and inperfyt.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.175 : If so be..Þere is an inperfite felicite..An other good and perfit must þer be.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)339 : The child is not apte to serve god, in that he is inparfite; For yf he be stered to god, he must be troubled in his body.
2.
(a) Anat. ~ rib, one of the asternal ribs, a false rib; (b) mus. of harmonic intervals or consonances: applied to thirds and sixths and their octaves; (c) gram. of tense in Latin: denoting action not completed or in continuance in the past; preterit ~, the imperfect tense.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)59a/a : Þe vtilite whi þat þe smale ribbes ben inperfite aforne..is for two skilles.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)34a/a : Wiþ þese v lowere spondilis beþ conteyned þe hyndere extremytees of þe oþere ten ribbis, whiche ben seid inparfiȝt and false and litil mendouse; Of þese smale inparfiȝt ribbis in eiþir side ben sett v vnder þe greete ribbis of þe same side.
b
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)242 : For þe quatrebil syghte, þer be 9 acordis of discant..5 be perfite and 4 be inperfite..The 4 inperfite be: þe 3de, 6te, 10the, & 13the.
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)252 : Descanteris may sette & syng 3 jmperfite a-cordis to-gedir.
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)260 : It is fayre & meri singing many jnperfite cordis to-gedir as for to sing 3e or 4or or 5e 3dis to-gedir, a 5te or a vnisoun nexte aftir.
- c1475 Court Sap.(Trin-C R.3.21)2068 : She [Dame Musica] taught theym..whyche were tewnes perfyte..Whyche tewnes eke byn clepyd imparfyte..Proporcion she had in remembraunce, Diapason wyth Diapente eke, And Diatesseron.
c
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)116 : 'Of what party of the Donet schall the participle endyng in ens or ans be formed?' 'Of the furst person of the preter[i]t inperfyt tens indicatyf mode and singuler noumbre, as amabam, bam conuersa in n & s fit amans.'
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.208 : Predestinat thei prechen prechours þat þis shewen, Or prechen inparfit ypult out of grace.
Note: New gloss
Note: (=? not foreordained to heaven because of sinfulness)
Note: Add inparfit to form section.--per MLL
- c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1) (Pen 356B)8/327 : An interieccion..betokyns passion of a monus sole wt a imperfyt voyse, as 'fy', 'out', 'alas', and 'waylaway'.
Note: New spelling--In form section, emend imperfite to imperfit(e.
Note: New gloss--quot. belong to sense 2.(c), but add collocation and gloss. See voice n. where this collocation is noted and glossed under '6.Gram.(b), imparfit (unparfit) ~, a gramatically incomplete utterance.'--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)263 : Also, þe counterre may boþe ascende & descende with one or 2o. or 3e. jmperfite a-cordis be-for a perfite corde as wel as þe descaunter.
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)258 : Ferst, for þe sithgt of descaunt, it is to wete..þat ther be 9 a-cordis of descant..Of þe whech..þer be 5 perfite & 4 inperfite.
Note: Additional quote(s)