Middle English Dictionary Entry
impotent adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | impotent adj. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Physically weak, enfeebled; of a limb: crippled; (b) unable (to do sth.), powerless; (c) of amends for an offense, ?of penance: ineffectual; (d) sexually impotent; (e) as noun: a feeble person; ?also, helplessness [quot.: c1450].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.3127 : And also for my daies olde, That y am feble and impotent, I wot nought how the world ys went.
- (c1404) *Exch.Misc.Deed (PRO) (PRO)6-28a : Ich was impotent by syknesse & by pouerte bothe that, though he were on lyue, Ich ne myghte do no seruise to hym.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)52b/a : Also membrez ar demed malifica & impotent perpetually when þe neruez, þe cordez, and þe ligamentez þat gouerned hem beþ kut away.
- (1434) *Anc.Pet.(PRO)166.8254 : He ys an aged man, [i]npotent and sike.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.1514 : He was ful old, and she was inli fair, He inpotent and she but tendre of age.
- (1443) Reg.Gild Stratford (Macdonald)35 : One prystes..abydyth at home to do dyvyne servyce to the pore pepull and Impotent.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Cock (Hrl 2255)130 : I sauh a krevys, with his klawes longe, Pursewe a snayl, poore and impotent.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)4044 : Of force of men eek, þey ben impotent To venqwisshe hym.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)59/5 : Þis Philosophir made calle to þe presence of þe Senate þe moste impotent man in þe Cite, a man vnweldye and crokid of age.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2357 : Nevir vttir thyn entent To hym which wyl be Impotent In al membrys be Outragious drounknesse.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)203 : Courbe and impotent j wole make thee with the grete strokes j shal yive thee.
- (1456) Paston (Gairdner)3.80 : Consideryng that I am a wedowe, impotent as of body, tendyrly and hertily I pray you..to be there assistyng my councell.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)9178 : And ellys he were Inpotent, Blynde, & lame.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)45 : And if þat he myght be founde within þe empire, aftir that he were impotent, he shuld be ded withoute pite.
b
- (1437) RParl.4.510a : Diverses of ye said Suppliantz for grete age been impotent to laboure.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)5.2309 : A kyng of Israel..Lost his speche and smet with meselrie..Inpotent to vse the gouernaunce.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)55 : Compyled was this book By Arystotyl whanne he was falle in Age..Inpotent to Ryden and to travaylle.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)641 : He was..Inpotent for to goon or Ryde.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)51/2,14 : Þe myȝti conquerowre Iulius was vnable and impotente to venqvische hem..And þis continued so longe þat þe Romeynes were impotent to venqvesshe or resiste.
c
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)1098 : Ande ther yowur v wyttys offendyde has, Ande to mak a-sythe by Impotent, My v wyttys..Hathe made a-sythe to þe Father suffycyent.
d
- a1450(a1449) Lydg.WTongue (Hnt EL 26.A.13)39 : And ȝif so be that of perfitnesse Thow haste a-vowed to lyue yn chastite, Than wille folkes of thy person expresse Thow art ympotent tengendre yn thi degre.
- c1475 A philosophre (Hrl 372)p.39 : And wel I wote that I am impotent; Thus must I nedes, allas, be contynent.
e
- c1450 Lydg.IVMass (Add 31042)282 : Impotent [Trin-C: Iesu..Agayne our febylnesse and our impotence, Left..Hys body, hys blood].
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1553 : The holy man Ioob as an impotent Then folowyd in pycture with Thoby pacyent.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)39* : If any man fall impotente, he hath styll the same wages that he had when he might doe best service, during my ladyes lyfe.
Note: Mod. gloss (b) 'incapacitated'
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (BodeMus 187:Harvey)f.26r (2.4) : By resoun þerof, þe 2 digestioun is impotent, i. vnmyȝty, for to make & wirke digestioun os it schulde done, & so is þe vryn white.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.114ra (3.19) : When 'ypostasis nigra' holt him low in þe botume, it seiþ þat þe mater is wel heuy & wol mykel, and þat kynde is wel feble and impotent for to wirken and wiþouten help & þat kynde faileþ and þerfor þer is noght but deþ.
Note: Additional quots., prob. sense (b).