Middle English Dictionary Entry
impugnen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | impugnen v. Also empugnen, impungnen, empungnen, empingnen. |
| Etymology | OF impugner & L impugnāre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To fight against (sb.), make war on (a city, country); (b) to overcome (sb. or sth.); subdue, put down; (c) to resist (sth.), oppose; (d) to disturb (one's peace); (e) to assail (sb.) spiritually, tempt.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.55.2 : A man to-trad me, al day impugnende trublide me [WB(2): he impugnyde and troublide me; L impugnans tribulavit me].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Mac.11.41 : Thei inpungneden [WB(2): inpugnyden; L impugnabant] Yrael.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Judg.9.44 : He roos and felde on hem with his cumpeny and enpugnyde [L oppugnans] and bisegide the citee.
- a1425 WBible(2) Gloss.1 Mac.(Frf 2)15.39 : Bi this he miȝte bettere impugne Judee.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)139.188 (v.2:p.391) : Oon clepid Vitalis, a proud man and a capteyn of Frederykkkys ost, inpungnyd Assi[s]e and dystroyid and wastyd al the cuntre theraboute.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 9.21 : Alle men that herden him wondriden and seiden, 'Wher this is not that inpugnide [L expugnabat] in Jerusalem hem that inclepiden this name?'
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)110b : Oure peynes beoþe inpungned and oure kyngedomes ouercomen.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.St.Giles (LdMisc 683)296 : Maugre alle tho that lyst at it dysdeyne, Thyn hous tenpugne they shal nat prevayll.
c
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)1 Esd.6.12 : God..distrie alle rewmes and puple that holdith forth her hond to impugne [WB(1): that thei withstonde; L ut repugnet] and destrie thilke hows of God, which is in Jerusalem.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)32/12 : Þat wickid lawe of þe flesch..which..euermoore inpugneþ and contrarieþ þe spirit.
d
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1005 : Þei nyl suffre noon of no degre Tenpugne his quiete in any maner wyse.
e
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.195 : Þe abbesse Sara was þrittene ȝere to gyders inpugned [L impugnata] and i-tempted of a fende.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)19a/a : He [a devil] is gileful..þerfore to fore þe witte schal be a redy arayed to wiþstonde as he is to impugne & to assayle.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)24/26 : It is not profitable þat þei lacke uttirly temptacions, but ofte tymes be impugned lest þei be to seure.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)110/22 : Þou dwellist amonge enemyes; þou art impugned on þe riȝt honde & on þe lifte honde.
2.
(a) To dispute the authority or validity of (a law, custom, religion, charter, legal right, contract, pardon, etc.); dispute the value of (sth.); question the truth of (a story); reject or repudiate (sb. or sth.); ~ ayen, break (the law); (b) to find fault with (sth.), condemn; ~ of, find fault with (sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)8.155 : Al þis makeþ me..to þenken..On Pers þe plouh-man and whuch a pardoun he hedde And hou þe preost inpugnede [vrr. inpungnyd, enpugned, enpugnedid] hit al bi pure Resoun.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.297 : A chartre is chalengeable byfor a chief iustice; If false latyne be in þe lettre, þe lawe it inpugneth [vr. impugnes], Or peynted parenterlinarie [or] parceles ouer-skipped.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.123 : Pieres þe ploughman hath inpugned vs alle, And sette alle sciences at a soppe saue loue one.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)16.131 : Peers..þe plouhman..enpugnede [vrr. inpugned, enpungnede, enpyngned] ones Alle kyne konnynges and alle kyne craftes.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)73/29 : And procuryng of heiȝ state of worschip of holy chirche inpugneþ mekenesse.
- (1415) Hoccl.Oldcastle (Hnt HM 111)172 : Our goode fadres olde Possessid were..of Crystes feith, & no man wolde Impugne hir right.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)350 : Þes sectis inpungnen þe gospel, and also þe olde lawe, for þei chargen more þer owne statute, alȝif it be aȝens Goddis lawe, þan þei done þe lawe of þe gospel.
- (1427) Doc.in Flasdieck Origurk.71 : The whiche the Reuersion of the same Manoirs..beth vn to the heyres of the body of the same Hugh bigetyn, shal not be interupt, impugned, nor disturbed by the same John ne his heirs.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.2267 : It is a thyng odible, Thynges tenpugne, awtentik and olde, Which notable clerkis in ther daies tolde.
- (1446) *Dec.Guilt Coventry (Cleo E.3) : I, impugnyng the said custom by a nothir vnlawfull mean, said and affermed that, [etc.].
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)254 : Leo the Thridde Emperour..impungned ymagis with al his power, and he brake ymagis and punyschid men soor whiche wolde vse hem.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)53 : My lord iesu crist shal arere aȝenst the an aduersary of þe fayth þat þou ympugnest, whyche schal wyth hys wrethefulle swerde kutte þy cursed heed from þy hatefulle body.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)15/6 : In þis artycle is vnderstonde acursyd..alle opyn thevys & oþere þat impugne aȝen þe lawe & þe ryȝt of oure kyng & of his reem.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)391 : Þen þai confermyd þis entayle bi lawe so stronge to þe seculer party þat no man, safe anticriste and his disciples, may openly enpugne þis entaile.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.289 : The heresy of the Acephales was spronge, whiche impugnede the cownesayle Calcedonense.
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.315 : And if ony ordinaunce in this manner wise is thus aproued, afterward be it not empungned.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.109 : Ac of the cardinales atte Courte þat..power presumed in hem a Pope to make, To han þat power þat peter hadde, inpugnen [C: repugnen] I nelle.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)8904 : All this [is] wele; I can empugne her [Rwl: enpyngne it; Add: enpugne it] neuer a dele.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)122 : Which favour, peraventure, sum hasty unconsideres schulen not aspie, and schulen therfore peraventure the soner impugne.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)3/5 : Defensis aȝens hem whiche wolen inpugne þe conceit and þe deuise of þis book.