Middle English Dictionary Entry
incrē̆dūlitẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | incrē̆dūlitẹ̄ n. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Disbelief, skepticism; also, lack of religious faith.
Associated quotations
- a1475(1430) Lydg.St.Marg.(Dur-U Cosin V.2.14)249 : Fynal cause of thi mortal distresse Is thi wilful incredulite.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)7.435 : The body of seynte Cuthebert was founde incorrupte in the iiijc yere after his sepulture, with the hedde of seynte Oswalde, for the incredulite [Trev.: mysbyleve; L incredulitatem] of diverse prelates.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Prayer Cross (LdMisc 683)19 : Geyn Thomas Indis Incredulyte, He put his hand depe in my syde doun.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.132 : Be vntrest and incredulitee, he dos some grete disese Als shewed in Achab, Achaz, Jeroboam, and moises.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1500 15c.Serm.Cycle (Glo 22)171/96 : And when þei came before þe pope, he had grete mervell of þe infydelyte and incrudelyte of þe woman; and also he mervelyd moche of þe grete myrakyll þat God schewyed þere.
Note: Editor's note: "incrudelyte: both manuscripts, obviously dependent on a faulty exemplar, preserve this erroneous form brought about through transposition of the stressed vowels /u:/ and /e/. No such form is recorded in either MED or OED. 'Incredulity', with the meaning required here ('want of religious faith, unbelief': OED, s.v. Incredulity 2), is recorded only three times, its use confined to the period 1532-1619."
Note: New form, ?error.