Middle English Dictionary Entry
informāciǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | informāciǒun n. Also -tion, enformacioun, enfromacion, enfarmacion. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Instruction, direction, teaching; (b) information, intelligence, message; (c) advice, counsel, urging; legal advice.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.33 : Fyve bookes com doun from heven for informacioun of mankynde, þe Sauȝter, Moyses bookes, þe bookes of prophetes, þe gospel, of Machometus his Alcoranum.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.3362 : Forthi to thi salvacion Thou schalt have enformacioun Such as Silvestre schal the teche.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)8a/b : Diuynyte vsith holy informacioun and poesies þat myistik & dirk vndirstondinge and figuratif speches..may be I-take of þe liknes of þinges þat beþ I-seye.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)1 Tim.1.16 : Iesu Crist wolde furst schewen in me eferych pacyence, to þe informacyon of hem þat schulden lyfen to hym in-to an eferlastynge lyf.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1302 : And he..Toke or he went informacioun From poynt to poynt of þis gret charge.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.34 : Thow..pursuydest hir with sentences that weren drawen out of myn entre (that is to seyn, of myn enformacioun).
- (?a1430) Hoccl.Mir.Virg.(Hnt HM 744)9 : This man had a yong sone Vn-to which he yaf informacion Euery day..For to seye..The angelike salutacion.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)419/268 : The Kyng, the Queen..Be holy Fremundis informacioun..They shulde receyue..Baptem.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)371 : Bi direccioun and informacioun of þis illumynacioun or leernyng we myȝte loue þee.
- (1450) RParl.5.178b : The seid Duke of Suffolk..hath..opened to your seid grete Ennemye Charles..all Instructions and Informations geven to your seid Ambassiatours.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)25/17 : They myht..more clerely yeue informacyon to her seruauntys, rent gedurarys and receyuowrs.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)255/714 : How ȝe xal ete þis lombe I xal ȝeve infformacion.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)57a/b : It is necessarie..þat þou comvne myche wiþ..þe moste expert personys..of þe same science by weye of informacioun.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)150/14 : I hoppe that he by thy techynge and enformacion..shall be..worthy to the gouernance of a realme.
- a1500 Craft Dying (Rwl C.894)407 : The iiiith [part] conteyneth ane informacion with certeyne obsecracions to hem þat schulden dye.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.593 : This fieverous maladie..Makth the Jelous..To lese of love his appetit Thurgh feigned enformacion Of his ymaginacion.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)111 : Þe remenaunte shuld be ȝeue bi þe maister of þe game some to gentilmen of þe contre bi enfarmacion of þe forster or parker.
- (1411) RParl.3.650b : By sinistr information, I havyng doute of harme of my body..dyd assemble thise persones that here been.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.903 : With informacioun Þis messanger..To Achilles helde þe riȝt way.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)210/2 : I schewed hym this tretys þat I had made after informacioun of men þat knewen of thinges þat I had not seen my self.
- (c1426) Paston2.18 : This scrowe is mad only for the informacion of..the arbitrores.
- (1432) Let.Christ Ch.in RS 85.3161 : Whanne we have..ful informacion her off be wrytyng enselyd be seyd Abot, we scal do so.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)5.2246 : Persa gaff hym fals enformacioun.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)9742 : The prynce..whan of þe cause he had informacyoun, He hyt foryaf.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)69 : He iche word..In Latyne yt expugnyd and thus be hys infformacion I had the trwe ground.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)63/4 : That þis is likly to be soth, I a-legge a testimonie whech I haue be informacion of my Lord Beamound.
- (1464) Paston (Gairdner)4.88 : I have spoken onto Catesby, and delyvered hym your enfromacion.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)22829 : I..Preyed hir..To ȝeue me infformacyoun Off name and of condyscyoun.
- a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)82/26 : Þey were putte in soche verray & experte informacioun þat..none bodi may dwelle..þere.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1619 : The cause of thy commyng Ys to vndyrstand, be myn enformacion..the mater of Morpheus hys shewyng.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.3060 : Melibe hadde herd the grete skiles and resons of dame Prudence and hir wise informaciouns and techynges.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)42/22 : No suche wolde chese his burielis among hem but by informacioun, & consail of freres.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6202 : Agamenoun Hath be counseil and informacioun Of wyse Calchas made sette vp on þe londe, In-to an Ile.
- (1429) Doc.in Flasdieck Origurk.75 : He..shall discontinue or make discontinue..þe foresaid taile..as þe councell of þe foresaid Richart can best deuyse and gyff hym jnformacion.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)324 : Þat he be redy to ȝeue counceil and informacioun to pryncis how þei schulen deeme and reule her legis.
- (1447) Shillingford17 : Y truste to God hit shall be right well with youre gode enformacion and helpe therto.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)73/4 : To princys and to þe comunalte..assistence and counseil and informacioun and exortacioun ȝeuing.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.1116 : Stable tongis and good enformacions Causeth loue to be right sadde and true.
2.
(a) Accusation, allegation; (b) evidence, explanation, exposition; (c) legal inquiry, inquisition.
Associated quotations
a
- (1386) RParl.3.225b : Thanne were such proclamacions made..bi suggestion & informacion of suche that wolde nought her falsnesse had be knowen to owre lige Lorde.
- (1432) Paston2.38 : The said Erle..maye not..lette malicious and untrewe men to make informacions of his persone.
- (1467-8) RParl.5.633a : Every persone that wille sue or compleyn ayenst eny persone..offendyng..ayenst..this Ordenaunce..be admitted..to gyve enformation for the Kyng theryn.
- (1474) RParl.6.118b : The same refuser to make fyne..to your Highnes, by processe..oute of your Eschequer, by enformation there to be made..if the same enformation by confession or triell be founde true.
b
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)318 : Crist..bi occasioun of greet persecucioun or for eny oþer cause of playner informacioun þer bi to be maad, made..þe seid preesthode.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)362 : Of whiche booþe maners of knowing we haue wel toward sufficient informacioun bi al þe processe from þe bigynnyng of þis book hidirto rennyng.
- (1448) Shillingford38 : Y spake with the ijde Chif Justise..to whom oure mater myche was rawe. He understode and toke my seyyng and ynformacion [yn the moste] beste wise.
c
- (1450) RParl.5.206b : Yff it may..appere bifore the seid Chaunceler and Justicez, by ther dewe examynacion, enformacion, or inquisicion..that eny such Yeftes..were made.
3.
(a) Inspiration, activation; (b) confirmation, strengthening; (c) institution, establishment; (d) nature, construction.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1330 : He traceth ofte upon the grounde Makende his invocacioun; And for full enformacioun The Scole which Honorius Wrot, he poursuieth; and lo, thus Magique he useth.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)4.310 : Crist was..First a prophete by holy informacion.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)2/4 : If he..reule him aftir þe informacioun and þe stiryng which his grace makiþ to him, he and his werk schulen be acceptid of god.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)29/34 : Marie himselfe, be he neuer so perfyte, may nott begynne ne contynue ony good lyfe with-out swetenes and informacion of the same holy goste.
b
- c1410 Mirror Sinners(1) (UC 97)436 : Þe bisy vnderstondyng of this sentence is distruccion of pruyde..voidyng of boost and of vanytee, informacion of leernyng, perfeccion of hoolynesse.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)185 : And so vsed the lorde of vertues thise four principall vertues..for oure doctrine and informacioun in vertues.
- a1500 GRom.(Add 9066)193 : Aungell, to the whiche god yave suche enformacion [Hrl: confirmacion], that thei mow not synne.
c
- (1449) Rec.Norwich 2278 : To enformacion and encres of good rewle and fortefyenge of pes and sadde governaunce.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)60/23 : There is thre-fold auctorite of fastynge..the þridde is of the informacion [L institutione] and mageste of the superioure commaundynge.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)41b/b : Ȝif þe place of teeres þat folewiþ to þe corner of þe yȝe is moche fleisschy..it signifieþ stowtnes & euel informacioun [Tol: formacion; L astutia et formatio mala].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Treat.Perf.(Add 37790)232/37 : For sothely in the selfe informacioun of the oned alle spyrrytis want þer wirkynge.
- c1450 Treat.Perf.(Add 37790)233/10 : For he is alwaye drawyn in the be [read: be the] informacioun of þe ooned of god.
Note: New sense: 3.(e) drawing into mystical union--per KC