Middle English Dictionary Entry
armō̆nīe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | armō̆nīe n. Also armeny, ermonie. |
| Etymology | L harmonia, from Gr. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The action of singing or making music; harmonious sounds, song, music; (b) the combining of simultaneous musical notes to form chords; harmony; (c) a song, a musical composition; (d) the music of the spheres; also, as simulated by a man-made device [quot. Metham].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)48b/b : By swete voys & song & armonye, acoord & musik, sike men & mad & frenetik comeþ ofte of hire witte aȝee.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1285 : Þer men herde þe briddes freschely syng, In tyme of ȝere, in her armonye.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)63 : The melodye herde he That cometh of thilke speres thryes thre, That welle is of musik and melodye In this world here, and cause of armonye.
- c1450(c1400) ?Clanvowe Cuckoo & N.(Frf 16)83 : The ryver..made suche a noyse as hit ronne Acordaunt to the foules ermonye.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21571 : Her he maketh me sytte and pleye With soote song and armonye.
- ?a1500 Job (Hnt HM 140)57 : The myrthes in Instrumentes with armony at the fest..So merely was toched.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)333b/a : Simphonia is temperate modulacioun acording in sownes hiȝ and lowȝ, and by þis armony hiȝe vois acordeþ so þat if oon discordeþ it grieueþ þe hieryng.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)335a/b : Musike and armonye ooneþ and acordeþ dyuerse þinges and contrary, & makeþ þe hyhe sowne acorde to þe lowe and þe lowe to þe hihe.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1671 : Ioyne your elements musically..withe accordes which in musicke be, withe theyr proporcions causen armonye moche like proporcions be in alchymie.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.55 : Donston..herde aungels synge..Kyrieleyson..þe melodye and note of þat armonye is ȝit famous among Englischemen.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)415/26 : The nyne ordres [of angels]..in ther thre Jerarchies Preisen the lord with ther soote armonies.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)106b/a : Of metynge of roundenes and of contrarie neouynge [read: meouynge] of planetis, comeþ swete armenye..& makeþ an euen soun & corde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)115b/b : In þe armonye of heuene, þe mone makeþ þe heuyest soun.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1812 : And ther he saugh, with ful avysement, The erratik sterres, herkenyng armonye With sownes ful of hevenyssh melodie.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)519 : In the este ende off this tempyl this spere apperyd alofft..thei raueschyd were be the sqwete armony Off the qwyfft [!] glydyng of thise cerkyllys, by and by.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.2.87b : Myn aungil..schewed me the firmament, which with his turnyng a boute made a wonder armonye.
2.
Harmoniousness, sweetness of sound.
Associated quotations
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)255 : Þat they noght Hir song sholde heere, lest the armonye Hem mighte vn-to swich deedly sleep han broght.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2063 : Þe song of hem is..angelik and ful of armonye.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4247 : Discordaunt ever fro armonye.
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)209 : They beganne to synge Moste aungelyk with hevenly armonye.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)12/23 : In songe þai ryn of clene companys & lufly armony.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1396 : The hevenyssh melodye Of songes, ful of armonye, I herde aboute her trone ysonge.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)14262 : Your goodly throte vp dresse, Wych ys so fful off melodye And off hevenly Armonye.
3.
The art or science of musical composition or of harmony.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.165 : The seconde of Mathematique, Which is the science of Musique..techeth upon Armonie A man to make melodie Be vois and soun of instrument Thurgh notes of acordement.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.649 : He dide excelle gretli in poetrye..Excelled in musik & in armonye.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)1463 : Orpheus..of me wolde neuer take hede, Nor of his armonye oo poynt me teche, In musical proporcyon rymes to lede.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.383-4 : He departed this scyens [of music] in thre..In to metir, to ryme, and to armonye; Armonye is in voys, in smytynge or wynde; Symphonye and Euphonye arn of his kynde.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)698 : In beholdynge the byrdes bare shank-bone Or els of reede in sum fenny place, As she sumtyde had hir contemplacion Of armonye and swete modulacion.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.377 : Siringa, wife to Cadmus..departede from here howsebonde for the luffe of armony.
4.
An orderly combination of parts, the adaptation of one part to another or of the part to the whole, agreement; also, spiritual harmony, concord, friendship.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)37b/b : By let of suche membres, þe vertu of felinge & meuynge is principalliche & most hastiliche I let, And þe armonye, acoord, and oneinge of al þe body is dissolued & to deled.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)333a/b : The Worlde..is compowned and y made in a certein acorde and proporcioun of armeny..alle þe lymes of þe body beþ socied togideres by vertu of armony.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)30a/a : Þe membre may nouȝt receyue þe lyf..for destroyeng of complexioun & of þe armonye i. þe swete accorde þerof.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)78/40 : This armony, this melody, this perdurable joye may nat be in doinge but betwene hevens and elementes, or twey kyndly hertes ful knit in trouth or naturel understonding, withouten weninge and disceit.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)97/75 : Our noble god..by armony this world ordeyned.