Middle English Dictionary Entry
lā̆rǧenes(se n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lā̆rǧenes(se n. Also largnesse, largines. |
| Etymology | From lā̆rǧe adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Liberality in giving or spending; virtuous willingness to give or spend freely; the virtue whose opposite is covetousness; generosity, munificence; -- also personified; (b) liberal bestowal of gifts, bountiful giving; ~ of yiftes; don ~, to bestow gifts freely.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chart.Abbey HG (LdMisc 210)338 : In whiche abbeye..dwellen xxix gostly ladyes..Misericord & Largenesse.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)256a/b : Wyn..torneþ þe soule out of cruelnesse in to myldenesse, out of coueytyse in to largenesse.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)27404 : Gains ilk sake Es serekin penance sett to take..Largenes [Frf: largesse] sett again couetteis.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.632 : Largenesse þe lady heo let in ful manye.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)5602 : Heo..by weyled his prowes, His ȝongh, his streyngh, his largenesse [Auch: largesse].
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)157/21 : A soule schulde..raþir bihold þe ȝift of my goostly comfort grauntid to hir by my gracious largenesse þan me.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)375/35 : O meruelous largenes, O eendelees & infinyte good, O al woundid in loue, me semeþ þat þou hast nede of us wrecchide creaturis.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)182/15 : Aȝayns couetys take largenes.
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)76/26 : Lo child, pride distroyt meknes; envie distroyit charite, coveytise, largenesse.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)65 : Þou [God] hast largenes, freenes, kyndenes or gentilnes infinite and wiþoute mesoure.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3404 : Syn it lokid has þe largenes of þe lord of heuen, Þat me þis diademe of Dary demed is & graunted.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)193/10 : Þe ferþe þing þat schal moue men to mercye, þat is þe grete largenesse of oure lord.
- c1450 How mankinde dooþ (Lamb 853)185 : Quod largenes in almesse dede, 'Coueitise councelliþ þee amys.'
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)68/5 : He is myrroure of all noblenes and largenes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)148/7 : God thonke youre largenesse of youre grete goodnesse and of youre bounte!
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)219/1 : Saynt Laurence schowet aȝeyne couytyce largynes.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)220/13 : Aȝeynys couetyse he [St. Laurence] schewyd largines.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.393 : Þe fader ȝaf hym to skilful largenesse and frenesse of ȝiftes.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.221 : Cato was greet in clennes of lyf, and Iulius in largenesse of ȝiftes [L magnificentia].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1051 : To fastynge apertenen..Largenesse to poure folk, gladnesse of herte espirituel, [etc.].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)18.64 : Loo! laurence for hus largenesse!..He gaf godes men goodes, and nat to grete lordes.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Heb.13.16 : Wile ȝee not forgete þe largenes of almesse deede and þe comynynge of charite.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)268/10 : Þere were manye of hem þat for largenesse þat þei diden to poore men leften her chirchis in dette.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Priesthood (Corp-C 296)174 : Prestis weiward of lif..colouren..glotonye bi largenesse & fedynge of pore men.
- a1450(a1401) Chastising GC (Bod 505)147/8 : Sum tyme of þe largenesse of þe ȝift of god, peyne folwiþ þe trespas.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)86/21 : He gave so grete gyftes that euery man mervelled for the grete largenes.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)646/25 : Benefettes..hathe be grauntyd thorow largenes of trew cristin men & pepul.
- a1500(a1475) Ashby Dicta (Cmb Mm.4.42)908 : In largenesse of money be right bolde.
2.
Abundance, plenty, fullness; ~ of wombe, ?fullness of the alimentary tract; ?looseness of the bowels.
Associated quotations
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Deut.30.9 : Thi Lord God schal make thee to be plenteuouse..in largenesse [WB(1): largyte; L largitate] of alle thingis.
- a1425 Templ.Dom.(Add 32578)768 : Honger & thirst, deseyse & colde, In heuene is wele-fare & largenesse.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)107b/b : As an auerous, i. nigard or constipate, wombe oppresseþ al actez, i. dedes, so his ychday largnesse [L largitas] norisheþ hem.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)121b/a : In þe begynnynge procede wiþ localie remedies and diete & drinke and largenesse of wombe and wiþ drawinge of blode to þe contrarie place.
3.
(a) Spatial extent or extension; (b) size, great size, magnitude; (c) breadth, width, diameter; (d) breadth of spirit or mind; ~ of herte; (e) enlarged condition, enlargement.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)107a/b : Celum imperium..is in largenesse [L amplitudine] fro þe middel poynt of þe worlde.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)68 : For all þe largenes of lenth at he luke myȝt, Slik was þe multitude of mast..Þat..a hare wod it semyd.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)153 : Ordeyne thee anothir glas that the mouth be almoost as the jordans mouth of largenes.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)129/11 : Otheris sayd that vnneth wolde Suffice to ar kynges hoste the largenesse of al Grece in lond, See, ne hyre.
b
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7023 : Hym was shewed a paleys..Myȝte no man ayme þe largenesse [vr. largesse; F grandur], Ne tunge telle þe feyrnesse.
- c1400 Wycl.CGosp.John (Bod 243:Hudson)38/41 : If he vndurstood perfitly of þe Creatour, he schulde not mystriste of þe largenesse of his power [Alcuin in loc. (in Catena Aurea): eius potentiae largitate].
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1370 : Ouer the said librarie an hows of the same largenesse.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)794 : In a twelmonth he waxed more Of largenes and eke of lore Than any othir in yeres thre.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Pseudo-F.(Dub 245)306 : Freris..ben a-boute to hyde heere synnes, but certis largenesse of heere abitis hydiþ not synnes fro god.
c
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)19/30 : Þere nygh is the Foss of Mennon, þat is all round, & it is an hundred cubytes of largeness [F de large].
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)37/2 : Alizandre is wel xxxti furlonges in lengthe, but it is but x on largeness.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)174/24 : Syrie..in largeness it begynneth toward the north to the cytee of Maraga; And it strecceth toward the South vnto the see Occean.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)318 : That was Jocund and Joly..was þe souerayne Citie..Of length & largenes louely to see.
d
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)3 Kings 4.29 : God ȝaf wisdam to Salomon..and laargenesse of herte [WB(2) Gloss.(Cld): largenesse of herte, to spende in greet worschip; L latitudinem cordis], as grauel that is in the brenk of the see.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ps.117.5 : Of tribulacioun Y inwardli clepide the Lord; and the Lord herde me in largenesse [WB(1): in breede; L in latitudine].
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)97 : Justinianus Secundus..with his wisdam and largenesse encresed the empire, and broute it to mech worchip.
e
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)151a/b : Of passiounz of þe matrice..Largenez [L Amplificatio]. Be þe matrice constreyned..wiþ puluer, [etc.].