Middle English Dictionary Entry
laueful adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | laueful adj. Also lafful, (error) laþfol. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI lögfullr. For forms, cp. laue n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Permitted by law, lawful, legal; (b) permitted by divine law or church law, moral; (c) rightful, honorable; (d) law; ~ seiing, a judge.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)283a/b : It was nought laweful [L non licebat] to þe preste of maumetes to touche þe hors.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.5.17 : Prisown, lawe, and thise othere tormentz of laweful peynes ben rather owed to felonus citezeins..than for good folk.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)289 : Lawfulle: Legitimus, juridicus, legalis.
- (1448) Doc.in Sundby Dial.Wor.(Eg Charter 608)254 : The enfeffeis..Shullen enffeffe and make laufull estaste wyth in amoneth after the seid espoucelles beyn had.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)388/8 : If þere were any creatours..so occupyed in lawefulle occupacyouns þat þay were lettid..fro þe forseide exercise.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)98/23 : Forȝyue þi wretthe..forȝeue þi lawefull accyoun & seke ferst loue þat þou mowe haue double mede in heuen!
- (1461) RParl.5.465b : Understandyng certainly the seid title of the seid Richard Duc of York just, lawfull, trewe, and suffisaunt.
- (1463) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2.p.68 : Also that hit be leeffull and lawefull to euery crafte holder of Weuer is crafte to helpe his neighbour.
- (1474) RParl.6.104b : That..the same Thomas..have..all the seid..Londes..into which the same Thomas..atte tyme of the seid Acte..had laufull cause of entre.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.71.49b : He is excused þeiȝ he strife and pursowe for his goodes be laweful weyes for to han hem agein.
b
- (1357) Gaytr.LFCatech.(Yk-Borth R.I.11)68/343 : Matirmonye..is a lawefull festenyng bitwix man and woman.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1014 : The seconde condicioun is that thy shrift be laweful, that is to seyn, that thow shryuest thee, and eek the preest that hereth thy confessioun ben verraily in the feith of holy chirche.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)60b/b : Oþir wise þan it is I-grauntid to laweful generacioun of children.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)26903 : Quer he neu scrift agh..Noght allan for his ald plight..Or for þas oþer, þe quilk he bette Bot noght wit penance laghful sett.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)29/9 : Þe kyng..wole do what is lawful to hym by þe lawe of God Almyȝty.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.7.2 : Ylke womman hafe sche hyr husbande þat is laghfulle.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)30/1 : Who-so haz a wyfe lauful [L mulierem legitimam], late hym vse hyr laufully at conable tymes.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.313 : Uter Pendragon..brouȝhte from Yrlonde the stones..callede Stanhenges thro helpe of Merlinus the prophete, after the story of Briteyne, and if hit be lawefulle to ȝiffe credence þerto [L si fas sit credere].
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Lamb 633)194/19 : A man is note bound to pay his wif the dette of wedlak in an holy place..But yef a man and his vif were long tym in that place vyolenly enclossid, hit wer laffull to tham to do that ded.
c
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)9213 : Syr Iosue heyght..to send vs pese..And kyng saul..with his batels he bare vs down; Þat was noyȝt lafull thyng.
- c1450 I warne vche (Lamb 853)98 : Ech man þat..loueþ a lawful lijf to lede, He ne may mys..Þe myrþis of heuen to haue.
- a1500 *Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)3/5 : Which aftir good amendement and lawfull correction..redressith the lordeshippes and the people in perfight peece.
- a1500 Leg.Cross BC(1) (Wor F.172)212 : Whan of lawful estymacioun [L institutione legittima] thei sacrifice in mounteyns, God bihield to the yiftis of Abel.
d
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)36a/a : Iuridicus: laful seggynge.
2.
(a) Prescribed by law, sanctioned by law; ~ age, age of legal responsibility; ~ moneie, legal money; ~ weght, standard weight; (b) prescribed by divine law or church law; ~ month, the month of the Mosaic code.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)3033 : Gordoille..nam hire laþfolne oþ þat ȝe leȝe nolde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)333a/b : Vncia..weyeþ eighte dragmes, þat is, foure and twenty scruples, þat is y-take for laweful weighte.
- (1426) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.15 : xlty scheelynges of laughfull money of jnglond.
- (1434) EEWills99/23 : Yf the seyde Kateryne & Iohane my doughtres dye withinne laweful age, than y woll that the seyd mesuage..be solde.
- (1448) Doc.in Sundby Dial.Wor.(Eg Charter 608)255 : The seid Thomas shall pay..x li. yerly of laufull money.
- (1449) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.3393 : I, suster Johan Arundell, mynchyn of the Monastery of Synt Johan the Apostell..yn laful age ysette.
- (1459) Will Fastolf in Nrf.Archaeol.2229 : iiijm marc of laufulle money of England.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)231/11 : Hyt hathe not be vsyd of dewte, noþer of no oþer lawefull maner..for [to] distribute..to þe power..of bloxham..halfe a quarter of corne.
- (1475) RParl.6.144a : There shall be..geve in almes xxiii s. iiii d. of laufull money of Englond to the poore people.
- a1500(1396) Indent.Francisc.in RS 4.1 (Vit F.12)526 : The sayd Mayer bynds hym and hys successors..to paye yerly..xl d. of good and lawful mony of Yenglond.
- a1500 GRom.(Add 9066)296 : Whan the sone shall come to lawfull age [vr. full Age], it shall be tolde hym.
- a1525(?1421) Cov.Leet Bk.29 : But hit be furst brought to the Geylhall dore, & ouerseen by the maiour that hit haue lawfull wyghtz.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.10.11 : Ȝe teche þe sonys of Jrael alle my lawfull þynges þat þe lord haþ spoken to hem.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.16.34 : Þis shal be lauful [WB(2): a lawful thing; L legitimum] to ȝow euermore, þat ȝe prey for þe sonys of Irael.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1027 : Ones a yeere atte leeste wey it is laweful for to ben housled.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)124a/b : Among þe ebrewis lawful monthes hauen names of þe mevinge of þe moone and nouȝt of þe cours of þe sonne.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)54/30 : Ich haue bitake hit to þe & to þi sones for þe office of prest, lawful [L legitima] wiþouten ende.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)121/36 : And it is lawefull for to schaue and to clyppe oure berdes, oure heeres, and oure crownes.
3.
Law-abiding; also, loyal, not treasonable [quot.: c1475]; ~ man, a good man and true; a man acceptable as a juror, a juror.
Associated quotations
- ?c1335 Whose þenchiþ vp (Hrl 913)p.134 : To entredite and amonsi Al þai, whate hi euir be, Þat lafful men doþ robbi.
- ?c1335 Whose þenchiþ vp (Hrl 913)p.137 : Þe lafful man ssal be ibund..And ihold in fast prisund.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.35 : Take hede of seuene persones whos dedes me writeþ in stories..kyng in his rewme..iuge in plee, bisshop in clergie, lawefulman in þe peple [L politici in populo], housbond in hous..Of þe whiche springeþ out seuen manere of famous doynge, buldynge of citees..makynge of lawes, correccioun of trespas, help of þe comyn profiȝt, gouernynge of meyny and of householde.
- (1425) RParl.4.289b : The saide..Marchantz..with two lawfull men with thaym, that wollen swere..that the..Wollefell is perished.
- (1432) RParl.4.403a : Non amercementes be sett..apon no person, but by the othes of worthy and lawefull persones.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.44/17 : After by þe syȝght of lawfull men þe harme that þere bestes haue i-doo..þey make hit to be amendid.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.161/4,9 : In þe same state in þe which it whas i-purueyed by þe siȝght of lawfull men of þe hundrede..when the hundrede whas þere i-callid to-gedur in the tyme of John of Worton, baylyff..as þenne markyng whas i-sette..by the foresaide lawfull men.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)prol.63 : Ȝit it is secrette, and so it shall lenger Tyll wyser wittis han waytid it ouere That it be lore lawefful and lusty to here.
4.
(a) Permissible; (b) ?customary; (c) of the parturition of the ass: regular, normal.
Associated quotations
a
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)94/10 : It schuld noȝt be lawefull..fro the tyme of none forþeward for to wasche here hedis, ne for to honge here cloþes to drye on the hegge.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.18.3 : After þe manere of þe regyon of canaan..ȝe sholyn not do, ne in þe lauful þynges of hem ȝe sholyn go.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.20.23 : Nole ȝe goon in þe lauful þyngys [L legitimis] of nacions..alle forsoþe þese þyngys þey han doon.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)266a/a : Plinius seiþ þere þat þe burthe of þe asse is most an ydel after þritty moneþes and is laweful and profitable after þre ȝeer.
5.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1230) Close R.Hen.III281 : Hugoni Lafful.
- (1267) Pat.R.Hen.III86 : William de Laghfulle.
- (1293) Close R.Edw.I325 : Henry Laghful.
- (1402) Feudal Aids 5224 : Johannes Laughfull.