Middle English Dictionary Entry
lī̆bel(le n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lī̆bel(le n. |
| Etymology | OF libelle & L libellus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A formal written statement; (b) a legal instrument containing a statement of charges; a litigant's statement of his case, plea, complaint, etc.; fig. the Lord's Prayer; (c) a treatise, book; a major section of a larger book.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10234 : Þe king..hom anon sende Is heye Iustice..Þat ȝuf þe erchebissop..Wolde eni þing toward him, þat hii sende him libel.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Num.5.23 : Þe prest shal write in a libel [WB(2): litil book; L libello] þees corsed þyngys.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.24.1 : He shal write alibel [WB(2): libel, ethir litil book; L libellum] of forsakynge, & he shal ȝeue in þe honde of here.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.5.31 : Who euere shal leeue his wyf, ȝeue he to hir a libel, that is, a litil boke, of forsakyng.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Mat.5.31 : Whoso lefeþ his wyf, hym byhoueþ ȝefe to hire a lybel of forsakyng.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1536 : Egistus..Of fals tresoun..Þe kynges douȝter haþ outterly forsake, And in al haste dide a lybel make And forge a writ of repulsioun.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Mat.19.7 : What thanne comaundide Moises to ȝyue a libel of forsakyng and to leeue of?
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.161 : A cownsayle was kepede at Seleucia..where a libelle [Trev.: bille; L libello] porrecte to Constancius whom Hillarius hade made, the seide Hilliarius was suffrede to go to..Pictavia.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)40/9 : Þe vifte byeþ þe ualse notaryes þet makeþ þe ualse lettres..makeþ þe kueade libelles and to uele oþre ualshedes.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1595 : May I nat axe a libel, sire somnour, And answere there by my procuratour To swich thyng as men wole opposen me?
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)111 : So he that was domesman made the libelle [the Lord's Prayer] in her cause, aȝenst the whiche he myȝte not ȝeue his dome and his sentence.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)60 : They have day tyl the ffriday affter to make her libell.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)131/21 : A fals notarye þat makyth false letterys, libellys, or false actys, instrumentys.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.201/17 : I, John of Sutton..knowlegh þoo thynges i-toolde In the libelle of þabbot and couent of Oseney..to be true.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.145 : Mony of the bischoppes hade gedrede compleyntes eiche ageyne other and brouȝhte theyme to themperour..and..he brente the libelles [Trev.: billes; L libellos] of the compleyntes.
c
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)p.1 : Here beginneth the Prologe of the processe of the Libelle of Englyshe polycye.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)1142 : Go furthe, libelle [vr. lytle bylle], and mekely shewe thy face.
- c1450(?c1425) St.Mary Oign.(Dc 114)150/22 : Now putte wee an ende to þis firste libelle, in þe whiche we haue seyde of þoos thinges þat pertene to..þe body.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)34/2 : In þus libelle, þe wch me semythe may conveniently ben clepid Mappula Anglie.
- c1500(a1449) Lydg.Aesop (Trin-C R.3.19)54 : I cast me to..Compyle þys lybell for a remembraunce.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 *Nicod.(5) (Wor F.172)6a : And the men cam to Joseph saluyng hym in pees yaven hym the libel with the pistle.
Note: Need date