Middle English Dictionary Entry
list n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | list n.(2) Also liste, lest(e. |
| Etymology | From listen v.(1); also cp. OI lyst. Some of the examples under lust n. may belong here. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Desire, wish, will; longing, craving; sexual desire or appetite; also, evil or immoral desire; listes of love, desires of love; (b) at (on, to) ~, at (one's) will or pleasure; as (one) chooses; when (one) pleases; at your ~, to your will; cacchne ~, to take a notion to (do sth.); haven his ~, do his will, have his way; haven ~ to (forto), desire or want (sth.), desire or want to (do sth.); mid (with, bi) ~, eagerly, willingly; of hire fre ~, of her free will.
Associated quotations
a
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)429 : Ðis deuel..doð men hungren & hauen ðrist & mani oðer sinful list.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)978 : An angel cam..wiste hire drogen sori for ðrist, At a welle quemede hire list.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)22/588 : Ich segge..Þat hy..Let ounde and wreþe and coueytyng, Sleuþe and lestes on-lede.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)740 : He morned..& wakeþ..on niȝtes, swiche listes of loue hadde lapped his hert.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)946 : Y knowe þat it ben lestes of loue, þat þe so hard helden.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.633 : He nolde suffre no thyng of my list [vr. lust].
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)24751 : Þat gifs me list [Vsp: lust; Frf: luste] of hir to rede.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)693 : The grete soun of Sodamas synkkez in myn erez, And þe gult of Gomorre..Þay han lerned a lyst þat lykez me ille.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)843 : Ȝete uus out þose ȝong men..Þat we may lere hym of lof, as oure lyst biddez.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)173 : To calle hyr lyste con me enchace.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.330 : Lord, so ye lyve al in lest [vrr. lyst, leste], Ye loveres.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.787 : Men ben so untrewe That, right anon as cessed is hire lest, So cesseth love and forth to love a newe.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)186/16 : A man þat was his enemye or contrarious to his list.
- c1425 Chaucer CT.Kn.(Petw 7)A.1318 : Man is bounden..to letten of his wille Ther as a beest may al his list [vrr. lust; wil] fulfille.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)58/1 : Gretely þa fayll in desire of all temporall þingis, and in godis lufe with a hy list þai ryse.
- (1436) Proc.Privy C.4.310 : It semyth that þere shuld haue ben no more list of trewis.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)307 : Lyst, or fre wylle: Arbitrium, libitum.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)486 : Talent, or lyste [Win: luste]: Appetitus.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)14/2 : Þay assentede to hym for to do his lyste.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)66/345 : Luk ȝe hym loue, þis is his liste.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1738 : They that han doon noble gestes And acheved alle her lestes, As wel of love as other thyng.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)276/12 : He commytt þe chastiment of his seruand vnto þe fre liste of a noder man.
- a1456 Warwick Vir.(Add 16165)9 : My feyre lady whos beaute So fully preented is in me Þat I..May not astert From hir good list.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)309/1092 : Gramercy pylat..þat ȝe han grawntyd me my lyst.
- c1475 Brm.Abraham (Brm)253 : Do on for me ȝowre wyll..Do on ȝowre lyst for me hardly, My fayer swete fader, I ȝeffe ȝow leve.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)74b : Lyste: Appetitus, feruor.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)65/24 : Take tent to me, youre soferand syre..And to my lyst bowe lyfe and lyre.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)198/97 : Sen I must nedys his lyst fulfyll..I yeld me holy to his will.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)13078 : Þa andswarede þe munec mid muchelere liste [Otho: gode wille].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)18750 : Ȝif þu luuest Ygærne, þu sculdest..luuien hire mid liste & mid leofliche bihæste.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22265 : Buten..Gillomar..come..and mid listen him speken wið & ȝirnde..grið.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)230 : He lepeð ðanne wið mikel list; of swet water he haueð ðrist.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.619 : This markys caughte yet another lest To tempte his wyf yet ofter.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22130 : Turn þai sal til him titest, And siþen þaas other at his list.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1957 : Pleyn at youre lyst [F volente] I yelde me, Hopyng..that..ye Comfort and ese shull me sende.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)128/33 : Fisshes þat han fredom to enviroun all the costes of the see at here owne list.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)185/27 : He had made a conduyt..so þat the iij welles at his list..scholde renne mylk..wyn &..hony.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)199/15 : He hadde gret list for to see the seruise in the chirche.
- (1439) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.513 : To..execute and fulfille..sauyng me my free Wil to change at alle tymes to my list.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)12 : Ȝe that liste has to lyth or luffes for to here.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)38/7 : Alexander hadd a grete lyste for to be bathede þare-in.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)49 : He had mo lyste [F Il mieulx ama] to chese the deth than to do vntrwthe.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)539 : When þou art in þy prosperite Ryȝt at þyn owne lest.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)189 : Ȝif ȝe ludus have list þe lettrus to knowe.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)908 : Nature had swich lest To make that fair, that trewly she Was..chef ensample of al hir werk.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)278 : Thei lyfyd in lust euyn at þer lyst.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)180/15 : A fend..lay with hym all nyght & lete hym hafe his liste.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)240/28 : He began to hafe a liste to eatt þeroff.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)324/15 : Þer come a mayden of hur fre liste with a hertelie desyre..to be slayn with þaim.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)361/28 : Þe olde wyfe..cownceld hur to consent..& latt hym hafe his liste..& þer he had his luste & his desyre.
- c1450 Heil be þou marie þe (Lamb 853)3 : Heil be þou, marie..þat conceyuedist al wiþ list [vr. by lyste] Þe sone of god.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)647/2 : Sir Alysaundir..gaff them suche fallys that they had no lyst to fyght uppon foote.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)52b/b : He haþ but litil appetit to mete, and he haþ greet list to drynke.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2459 : Vppon my stede blanchard thu ridest here, Butt on my list thu shalt hym sone for goo.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.57 : Quhat sory thoght is fallin upon the..hastow no lest to sing?
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)794 : Þe faire burde Had long þere layne and had lyst too ryse.
2.
Pleasure, joy; enjoyment; also, a source of pleasure or joy; mid ~, with pleasure, gladly; haven ~ to (in), to take pleasure in (sth.), enjoy (sth.).
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)13731 : He heom feire vnderfeng..& mid muchelere liste þa childere he biwuste.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.132 : In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest [vrr. list, leste].
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)467 : So fare we alle wyth luf and lyste, To kyng and quene by cortaysye.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)908 : Þou..bydez here..Þer lyuez lyste may neuer lose.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1303 : Myn owen hertes list [vrr. liste, lust], My ground of ese..my knyght.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)306 : Lyst, or lykynge: Delectacio.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1530 : He was so fayr of hyd and hew, All men had lyst on hym to loke.
- c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)325/34 : Euery man had pite of him, for theim thoght he had no list to iusting, ne to tourneing, no to manhede, bot all only to hunting and to hauking.
- a1500 St.Anne(3) (Tan 407)46 : Zebede..in þe lawe of god had gret loue and lyst.