Middle English Dictionary Entry
literāl adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | literāl adj. Also litteral, litrale, letteral. |
| Etymology | OF literal & L litterālis, līter-. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Literal; not figurative, allegorical, or the like; (b) concerned with letters; literate, learned, scholarly; (c) pertaining to the letters of the alphabet; ~ carectes, letters; voice of ~ speche, the sounds represented by the letters.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 Wycl.CGosp.Mark (Yk-M 14.D.2:Hudson)47/45 : We lernen bi þe storie eiþer literal vndurstondyng [Theophylactus on Mark 8 in Catena Aurea (1660; 2:41): secundum historiam]..it bihoueþ us to be apaied wiþ þese þingis þat sufficen and to seke no more.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)461 : In kynde of þe firste maters, we schulen ȝeue wel nyȝe ful credence to þe precise literal pretencioun of holi writt.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)462 : In kynde of þe ije maters we schule such credence, being not moost propirly feiþ, ȝeue to precise literal pretencioun of scripture, so þat it be not contrarie to an oþer party of þe same scripture.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)178 : Alle men muste nedis graunte that bi circumstauncis of the textis and processes ligging bifore or bi hinde a text in Holi Scripture ouȝte be take which is the verri and dew litteral vndirstonding of thilk text ful ofte.
- a1450(a1397) WBible(2) GProl.(Hrl 1666)p.43 : Holy scripture hath iiij vndirstondingis: literal, allegorik, moral, and anagogik. The literal vndirstonding techith the thing don in deede, and literal vndirstonding is ground and foundament of thre goostly vndirstondingis.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)10/19 : It may not be knowe which is, of eny oon text of þe bible, þe dew litteral sense, saue bi argument in doom of resoun.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)227 : If thou wolte thus folowe Holi Scripture, whether wolte thou folowe it in his riȝt and dewe litteral undirstonding, or ellis in his unriȝt and undewe litteral undirstonding?
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)107 : Rabanus..mad a boke..'Of nature of al thing', not only with litteral teching, but with many mysti exposiciones.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Conf.(Dub 245)343 : Here men seyne aftur austyn, þat no witt of holi writt, but if [it] be literal witt, proueþ ouȝt by autorite of it; but þe literal witt is þis: crist bad ten leprouse men go & shewe hem to prestis.
- c1475 MEccles.(Trin-C R.3.21)p.695 : The wyndows by wydere withyn þan without In tokyn þat þe mysterious science of scripture Passeþ þe litterall sense & ryght so out of dout The prelates of churche in vndyrstondyng pure Passe þe lay pepyll.
b
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)337/1 : Þer was a clerk þat was wele..letterd, And on a tyme he garte latt hym blode; and when he had bled, he loste all his letterall connyng..so þat he knew not a lettre nor cuthe not vnderstand a lattyn wurd.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)1452 : Of all, that in this booke described be, The which in cunnynge had preemynence By litrale studye in latinyte, Here folowyth oon most of excellence.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)45b/a : Þe lippis be..to schape þe voys of literal [Tol: litteral] speche.
- a1500 Partenay (Trin-C R.3.17)6605 : And so haue I don [this translation]..With litterall carectes..Tham conueying in sable lines blake.