mad - Middle English Compendium

1.

(a) Out of one's wits, demented, crazy; (b) as (he were) ~; for ~, for madness, in madness, mad; gon (rennen) ~, ~ as a gos; (c) in cpds.: ~ man, ~ woman.

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Associated quotations

a

c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1983 : What foly..can he sain? Is he madde of mode?
(a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.237 : Herodes..fil into woodnesse, as a man þat was ofte lunaticus, þat is, mad in certayne tymes of þe mone.
(a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.496 : And if..that hir list noght to be gladd, He berth an hond that sche is madd And loveth noght hire housebonde.
c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Deeds 12.15 : Art madd [Cmb: sche..tolde hem þat Peter stondes bifore þe ȝate. Ande þei saide vnto hire, 'Þow maddes'; L insanis].
a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.206 : In his throwes frenetik and madde, He corseth Jove, Appollo, and ek Cupide.
(1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)319 : Madde, or wood: Amens, demens.
a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2263 : Þi metys and drynkys arn vnthende..Þei makyn men mad and out of mende.
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)424/18 : Governayle..tolde hym he slepe ellys he was madde.
a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)62 : Thei..seide that Merlyn..was founden in a wildernesse madde, and cherles hym kylde.
a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)3732 : If a beest it [a star] biholde may, Or þe shade in þe water anight, It shal wex made anoon right.

b

a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1761 : Alisaundrine..morned neiȝh for mad for meliors hire ladi.
(c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1511 : She answerde, half as she were mad: 'Vn to the gardyn, as myn housbond bad My trouthe for to holde, allas, allas!'
a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Abp.& N.(Phys-E)p.92 : The bischop for, als he war medde, And the angel to kirc him ledde.
a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10310 : For þat bright-nes was he sa radd Þat he stode still als he war madd.
c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)110 : [The ghost] stottyde, it stounnede..It marrede, it mournede, it moyssede for made.
c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4271 : Then he stotays for made, and all his strenghe faylez..Downne he sweys..and in a swoun fallys.
(c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)175 : If y be in suche plite þat y may not..occupie me in þe seid xiiije provocative meenys -- as if y were madde or in sorist sijkenes.
a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)7894 : And in your servyse he come ne hade, He shuld not now haue ronne madde.
c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)19/14 : Þer fell a swyngyllyng in his hede þat he wex fonde with, & mad as a guse.
c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.184 : Was non of hem..But..fell..flat vppon þe erthe, As madde of her mynde, and mercy be-souȝte.
a1500 Alas howe schale (Pen 26B)9 : Thys y goo made, for hur loue.

c

c1330 Þe siker soþe (Auch)95 : For al þe craft þat þou can..Þe mock & þe mad man No schul þai neuer mete.
(c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2163 : Melibeus..lyk a mad man rentynge his clothes, gan to wepe and crye.
c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)9.69 : Madde men and maydenes þat helplees were, Alle þise lakken Inwitte.
c1400 SLeg.Geo.(2) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)113 : Þe folke saghe þis dragon come..& fled aboute as mad men.
(a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)193/21 : Þan þe creatur thowt þat sche ran al abowte þe place, as it had ben a mad woman, crying & roryng.
a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)72 : Thow madman, haue mynde in þi hert of the glorious passion of owre lord.
a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)303/323 : To medill with a madman is meruaile to mene [read: me].
c1450 Lond.Chron.Cleo.(Cleo C.4)152 : In this same yere whas a mad woman i-pressed to [the deth]; ffor sche had spokyn ungoodly..unto oure liege lord the kyng.
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)500/28 : 'At the fayre fountayne..there ys the madde man.' 'Well,' seyde kynge Marke, 'I woll se that wood man.'
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)805/9 : So the quene was nyghe oute of her wytte..and waltred as a madde woman.

2.

(a) Overcome by emotion, beside oneself, distraught, distracted; (b) stupefied, amazed, bemused, dumbfounded; ~ and mate, mased and ~, ~ of mod; (c) enraged, furious, angry; (d) headstrong, infatuated; ~ on (upon) ~, infatuated with (sb. or sth.); ~ upon, very keen on (sth.); (e) upset.

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a

a1350 Wiþ longyng (Hrl 2253)2 : Wiþ longyng y am lad, on molde y waxe mad, a maide marreþ me; y grede, y grone, vnglad.
c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)34/771 : Þe felle bor bicam to come; Þe herde..was of drad; He dorst nowt fle, he was so mad.
a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2297 : I am ney marred & mad þis morwe for a sweuene.
c1390 Bi a wey (Vrn)4 : Mournyng mad me al-most mad.
(a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5891 : Thus sche, that was, as who seith, mad Of wo..Foryat pite..And in hir chambre prively This child..Sche slou.
a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24886 : All þaa þat in þat ferr cost fard War medd quen þai him [the angel] sagh and herd.
a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1178 : Man and beest..were adrad, And negh for fer gan to wexe mad.
a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.393 : But telle me this, whi thow art now so mad To sorwen thus?
c1450(c1385) Chaucer Mars (Benson-Robinson)265 : For thogh my lady have so gret beaute That I was mad til I had gete her grace, She was not cause of myn adversite.
c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)2001 : Her tayle was myche vn-mete, Hyr pawes grymly grete..Lybeauus be-gan to swete..Maad as he were.

b

a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2799 : Godd..made þat sinful folk sa madd, Þat þai ne wist war þai war stad.
a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10851 : Maria, quarfor es þou madd [Göt: dradd]? Es þe na nede to be radd [Göt: madd]?
a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17595 : Þaa Iuus war full medd [Trin-C: mis led], Þair sandes come again vnspedd.
a1400 An ernemorwe (Mert 248)4 : Þe uendus of helle beþ sorwuel & mad Whanne..godus sone Þe strengþe of þe deþ hadde ouercome.
a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3190 : A long while stod I in that stat, Til that me saugh, so mad and mat, The lady of the highe ward.
a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)386/247 : Þat was..for to make þe mased and madde.
c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)14399 : Þei saw his syte so sad, for bale þer hertes myȝt breke. þei ware so mased and mad, A word þei myȝt not speke.
c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)1167 : He was neyȝ y-spylt; Hys swerd brast in þe hylt; Þo was he mad of mode.
(a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)13.3 (v.1:p.138) : They .. curidden a lame man .. and made hym to goon hool and rightly med.

c

c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)234 : Whan þis lettre was open & rad, Þe bretons & all men were mad And wolde þe messager scle.
(1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)215 : Growe wood or madde: Furesco.
a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)608 : Þys lady Venus was al glad; Þe oþere were for wrayth al mad.
a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1739 : I make men masyd and mad And euery man to kyllyn odyr Wyth a sory chere.
c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1393 : Thaire tales been so trouble þat tournen men thoughtz; The more þat men musen on þaym, þe madder þay been after.

d

a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)7604 : Opon þat mayden he wax al mad; Þe ffend & dronkenesse hit wrought.
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)693/28 : What aylyth them to be so madde and so asoted uppon women?
(1472) Paston (Gairdner)5.168 : I have sette suche a classe before here ien ther, that they are madde upon it.

e

a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11160 : Ioseph..for-qui Wil þou leue þi spuse mari?..Quar-for in mode þou art sua medd?
c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11542 : Þus in pouert am I pyght..Þat makes me full mad & mournes in my hert.

3.

(a) Extremely foolish, stupid, irrational; of an action: ill-advised; (b) harebrained, giddy.

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Associated quotations

a

c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.47 : I þolede þe and [dude] as mad To be maister and i þi cnave.
(c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 8.11 : Alle bihelden him..that moche tyme he hadde maad hem mad or wood [WB(2): maddid hem; L dementasset] with his wicchingis.
a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3115 : Ȝyf þou be se moche mad To auaunte þe of þat þou neuer had, þys ys pryde and arrogaunce.
c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)267 : If þou schal lose Þy ioy for a gemme þat þe watz lef, Me þynk þe put in a mad porpose.
c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1864 : He Answares in Anger..'Me meruellis of þi momlyng & þi mad wordes..That he þis Message wold make to me.'
c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.22 : As mad as I am, þouȝ I litill kunne, I cowde it discryue.
c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)107/27 : Anentis allegeaunce of doctouris, whanne þei ben maad, þou schalt fynde in þe book callid 'þe iust apprising of doctouris'.
c1475 *Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)62/13 : The made [*CQ(2): folish] peeple that desiren euer mutacion seekith ofte and coueiteth that that to him is most contrarie.
c1475 *Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)84/15 : The grete innumerable losse that the Romayns had by the mad [*CQ(2): folisch] enterprise doon by Varo, the consule.
a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)332 : In a wanhope..þat a floode xuld cum a geyne..þey..made a towre..It rechyd þe skyys ny hand certen; to make þe towre þey were ful mad, & god þer-of had gret dysdeyne.

b

c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)654 : Þenne þe burde byhynde þe dor for busmar laȝed, And sayde sothly to hirself Sare þe madde: 'May þou traw for tykle þat þou tonne [read: teme] moȝtez, And I so hyȝe out of age.'
(a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)693/7 : Ye shall hyre the myrryeste knyght that ever ye spake wythall, and the maddyst talker.

4.

(a) Of an animal: mad; ravening; (b) in compound ~ wort, the name of a plant, probably deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna .

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Associated quotations

a

?c1225 Ancr.(Cleo C.6:Morton)66 fn. : Madde [Corp-C 36/9: intrinsecus autem sunt lupi rapaces..monie..beoð wedde wulues].
?a1450 Add.Mir.Virg.(Add 39996)353/11,354/34 : Þe deuel ay folowed about..In liknesse of a bole grym..And as a lyone rampand And as ony fire gloand And as a mad dogge also.. þe deuel appered..A madde dogge as he were.