Middle English Dictionary Entry
malencolī(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | malencolī(e adj. Also melancholi & malincolẹ̄, malicolẹ̄. |
| Etymology | From noun. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Consisting of or mixed with black bile; of a humor other than melancholy: mixed with melancholy or transformed into unnatural melancholy; humour ~, black bile; -- prob. unnatural; (b) caused by the humor melancholy, or black bile; (c) of food: tending to produce black bile in the body; (d) of a person, beast, part of the body, temperament: dominated by black bile; -- also, of a planet.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)36b/a : Whanne any derk þinge heleþ þe brayn, as malincolie flewme, it nediþ þat þe pacyent drede.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)21b/b : Verray & pure blode, coleric or fleumatic or melancolie.
- c1460 Chaucer CT.Kn.(NC 314)A.1375 : Malencoly [Heng: lyk Manye Engendred of humour malencolyk].
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)50b/a : The 4 spere of þe erþe..is in kynde cold and drie & makiþ blood malancolie and in partie watri.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)107a/a : Or ellis if þe splene be to feble to purgen þe malancolie blood þat goiþ doun to þe vlcus.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)4a/b : Of sephiros or sklyrose & of melancolie apostemez.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)46b/a : The bloodlast of venalis þat is on eiþir foot bitwene þe tweye litil toon is good aȝens þe cancre and þe mormale..and alle malancolie passiouns of þe leggis.
- a1500 The best tre (BodPoet e.1)p.54 : The malycoly fumosytesse Que generant tristiciam, It causyth frome the hert to resse.
c
- a1425 *Trev.Barth.(Mrg M 875)103a/b : Lepra comeþ of diuerse causes..sumtyme of euyl diet, as malencolie mete, to colde & drye, as of flesche of roþeren, of asses & boris.
d
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.402 : Of therthe, which is cold and drye, The kinde of man Malencolie Is cleped, and that is the ferste, The most ungoodlich and the werste; For unto loves werk on nyht Him lacketh bothe will and myht.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)279a/a : Þough þey [whelps] be malencoly [L melancolica] bestes of qualite & of complexioun, ȝit þay..beþ glade and mury and pleyeþ moche.
- a1425 *Trev.Barth.(Mrg M 875)38b/a : It nedeþ þat it be medlid with blood..to fede þe malencolye membris.
- a1425 *Trev.Barth.(Mrg M 875)312a/b : Blaknesse is token of malencolye disposiciou[n], of drye humoure þat haþ maystrie in þe body.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)334/37 : Þanne alle þe derke clowde of malencolye complexione is dissoluede and putte owte of þe sowle.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)48a/a : Saturne is a planete malancolie and wickid, cold and drie, & þerfore he is sett hiȝest of alle hise felawis ffor, if þat he stood lowist as doiþ þe moone, he schulde distrie man and beest.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)53b/a : He þat ys Malancolie is sclendir of body & blak of colour, proud in maneris & in berynge, þenkynge to myche by him silf, and also he loueþ to goon aloone.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)219/32 : Compleccions bene iiije, for a man is sangyne or flevmatike or colerike or malyncoly.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)220/19 : The Malencoly man sholde be lene of body and dry..More latre Is he wourthe than a colerike man, but he holdyth longyr wreth.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)93/14 : Man þat is melancholy schulde be naturali colde, couetous, and hevy.
2.
(a) Having a pathological condition of the black bile; (b) angry; (c) gloomy, sad.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 *Trev.Barth.(Mrg M 875)39a/a : Malencolye men falleþ in to þese and many oþer wondirful passiouns.
b
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2741 : Þare mase þou þe to malicole.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)2382 : Ȝe make you malicoly hys mageste ayayns.
c
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)73b/b : Þou muste charge þi pacient þat he be in reste, and þat he be neiþer malancolie ne pensif.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.96 : Þis ston haþe a syngler vertu, for it ȝefeþ gladnes & is contrary to malyncole qualite.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. melancholy humour.