Middle English Dictionary Entry
meditāciǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | meditāciǒun n. Also meditatiun. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Meditation, contemplation; devout preoccupation; devotions, prayer; god (gostli, hevenli, holi, medeful, swete) ~, ~ interialle, ~ unto god, song of ~; (b) haven in ~, to ponder (sth.), contemplate (sth.); also, pray for (the soul of sb.); haven (maken) ~, conduct (one's) devotions; seien ~, recite (one's) devotions; taken ~ of, ?contemplate (sth.), ?suppose (sth.) to be (sth.) [1st quot.]; usen..preiere in ~, pray silently; with a..~, in (one's) imagination; (c) a moral discourse; sermon; also, a devotional formulary.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)27/23 : Euchan segge as best bereð hire on heorte: Verseilunge of sawter, Redunge of englisc oðer of frensch, halie meditatiuns [Nero: meditaciuns].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)123/16 : Hali meditatiuns beoð bicluppet in a uers þet wes ȝare itaht ow..'þench ofte..of þine sunnen..of helle wa..of þin ahne deað..Þench hu fals is þe worlt..þench hwet tu ahest godd for his goddeden.'
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)124/10 : Nawt ane hali meditatiuns, as of ure lauerd & of alle his werkes & of alle his wordes [and] of þe deore leafdi & of alle hali halhen, ah oþres þohtes sum chearre i meadlese fondunges habbeð iholpen.
- c1390 Hilton ML (Vrn)272 : Ȝif þou be bisy..for to worschipe him-self be mynde of his passion or of his oþur werkes..be deuocion & meditacion of him, and forȝetest..þi children..& al þin euencristen..þou plesest him nouȝt..for hit were a fayr offys to..be ocupied al day in meditacion of his manhede.
- c1390 Hilton ML (Vrn)289 : Þer are mony oþur meditacions..not as I hed fulli schewed þe maner of meditacions as þei are in a mannes soule.
- c1390 Hilton ML (Vrn)290 : Neuerþeles, ȝif deuocion of preyer bringe to þin hert a gostly þouȝt of Monhede of vr lord..and þis þouȝt schulde be letted be þi seying, þen mai þow cese of þi saying & occupie þe in meditacion.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)172/32 : Whan sche sey þe precyows Sacrament born a-bowte þe town..þan had sche many holy thowtys & meditacyonys, and þan oftyn-tymys xulde sche cryin & roryn as þow sche xulde a brostyn.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)173/4 : Whan sche sey folke be a-noyntyd, sche had many holy thowtys, many holy meditacyons.
- a1450(a1396) Hilton CPerf.(Paris angl.41)7 : Sette þanne al þi studie and þi bisynes for to make redy a place and a priuy chaumbir to þi Lord Iesu Crist..by swete meditacioun, bi contynuel orisouns, and by meke confessy-ouns.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)1.856 : O the Ioye, who couthe tell aright Of thyne hevenly meditacions.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)5.1812 : Of the man..she prayed a space For to haue..That she may seyn woordis oon or too In preuy meditacion on-to god aboue.
- c1400 Interpol.Rolle Cant.(1) (Bod 288)10 : I schal þinke as a douve..cumfortynge me in hope of God wiþ devout song of meditacioun, not wiþ song of vanite.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)10080 : Devout wepyng wyth orisouns And hooly medytacyouns Wyth Instrumentys off penaunce Shal off thy cause do vengaunce.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.5.4a : Whan a man..in meditacion..feleth feruour of loue and gostly swettnesse..he felith þe þouȝht of his hert drawe vp fro alle erthly thinges.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.15.9a : Þre meenis þer ben..þat ȝiefen hem to contemplacion, as reding in holi writ and off holi techyng, gostli meditacion, and bisy preyere wiþ deuocion.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.23.15b : Vpon þe whilk ground þou schalt sette þi gostli hous, bi preiere and meditacion and oþer gostli vertues.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)3.273 : Of whom [Democritus] Agellius rehersethe that he pullede owte his eien..for the siȝhte exterialle lette hym from meditacion interialle [Trev.: his holy þouȝtes].
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1063 : The churche is made oonly for hooly meditacion..to praye for soule heele with hooly exortacion, And not to speke of wynnyng ne of your grete sales.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)prol.4 : Thare in [the Psalms] is discryued the medes of goed men..the lyf of actyf men, the meditacioun of contemplatifs, & the ioy of contemplacioun.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)p.499 : My hert gladid in my lord, of the froyte of goed werke and of medful meditacioun, that was sary for my baraynhede.
- a1500 Now god þat syttyst (Cmb Ff.1.6)p.242 : Men of holy cherche..Scholde meekly preye..that the heyere herd with good medytacioun May the pore peple swych wyse avaunce..Of al here synnys to make a delyveraunce.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2876 : Fro hevene as thogh a vois it were, To soune of such prolacioun That he his meditacioun Therof mai take and understonde, As thogh it were of goddes sonde.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)198/36 : Whan sche sey weddyngys..a-non sche had in meditacyon how owr Lady was joynyd to Ioseph & of þe gostly joynyng of mannys sowle to Ihesu Crist.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1129 : Who so hase nede May haue þer meditaciounes In sawters, saulms, & orisowns.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)1911 : In..kirk..To mak þeir meditaciouns In haly prayers & orisouns.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)378/30 : With a curyous meditacyone y walke aboue in heuene; I go beneþen aboute þe erthe; I seche þe depnesse of þe see.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.48/12 : I will..the person of stayne haue my boke of uesseden Passion..thay [?read: that] Ilkone haue me in mynd & in yer meditaciouns.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)207/17 : If þou wolte vse preising and preier in meditacioun and biþenking, þat is to seie, in inwarde speche in þin vnderstonding to god, without outwarde speche to be maad.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.DJoos (Trin-C R.3.21(1))45 : To whom the bysshop hade sayde hys meditacione.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.55 : This meditacioun, I putte it ay vnder correccioun Of clerkes, for I am nat textuel; I take but the sentence.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.71 : Telleth..youre meditacioun, But hasteth yow, the sonne wole adoun.
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)p.1 head. : Here bygynneþ medytacyuns of þe soper of oure lorde Ihesu And also of hys passyun.
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)13 : Y wyl þe lere a medytacyun Compyled of crystys passyun And of hys modyr..What peynes þey suffred þou mayst lere.