Middle English Dictionary Entry
merveille n.
Entry Info
| Forms | merveille n. Also -veil(e, -vaille, -vail(e, -waile, -vel(le, -wel, -val(e, -vielle & marveille, -vaille, -vail(e, -faille & (?errors) mervely, marvely. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
(a) A thing, act, or event that causes astonishment or surprise; a wonderful feat; an unnatural occurrence or circumstance; a wonder of nature or art; a monster or monstrosity; (b) don (maken, wirchen) merveille(s, to perform a wonderful feat or feats, work a wonder, do wonders; merveille(s fallen (bifallen), a wonder happens, wonders happen.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Rich.(Auch)118/77 : King richard after þis meruayl Went quic o lond saunfeyl.
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)16 : When kinges miȝt our yhere of ani meruailes þat þer were, þai token an harp..& maked a lay.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)598 : Harpours in Bretaine after þan Herd hou þis meruaile [vr. a-ventour] bigan.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)1851 : He kest a man of cler latoun..A lumbard com..And seȝ þe merueile.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)5.19 : 'Opyne,' seyth dauid, 'myn eyȝen, & I schall byholdyn þe merueyls of þi lawe.'
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.3 : Bretayne schal be descreued..of mervayles and wondres [L mirabilibus] þat beeþ þere ynne.
- c1390 Cato(1) (Vrn)633 : Þe merueyles of þise nakede vers Beoþ maked bi two and two.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1422 : Cam nevere yit to mannes Ere Tidinge, ne to mannes sihte Merveile, which so sore aflihte A mannes herte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.309 : And thanne he [Midas] syh merveilles strange; The flod his colour gan to change.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1186 : Lat no clerk haue cause or diligence To write of yow a storie of swich meruaille As of Grisildis pacient and kynde.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1344 : For wende I neuere..That swich a monstre or merueille myghte be! It is agayns the proces of nature.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4070 : Þe bere hym louted..For to do as Florens hym badde..Florens..loued hyt..For þe myracle and þe grete meruayle.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4758 : He had many batailles Wiþ wormes and oþere meruielles.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5618-9 : Ȝif þou desirest merueiles to sen, Þere ȝee mowen merueile yfynde More þan ower elles in Ynde.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)64 : My goste is gon in Godez grace In auenture þer meruaylez meuen.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)165a : Þe saxons..broȝte wiþ ham hengistus hys douȝter, a wonder fair mayde, merueyl of kuynde [L naturæ miraculum].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5582 : Þer fil a wounder only by myracle..Swiche a-noþer was þere neuere seyn..Þis merveil was so celestial.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5944 : He was astonied..And supprised..Of þis merueile.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.214 : It is lyk a monstre and a merveyle, how that..may ben acheved and performed swiche thynges.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.222 : It is lik a mervayle or miracle to hem that ne knowen it nat.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)19/36 : Þough þere be neuere so meche taken awey þere of on the day at morwe, it is as full aȝen as euere it was; And þat is a gret meruaille.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)30/18 : Ȝit is the hede with the ij hornes of þat monstre at Alisandre for a merueyle.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1431 : A ram..That hadde a fles of gold..And many other merveyles.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.2263 : Sum men..will..seyn it is a merueile nat credible; Yit crafft in cas to such thyng mai atteyne, Which bi nature semeth an inpossible.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)334 : Mervale: Mirabile, prodigium, portentum, mirum.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)74 : Now wille I of þis mervelle men, ȝif I mote.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8158 : Ȝyf ȝe con telle vs now here What merueille ys in þys ryuere, Seyeþ now þe righte certeynete.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1442 : They writen of batayles, As wel as other olde mervayles.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5291 : Þis selere was be sorsry selcuthely foundid, Made for a mervall to meeue with engine.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.209 : Maister Gregory towchethe mony thynges worthy to be hade in remembraunce of the meruayles of that cyte.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)79b : A mervell: mirum, monstrum, monstruositas, portentum, prodigium, prodigalitas, ostentum, signum.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)3 : The heirdes..merveyled gretly, and tolde their maister the mervelle [F meruelle] of the moreyn that was fallen a-monge the bestes.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)5 : A gode holy man..herde speke of this merveyle.
- a1500 Leg.Cross BC(1) (Wor F.172)220 : The werkmen, vttirly abasshed and astonyed..cald Kyng Salamon as that he shul see the mervaile.
b
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)1862 : Virgil dede ȝit more meruail..He made a man of fin latoun.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.361 : In þe vttermeste endes of þe world falleþ ofte newe meruailles and wondres [L prodigiis].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2059 : Hercules, Whos name schal ben endeles For the merveilles whiche he wroghte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1224 : Saturnus..cam..Into the londes of Ytaile, And ther he dede gret mervaile.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.976 : Forto speke of the mervailes Whiche afterward to hem befelle, It is a wonder forto telle.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)592 : O, sir kyng, saunfaile Here is fallen gret merueyle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.104 : So passynge Merueilles in armys þer he wrout Duryng the sege.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.255 : He astonyed was..Of a mervaille that newly was fal Besyde Troye.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.1437 : For he þat day in his person hath wrouȝt Merueille in armys.
- a1425 Nicod.(1) (Add 32578)687 : Siche maruayles [vrr. ferlis, selcouthes] wiste we neuere falle As dos nowe here for ihesu dede.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)156/14 : Þan comen jogulours and Enchauntoures, þat don many meruaylles.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)127/9 : In tenouns..he made mervayles in stwyng þe place wiþ piretalz stones.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)2255 : Bladut wrought many meruaille, Many god þyng þat ȝit wyl vaylle.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)221 : This same tyme felle many merveyles in dyvers londes.
1b.
A miracle.
Associated quotations
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)140 : Þat treo ful sone upriȝht him sette..þis merueile he dude þer.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)2222 : Til he wer born þat schuld do al, Fulfille þe meruails of þe greal.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)25.7 : Ich bere [read: here] þe voice of þyn heryyng and telle al þyne meruayles [vr. wonders].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.3.20 : I schall smyte Egypte in all my merueyls þat I am to do in þe mydyll of hem.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.502 : Fyue thousand folk, it was as greet meruaille, With loues fyue and fisshes two to fede.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.677 : Of this meruaille agast was al the prees; As mazed folk they stoden euerychone.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)5910 : He þat was def, and doumbe also, Spak whan Pers spak hym to..Þe porter ȝede vp to þe halle, And þys merueyle tolde hem alle.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)12649 : Many meruayles þer he did.
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)1522 : He..has bene wirkand meruailes omang vs here.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1338 : Low, here is a wonder thynge! Lo, wheche a marfaylle god hathe here wrouȝt!
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)50/157 : Fadir, what may þis meruaylle mene?
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)12270 : And yf þou be prophett verray, as schews þi meruelys mony a myle, geyte me my sun.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)2200 : And þere the myȝte of God was kyd, And a wondir meruaile þere betyd.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)471 : Now mowe ye here greet merueyle, How god man helpys.
- a1500 St.Anne(3) (Hrl 4012)180 : And þis shalbe a maruaile [Tan: amervely] to many a man truly.
2.
A written account or spoken report of a marvelous thing or event.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.3 : Wise writeres of arte and of science..left vs write meruailles and wondres.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.660 : I wol my proces holde To speke of auentures and of batailles, That neuere yet was herd so grete meruailles.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)133 : Talys shalt þou fynde þerynne, And..Meruelys, some as y fonde wrytyn.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)9601 : Merueiles [Ld: Marvails] haue I herde to day.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1082 : This grete merveyle þorw þe town is runge.
- 1448 Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58)p.520 : Master Robert Bacon..floresshed in Oxenforde, of the crafte of whiche Bakon many mervailes buth I tolde.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)668 : Of that ile withouten fail, I shalle you telle a grete meruail.
- a1456(a1402) *Trev.Nicod.(Add 16165)114a : Alle þe synagogges of þe Iuwes herde þeos merveylles and wondurful sawes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1012/29 : Sir Launcelot herde..all the mervayles rehersed afore.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)142/226 : A merveyle þat nevyr was herd be-forn Here opynly I fele and se.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)46 : Among the troyeaunce I woll gonne Mervayles to here.
3.
(a) Cause for wonderment or surprise; (hit) is (was) ~, it is (was) a thing to wonder at, it is (was) astonishing or surprising; -- often with inf. or noun-clause; (b) ~ me thinketh, etc., it seems astonishing or surprising to me, etc.; (c) no ~, no wonder.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)388/402 : He schal is louerdes wrathþe habben out and out, And is merueile him beo bi-nome þoruȝ ȝwan he is so prout.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.594 : Of mailes was nouȝt his hauberk; It was al of anoþer werk, Þat meruail is to here.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3234 : Tho was ther gret merveile on honde, That he..so wys a knyht, His lif upon so yong a wyht Besette wolde in jeupartie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1480 : A gret mervaile it is forthi, How that a Maiden wolde lette, That sche hir time ne besette To haste unto that ilke feste.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2242 : He was a-frayd with-oute fayle, And þat was no grete merueyle [F merueille].
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)12896 : Merueile [Vsp: Selcut] hit is to þinke in brest How shulde þe clerke baptise þe prest.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1472 : I wondre gretly, & mervail is to me, What auenture or sodeyn newe þing Vnprudently meveth now þi kyng Vn-to me to make swiche a sonde.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8157 : It merueil was how þei myȝt endure In any wyse þe stronde to recure.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.4313 : But þoruȝ hir prowesse & hir hiȝe renoun She hir diffendeth, þat it was mervaille.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)195 : But how the wallys weren on heghte reised, It is wonder and merveil [vr. marvell] forto here.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.94 : In þis þing is merveile þat ȝe witen not of whenne he is, and he openede my yȝen.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.1.42 : That were a greet merveille and abaysschinge withouten ende..yif it were as thou wenest.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)104/17 : In þat contree ben folk þat han but o foot, & þei gon so blyue þat it is meruaylle.
- c1425 Castle Love(2) (Eg 927)354 : If a parfit man were a parfit as, Mikel more meruayl wald man say it was.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Satan & P.(Corp-C 296)265 : It is grett meruaile þat god..distroieþ not alle þis cursed peple to helle.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)202 : If þou be my modir, grete mervelle [vr. wonder] it es That thi burlyche body es blakenede so bare!
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2905 : Of siche a grett multytude was meruayle to here.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)86/16 : Þe good spirit schulde nat aske, ne require of God, noo þinge þat is merveilous, ne þat is merveil [vr. mervell] to þink on, that is to seye, to tempte God.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.350 : Now se ther craft for hem meruel to se.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)59 : It is myche more merveil and maistrie and more wondirful to endure euer afore wiþoute bigynnyng þan to endure oonly here aftir wiþoute endyng.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)93/1 : Lord God, grete meruell es to mene, Howe man was made with-outen mysse.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)549 : Bot now is meruaill to me of þis wondire.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1061 : Þan metis him myddis þe way, was meruale to sene, A hert with a huge hede.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)320/21 : He usyth shamefull customys, and hit is mervayle that he enduryth so longe.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)8/2 : What merveile were it, þouȝ it so falle by me, whiche entende not forto euen me to hem?
- c1475 A philosophre (Hrl 372)p.38 : That were mervail and a wonder thyng.
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)19/9 : Syre Bawdewyn, syre Kay, and syr Brastias slewe on the right hand and on the lyfte hand, that it was merveylle.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)160 : Hit is mervaile to men, þat mountes to litelle Towarde þe providens of þe Prince þat Paradis weldes.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)81/21 : It ys meruail of a man how he may be syke or dye, whos mete ys breed of good whete, and his drynkyng drynke of þe good grape.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)103 : Hit was gret merueyle how I myght endure.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)9.148 : Impe on an ellerne, and if þine apple be swete, Mochel merueile me þynketh.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2682 : Meruaile them t[h]oghte How he maisterede þat man, so myghtty of strenghes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)307/15 : Mervayle me thynkyth..why ye rebuke this noble knyghte as ye do.
- c1475 Earth(3) (Brog 2.1)24/25 : Why þat erth louis erþe, merwel me þinke.
c
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)1238 : Adam was alde ix hundre ȝere; na meruayle [Vsp: selcut; Trin-C: wondur] if he was vnfere.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)17406 : So mony maistries..Boþe herde & sene of him now, No merueil [Vsp: selcuth] þouȝe ȝe vs not trow.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2307 : No meruayle þaȝ hym myslyke Þat hoped of no rescowe.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)95/36 : Þen, no meruayll [L nimirum], þe nyght to day he sall turne, Dyrknes to lyght, heuynes to melody.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)13059 : No meruell yf he had gud chere þat lang had fun so fell affray.
4.
(a) Wonderment, astonishment, surprise; (b) haven (gret) ~, to be greatly astonished or surprised; haven (gret) ~ of, wonder greatly about (sb. or sth.); haven in ~, hold (sth.) to be worthy of wonderment; etc.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.87 : In al the halle ne was ther spoke a word, For merueille of this knyght hym to biholde.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1081 : An-vnder mone so great merwayle No fleschly hert ne myȝt endeure.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1130 : Delit þe Lombe for to deuise, Wyth much meruayle in mynde went.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)586 : And he þat fetly in face fettled alle eres, If he hatz losed þe lysten, hit lyftez mervayle.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.255 : It is a thing þat troubleþ most my mynde Þat þus wiþ merveill [vr. meruely] marred I me fynde.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)219 : Ther dide the kynge Arthur wonderes..so he labored by the entycement of Merlin that all peple hym be-heilde for the merveile.
- a1500 *Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)137/23 : What mervaile may a man take of the dedis of Marryus, which so ofte tymes was dispoyled..and sone aftir restored ageyne to liberte.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)3646 : I was abawed for marveyle, For ever the fayrer that it was, The more I am bounden in Loves laas.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)870 : Ich haue of þi tale gret meruaile.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)46/1020 : No drope of water vt com þan; Meruaile hadde mani a man.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3423 : This sely carpenter hath greet meruaille Of Nicholas or what thyng myghte hym aille.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2456 : Men hadden gret mervaille there Of the worschipe which he dede.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3998 : The king therof merveille hadde, Whan that a fol so wisly spak.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)5927 : Þe lorde and þe gestes alle..Had merueyle þat hyt was so.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)13838 : We haue grete meruayl, soþ to tel, þat nane has hap him to quel.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)218 : Of her faireheuede..He had in hert grete meruayle.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.127 : 'Haue no merueille,' quod mercy.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1366 : They hadde grete mervale And disamayed of this vnkouth þing.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)35/5 : Þe clerkys had ful gret meruayl of hir, þat sche answeryd so redyly & pregnawntly.
- 1457 Libeaus (Naples 13.B.29)283/1892a : Sir Libeous therof had mervaile And seide, 'Withouten faile This is a wondur.'
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)897/35 : Have ye no mervayle..thereoff.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.21 : That londe is of plentuousenes to be hade in meruayle.
- c1475 *Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)54/19 : Nor I haue no grete merueile that the peeple shulde be abaundouned to sorow and infelicite.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)42 : When thei..saugh the baners roiall of kynge Constance, thei hadden grete merveile.
- a1500 *Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)18/11 : I haue mervaile why thou arte pleasid with suche thingis as turment the.
- a1500 I have grete marvell (Lin-C 133)1 : I Haue grete meruell off a bryd That with my luff ys went a-way.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)800 : Alle þe folke…Had merwelle & ware in gret dowte.
Note: New spelling for 4.(b).