Middle English Dictionary Entry
merveillǒus adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | merveillǒus adj. Also merveilus, -veileux, -vailus, -velos, -veloise, -valous, -valos, -vil(l)ous, -volouse, -volos, -volse, -vulus, marveilous, -velus & mervel(l)ious, -valiouse & merveiles, -vailes, -velis; sup. merveil(l)ousest & merveilouste, -veiluste, -veiloist, -vailoust, -veliouste, -viloste & (errors) merueilouerste, mervelyoustest. |
| Etymology | OF merveillos. Many forms show influence of merveil adj. & merveille n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
(a) Wonderful, astonishing, surprising; ~ doing, wonder-working; also as noun: a wonderful thing [quot.: Titus & V.]; (b) admirable, marvelous, splendid, excellent.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)44.15 : Alle his glorie wyþ-innen hym is of þe soule of God of grete ioies, couered a-boute wyþ meruailous þynge.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Esd.5.6 : Þese ben þe..men þat steȝeden vp..þat spac vnder darij king of persis merueilous doynge woordis [L sermones mirificos].
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)8.145 : Ioseph Mette Metels ful Meruilous alse, How þe sonne and þe Mone and enleuene sterres Falden bi-fore his Feet.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)9.59 : Þe Meruiloste [vrr. merueilouste, meruelyouste, meruelousest, merueilouerste] Meetynge Mette I me þenne Þat euere dremede driht.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.629 : This thyng is wonder merueillous to me.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.253 : Þer wer to hym brouȝt Tidynges newe, & þat so merveillous That he astonyed was.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)977 : Hereþ nowe a meruayllous That byfelle amonge vs.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)171b/a : Kinde is so merueillous þat, ȝif it be holpen wiþ medicynes..it fulfilleþ þat is to litel and doeþ awei þat is superflue.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)139/3 : Bawme is mervaylouse in þat.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)334 : Mervalyowse: Mirabilis, mirus. Mervelyowse yn werkynge: Mirificus.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)1/17 : It happyns of þaim be a mervolos maner & a wrichid..evur as þai grow & waxis in bodis, Right so in þaim growis haterid & suspecion.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2956 : Here now what fill aftir! riȝt a mervolouse case!
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)134 : Sone aftir appered onto this Kyng mervelous visiones.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)23/21 : They too ded many mervelous dedis of armys.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)92/17 : Merlion..tolde hym..how Balyn and Balan fought togydirs the merveylous batayle that evir was herde off.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)170/240 : A mervelous dreme his moder dremeth, That out of her body sprong a brond That brent troye and all þe lond.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)56 : Ther Pendragon dide merveloise kynghthode a-monge his enmyes.
- a1500 Clerk & H.(Add 38666)3 : I herde a meruolse comynycacion Be-twene a clerke and a husbandeman.
- a1500 ?Ros Belle Dame (Cmb Ff.1.6)565 : I knowe so many Cases meruelos [vr. merueyleux] That y must nede..thynk certeyn Þat suche entre is wondre perelous.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1513 : I behelde the meruelous story That euer I yet saw in any pycture.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8706 : Þe fift ledde Andalas, A kniȝt of meruailus los he was.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2990 : The god of Slep hath mad his hous, Which of entaille is merveilous.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9234 : Brunyng..wrote þys tale so merueylous.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1166 : Hit payed hym not þat I so flonc Ouer meruelous merez, so mad arayde.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1471 : Founded of old by merueillous wrykyng Ben þe statutes of þis mortal þing.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)144/23 : The estat of his court..we fond..more noble and more excellent & ricchere & more merueyllous þan euer we herde speke of.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)185/32 : He wolde..schewen him..the merueyllous & delicious song of dyuerse briddes.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)153/25 : Þis lorde ledez a meruailous lyf, For he has fyfty damyselles þat seruez him ilk a day at his mete and his bedd.
- (1433) RParl.4.423b : Hit shulde have bee received be thaym to right greet and merveillous thonkes and laude.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)428 : I sall..merke..To Meloyne the meruaylous, and myn doun the walles.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)11/31 : Hercules was a knyghte of Grece of merueilous [vrr. meruelyous, meruelous] strengthe.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)518 : So meruulus a melody yt causyd to folkys heryng.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2864 : Þe same niȝt..a-perid Amon..In a mery mantill of mervailous [vr. mervalous] hewis.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)323/23 : A mervalos wrethe of golde & precious stonys was sene aboute his armys.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)126/5 : A meruelliows drink, and most excelent for ien.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)126a/a : And ȝeue him oure merueilous poudre..þat he may þe raþere be maad hool.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)3306 : Hys trappour was..Wrought with peerlys of mervelus makyng.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)51b : Shyning collors therin thow shalt esspye Lyke vnto the rainebow mervellous vnto sight.
1b.
(a) Of persons: worthy of admiration, illustrious; (b) of God, His name, qualities, etc.; also of Christ: awe-inspiring, glorious.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)450 : Josep, þi sone is Merueilous; He hauez don us more lore Þane euere us dude ani bi fore.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)109/2270 : Man, þou art ful merueilous; Þou woldest haue vndoing Of þi toniȝtes meting.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Wisd.8.11 : In þe siȝte off myȝti men merueilous I shal ben.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prol.Josh.(Bod 959)173/47 : Paumachie, anholy man & merueylous, þis same þyng askeþ by lettris.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.269 : Þe Saxons..brouȝte wiþ hem Hengistus his douȝter, a wonder faire maide, merveillous of kynde [L naturæ miraculum].
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)4/22 : Alle..þouȝtten þat þe childe [John the Baptist] scholde be merueillous & miȝthful tofore God.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.492 : He made seke..For swiche werkemen as were corious, Of wyt inventyf, of castyng merveilous.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)680 : Hyr sone was siþþe marveylous, Pylatus þei cleped him þo.
- ?a1425 Whi is þis world (Trin-C B.15.39)15 : Telle me where is..þe fair man absolon, merueilous in [vr. of] chere?
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)129 : We lenge with sir Lucius, that lorde es of Rome, That es þe meruelyousteste man þat on molde lengez.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)57/2 : Sche was aqueynted with a man of foul condicions, be whom sche conceyved a son of grete cruelnes and mervelous of strengthe.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5664 : A myghtful man was Maryus, Of fair speche merueillous.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)602 : On hire he engendred..a merveillous child [Merlin].
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)1045 : Where was on lyve man more victoriouse, And in so shorte tyme prince so mervelouse?
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)210 : Ȝif men saiþ bi ȝow soþ þe sawe þat y hirde, Of more mervailouse men miȝhte I nouht kenne.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)606 : Merlyn was a meruayllous man and made many thynges.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)75/16 : The Knyght with the Two Swerdis and hys brothir..ar two mervayles knyghtes of prouesse.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)933/10 : Ye were the moste mervayloust man of the worlde.
- a1500 Degrev.(Cmb Ff.1.6)423 : Þou art a man marvelus; My troth Y the plyght.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.8.10 : Lord..hou myche merueilous [WB(2): wondurful; L admirabile] is thi name in al erthe.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.9.6 : A litil child forsothe is born to vs..and his name shal be clepid Merueilous [WB(2): Wondurful; L Admirabilis], Counseiler, God..Prince of pes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pri.(Manly-Rickert)B.1643 : O lord..thy name how merueillous Is in this large worlde ysprad.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)9314 : Men sal him calle wiþ namis sere, Meruelous [Vsp: Ferliful; Trin-C: Wondirful] and conseiler.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)9821 : A merueiles [Ld: marvelus] name haue he [Jesus] shalle; Counsellour men shal him calle.
- c1400 Bible SNT(2) (Dc 250)1 Pet.2.9 : Ȝe soþeliche beþ a chosen kynrede..ȝe schulde schewe þe vertu of him [God] þat cleped ȝow fro derknesse in-to his merueilouse lyȝt.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)176/1 : God is merueyllous in his werkes.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)119/27 : Thanne þe meruelous goodnes of God..answeride and seyde þus.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)120/31 : Sche taasteþ myn vncreate charite and merueilous goodnes, by þe which I made hir.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)229/1 : It is ful needful to þee..þat þou oone þee to me by affeccioun of loue, for meruelous loue þat I haue to þee and to alle creaturis.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)297/20 : I bileeue verrily þat þou art Crist..ȝouen to me into my goostly liifloode fro þe fier of þi meruelous charite.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)319/6 : Thou þat art a meruelous louer hast also schewid þee to me boþe swete medicyn and bittir.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4711 : A, lorde god, þi maieste Es meruailous.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)28/164 : What art thou that thus Tellys afore that shall be? thou art full mervelus!
2.
(a) Miraculous; (b) supernatural, magical.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.9.4 : Þe lord schall do amerueylous þing [L mirabile] betwen possessiouns of irael & þe possessiouns of þe Egipciens.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.25.1 : Lord..thou hast do merueilous thingus [L mirabilia].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 5.26 : Thei weren fulfillid with greet drede, seyinge, For we han seyn merueilouse thingis [L mirabilia] to day.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1749 : Whan Goddis sone starfe vp-on þe rode..for wonder and tokenes merveilous..Dionisius..astonyed in his mynde, Seide platly, 'ouþer god of kynde Suffreth þe dethe, ouþer..Þis rounde worlde..Schal be dissoluid.'
- a1425 Templ.Dom.(Add 32578)366 : He verray god is, ffor his meruelous upsteynge.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)361/167 : Sum merveylous message is comyn that mayde tyll.
- a1475 St.Mary Magd.(2) (Dur-U Cosin V.2.14)221 : Than the preest desired to knowe the trouthe of that merveilous [L admirabilis] visyon.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1206 : And yet remoeued they neuere out of the hous Whil they saugh al this sighte merueillous [vrr. merueylous, meruelouse, meruelious].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)459 : Alle the mervelous signals Of the goddys celestials: How..Eneas..Acheved al his aventure, For Jupiter took of hym cure.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4707 : Thre grete wawes in spurned, It was meruaylous to tell..Þa wawes to blode þai turned.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1012/28 : Sir Launcelot herde how the mervayles swerde was gotyn.
3.
(a) Strange, peculiar; (b) unnatural, monstrous; (c) unpredictable, inscrutable.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.454 : This markys..ne myghte out of his herte throwe This merueillous desir, his wyf tassaye.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6623 : In Ethiope is a dych Merueillouse and griselich..Þis is now a wonder þing.
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[2.19.] 89a : This merveilous arisynge with a straunge degre in another signe is bicause that the latitude of the sterre fixe is either north or south fro the eq[ui]noxial.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2297 : The sore of love is merveilous; For now the lover [is] joyous, Now can he pleyne, now can he grone, Now can he syngen, now maken mone.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5199 : For som love leful is and good; I mene not that which makith thee wood..It is so merveilous and queynt.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)160/14 : Þere is a merueylouse custom in þat contree.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)112/28 : Withyn þe ȝatis [of hell] wen þay were passid, A meruelis fournes þer þai se.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.2508 : So straunge a thyng, allas, how myhte it be, That a woman of yeris yong and tendre Koude ymagyne so merueilous a thyng!
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.St.Austin (Hrl 2255)330 : Oo ded man assoiled hath anothir, An unkouth caas merveilous texpresse.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)23/12 : Angels thou maide ful euen..To haue the blis in heuen..ffull mervelus to neuen yit was ther vnkyndnes.
- ?a1525(?a1475) Play Sacr.(Dub 652)719 : Oh ye merveylows Jewys, Why ar ye to yowr kyng onkynd?
b
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6263 : Merueillous men ben þoo, Wolues from þe nauel dounward, And men fro þennes vpward.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6435 : Anoþere folk biside þere is Swiþe merueilous, jwys.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)103 : Þe hare..is þe merveiloist [vr. merueiluste] beest þat is, for euere she fumeþ or croteieþ.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7696 : In þat lond..hem schewe Many liknes, queint and monstruous, Bestis vnkouþe, to siȝt meruelous..Satiry, Bycornys eke, fawny and incuby.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)659 : Ther is a beest merveilous to se.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)88b : To eny oþer helpe of batayles y holde þis best [camel] vnable, saue he is meruaylous and wondirfulle in sight of hem þat neuere say noon suche beest bifore.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)3372 : She may be lykned to chymere, Whiche ys a best Monstruous, Ryght wonderful and mervelous.
c
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.17 : I undirstonde the felefolde colours and desceytes of thilke merveylous monstre Fortune.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)9/16 : Bot fortune that was mervellous led theym to the contre of Armoric.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)36/32 : Noon may wytt to whome to trust; this worlde is so mervellous to know.
4.
(a) Terrifying, horrible, fearful; (b) terrified.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1420 : Yn þe watyr þat was hydus, Sstynkyng, blak, & merueylus [F meruillouse].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)44b/a : Yt was not wonder, if þat grete coniunccioun [of Saturn, Jupiter & Mars] signified a meruelous mortalitee & a ferdful.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)54/15 : Sche was streyned with so mervelous a sorowe that sche caste hir-silf in-to the see.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)67/26 : Then beganne hir sorowe, so grete and so mervellous that it was pitee to see.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)213 : The Kyng took the se into Ynglond, and there had he grete tempest and mervelous wyndes.
- c1475 *Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)50/23 : The conclusions shall be so redoutable that it will be more dredfull to see than it is merueillous to the ymaginacion.
- c1475 *Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)86/28 : Men see clierly that thaire losses ben grete and thaire daungers right meruailous.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)219 : Ther was tho a marveilouse stour and a creuwell.
- a1500 *Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)126/21 : This was wele preved by the holy martirs that endured many mervelous peynes.
- a1500 Listenythe nowe & (Dgb 88)25 : Wher-by you shall knowne All yerres Fro hennis vn-to domes day: Whiche shall be gude & harde, perfay, And whiche shall be mervelous, And whiche ben esy & plentyuous.
b
- c1390 Mannyng HS, Mir.CC (Vrn)326 : Of þat siht he gan to grise, ffor þat siht he was hidouse And dredful and Meruilouse.