Middle English Dictionary Entry
mirīlī adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | mirīlī adv. Also mirieli, mireli & muri(e)li, mureli & meri(e)li, mereli. |
| Etymology | OE myriglīce adv. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Cheerfully, joyfully; in jest [quot.: c1400]; with enjoyment or delight; (b) in a jolly manner, cheerily; heartily; also, sweetly; (c) in or with spiritual joy.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4457 : Faire in the sond to bathe hire myrily [vrr. merely, merily, merilye, meryely] Lith Pertelote.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2345 : I mansed þe muryly with a mynt one.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.4399 : Þe Grekis..ben eskapid [fro] þe se by grace, And vn-to lond aryued merily.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1329 : In that gardyn gan I goo, Pleyyng along full meryly.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.7.140 : Have now..how a man scornede festyvaly and myriely [L festiue] swich vanyte.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.2332 : Sires..dyneth merili.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.4409 : Sophodius, porest in substaunce..ful myrili & ofte On drye strauh he lay and slepte.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)338 : Myryly: Gaudenter, hillariter, letanter.
- c1460 This Palamon (Dub 432)5 : Goyng merely in a garden grene, Singyng herself..She ravisshed boþe the hertes..Of palamon and his brother Ersyte.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)11662 : Thow shalt..muryely pleyen the Galawnt.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.1782 : They went to the tauerne and merely dranke.
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.122 : Ete þe mete merely [L Cum gaudio].
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)8834 : So merely they ledde ther lyff, Betwene them two was neuer stryff.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)77/419 : Go we to land now merely.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1739 : William ful merili to meliors þan he seide.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.138 : No nyghtyngale Ne koude..Syngen so wonder myrily.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1300 : With that word he lough ful myrily [vrr. murily, meryely, merelye].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)76b/a : Meinals & seruauntis bisilich helpen..ich oþir and talken mirilich Ifere.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)493 : Myryly on a fayr morn..Ledez loȝen in þat lome.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2336 : He melez muryly wyth a much steuen.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8691 : His mynstrales he made ouer-more..Myrely to sowne her instrumentis.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)3288 : He luked vp vnto þe toure, And merily sang he of amowre.
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)206 : Thes sevyn virgyns..With herte, body, and handes reioysynge, And off othir cheris appered murely For the Kyngis gracious home komynge.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)9996 : Hym to comfort in his hert he cast And meryly [vr. merely] brak oute..And sayd, [etc.].
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21512 : Thys beste..Spak..curteysly And..sayde muryely [vr. merely]..'I kan Pleye on euery instrument.'
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)3856 : Merely spake All men but he.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)461 : Amarys..gret hym merely with good will.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)97 : I haue leuer vpon a braunche small Meryly to syng.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)58 : The brid, þat sang so murely in the top of the tre, is þi conscience.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)77 : Merlyn toke the kynge in counseile and seide that he sholde contene hym-self myrily.
- a1500 7 Sages(1) (Cmb Ff.2.38)174/2613 : He had no solas Of mete nor drynke..But herde fowlys merylye syng.
c
- c1390 ?Hilton Qui Habitat (Vrn)58/3 : A Chast louere of god syngeþ merily in þe harpe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pri.(Manly-Rickert)B.1743 : This litel child..Ful murily wolde he synge and crye 'O Alma redemptoris'.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)52/5 : Þou mowe muriliche seie wiþ Symeon: 'Now, Lord.'
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)60/15 : He and siche oþire schulen reste hem ful myrily vpon þe breste of myn oonly bigeten sone.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)3064 : Þe gatys of heuyn to þe Bene now wyd opynnyd; come jn meryly Ant rest in pese.
2.
(a) Attractively; fairly; (b) brightly.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4769 : Þai [trees of the sun and moon] wald sett with þe son & with þe son rise; Fra morewane to þe mydday merely þai spring.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8017 : It be-gan ful merily to dawe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2268 : Phebus meryly aroos In þe orient whan þe larke song.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3862 : Þe mone ouir þe montayns meryly it schynes.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)678 : Þe day be-gan to rype, And the sonne merely vpward gan she pike.
3.
?Briskly; quickly; shortly.
Associated quotations
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1491 : Forth this marchant rydeth To Flaundres ward..Til he cam in to Brugges murily [vrr. myriely, merely, merily; merie].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)740 : Bi a mounte on þe morne meryly he rydes Into a forest.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)882 : I lepte forth lightly a-long by þe heigges And movid forth myrily to maistrie þe hilles.
4.
Correctly, properly; also, at the appropriate time.
Associated quotations
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1192 : Iuuenal seith of pouerte myrily, 'The poure man, whan he gooth by the weye, Biforn the theues he may synge and pleye.'
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)146b/b : Swannes briddes fleeþ out of here nest and syngiþ myryliche [L apte admodum].
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)39/37 : Þe tre of charyte..whanne it is myrily plauntid, it buriowneþ out..swete flouris of vertues.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)1441 : Must lesyth his name toward seint martynes muryly drounke whan it is through ffyn.