Middle English Dictionary Entry
abandonen, -ǒunen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | abandonen, -ǒunen v. Also abaund-, abound-, haboundon, -en. |
| Etymology | OF abandon(n)er, -(o)uner. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. embandounen.
1.
(a) To give up or surrender (sth.); (b) to discard (sth.), cast off; (c) to dispense (sth.) with abandon, give away without restraint; (d) to give (sb) up for lost, despair of saving.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.766 : Thus was abandoned Thempire, Which cam nevere ayein Into the hond of no Romein.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2772 : Be cause that he was coroned, And that the lond was abandoned To him [etc.].
b
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)85/17 : The olde lawe yevith the leves, the othir .. florisshith; the oon bourieneth and waxith grene, the othir vendengith and tvnnith, and abandoneth both rynde and leeffe and gaderith the fruytes.
c
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)223/4 : Plente of goodes .. had caused to be openyd and abandouned.
d
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)215/13 : Diuers men I haue seen .., som so vnstedefaste and litle feith that diuers in thsire corages fled the adhesion and presence of thaire lord and the helpe of thaire seigneurie, like as a thing that is cleerly lost and as a seeke man iuged to dethe and abandouned withoute remedye.
2.
To give (oneself) up or yield utterly (to good or bad): -- usu. refl. or pass. (a) To yield without restraint (to vice); (b) to surrender to the opposite sex; indulge in fornication; ~ (one's) bodi; (c) to devote (oneself) fully (to religion, to do good); (d) ?to go (somewhere) on impulse, betake (oneself).
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.694 : He abaundoneth al his herte to euery maner synne.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2767 : A man that is to desirynge to gete richesses abandoneth hym first to thefte.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)282/21 : Þat þei habounden hem not to þe vanite and couetise of þis world.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.874 : Auowtrie..tho that whilom weren o flessh abawndone hir bodyes to othere persones.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5378 : Sche to him was abandouned [rime: rouned]..The ferste flour he tok aweie.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)18 : He shuld not abaundon his body ne his entent..the vice of lecherye steynyth all vertues.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)7 : She..abandoned hire body to alle men.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.713 : He that loueth god, he wol..abaundone hym self with al his myght wel for to doon.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1596 : Moris hir Sone..so ferforth was abandouned [rime: corouned] To Cristes feith, that men him calle Moris the cristeneste of alle.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)38 : On the same wyse shuld a good knygh be habaundonede to all personys, and to gyffe..comfort aftyr hys power.
d
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1834 : The king himself hath abandoned Into the temple in good entente.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450(1438) GLeg.Eustace (GiL154) (Eg 876) 789/3 : Eustas that was called Placidas..was abondonid for to worship ydoles.
Note: New spelling (with medial -bon-).