Middle English Dictionary Entry
mọ̄di adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | mọ̄di adj. Also modie, modei, mọ̄dẹ̄, (N) mudi & (early) modiȝ, (infl.) modiȝæn, (sup.) modgeste. |
| Etymology | OE mōdig |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Lacking in the virtue of humility, proud, arrogant, haughty; also, stubborn, obstinate; as noun: the proud man or men; -- also personified; (b) full of passion, lascivious; (c) such as might give rise to pride, ostentatious.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)128/7 : Þa modiȝæn & þa oferhudiȝen deaþes gneornung gripð.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)542/20 : Superbus, modi.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9613 : Forr Drihhtin hateþþ modiȝ mann & lufeþþ alle meoke.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9814 : Forr þatt tatt Judisskenn follc Wass modiȝ follc wiþþ alle..Ne wolldenn þeȝȝ nohht cnawenn..& tatt wass mikell wherrfeddleȝȝc.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.DD (Lamb 487)43 : Prud heo wes swiðe and modi.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22925 : Ne dert þu nauere adrede..þat æuere æine modi cniht at þine borde makie fiht, for þer scal þe hehȝe beon æfne þan loȝe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)31563 : Nert þu noht swa modi swa him is Oswy; he for-hoȝeð ful iwis to isechen þine hiredes.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)5/11 : Ðeus superbis resistit; Godd wiðstant alle modi mannen.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)57/4 : He hafð ineðered niðer in to helle grunde alle ðe modi ðe hier on liue ðe dieule folȝeden; alswa he haueð iheiȝed alle ðo ðe Cristes eadmodnesse habbeð ȝeluued and ihelden, in to heuene riches merhðe.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)738 : Stoden on an half þeos meistres so monie, & unimete modi [L fastu tumentes], þeos meiden on oðer half.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1240 : Hwil þis eadi meiden motede & mealde..þe an modgeste of ham þet mealde toȝein hire, warð swa awundret of hire wittie wordes.
- a1300 I-hereþ nv one (Jes-O 29)74 : Þo he com to þe temple..He vunde þer-ynne chepmen þet were mody; Þeyh hi were prute, he heom vt drof.
- c1350 How GWife(1) (Em 106)164/85 : Be nout to modi, no to enuious.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.110 : Bot nou er yong man sa bald That..Fair eld schew thai in thair youthe, Wit modi wordes of þair mouthe; At cristes lar wil thai noht lete.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)10.217 : So comiþ dobest aboute, and bringeþ doun mody [B: þe mody], And þat is wykkide wil þat many werk shendiþ.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)422 : I wyst wel..To manace alle þise mody men þat in þis mote dowellez.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)27/32 : Al þis nobleye of þis world he set it at nouȝt, power ne tresorye, ne seignourye grete, þat þese mody kyngis leten mykil by.
- a1450 Now is þe twelþe day (Sln 2593)p.82 : As they keme forght with here offeryng, They mette with Herowdes, that mody kyng.
b
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)500 : Of golnesse is al þi [the nightingale's] song; An aȝen þet þu wlt teme, Þu art wel modi & wel breme.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11852 : Te laþe gast Aȝȝ eggeþþ hise þeowwess, To draȝhenn hemm aȝȝ upp o lofft Þurrh niþ & modiȝnesse, To ȝeornenn affterr laferrddom & affterr modiȝ wikenn, To beon abufenn oþre menn.
2.
(a) Angry; quarrelsome, imperious; fierce, violent; also, evil, cruel; (b) distressed, grieving; also as noun: a sorrowful or distraught man.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8245 : Augustuss..flemmde himm ut forrþi þatt he Wass ifell mann wiþþ alle, & modiȝ mann att oferrdon, & grimme wiþþ þe leode.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14904 : Saul..warrþ swiþe modiȝ mann & ifell mann i dede.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8344 : Nu is Cassibellaune & his men swa modi iwurðen þat mid fehte heo wulleð me sende ut of Brut-londe.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)41/26 : Hlesteð hider, ȝe modi menn..ðe ararð upp ðe wraððhes and þe cheastes and te bitere wordes.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2660 : Oc so faiger he was on to sen, Ðat migte non man modi ben Ðor-quiles he seweden him up-on.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2712 : A modi stiward he ðor fond, Betende a man wid his wond.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)906 : Wel modi [Cai: full angry] he was; He come als swiþe as he miȝt driue, Gij to smite he heyed bliue.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)717 : He wolle be mody man of þewys, To adauntten many schrewys; For he haþ do to deþ tweyne, He were worþi to dye in peyne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)341 : Mody or angry.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)3738 : He was a merueillous mody knyght..Egreliche he tok vengeaunce..For loue wold he noman spare Þe whyles þat his wrathe ware.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)704 : Ȝonder behald..Þe euyll sterne of Ercules how egirly it soroȝes, And how þe mode Marcure makis sa mekill ioy.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)505 : Amaris..cryethe vpon mauhoun with mody steuyn: curse hym, crist, that sittis in heuyn.
b
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)704 : Aylmar aȝen gan turne, Wel Modi and wel Murne.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)40/737 : Horn cam in to stable, Wel modi for þe fable.
- a1350 Lenten ys come (Hrl 2253)22 : Mody meneþ, so doþ mo, ichot ycham on of þo, for loue þat likes ille.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1464 : Þerfore, man, in mody monys, If þou wylt wende to worþi wonys, Schryue þe now.
3.
Brave, bold, high-spirited; worthy, noble; also, rash, audacious.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7448 : Britael com to neode, Norð Walene king, & Guærtaæt þe mode [Otho: modie].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)23698 : Wes Frolle to fihte swide kene, muche cniht & strong mon and modi on heorten, and sæide þat he wolde þene dæi halde.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)417 : He bihet to medin ham mid swiðe heh mede..ȝef ha þeos modi [L temerariam] motild ouercumen mahten.
- a1275 Þene latemeste dai (Trin-C B.14.39)19 : Me nimit þe licam & prenit in on clut, þat was heir modi, stronc, & suyþe prut, þat was iwonit to wriin so mony veir srout.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)29726 : He hadde..sixtene hundred monakes of Bruttus streone, swiþe modi [Clg: stiðe imodede] men.
- a1350(1307) Execution Fraser (Hrl 2253)164 : Sum while in ys time he wes a modi knyht In huerte.
- ?c1350 Ballad Sc.Wars (Jul A.5)77 : A mody barn that was ful bald..Al my yering he me tald.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1303 : Presented him þe presoneres..Þe pruddest of þe province, and prophetes childer, As Ananie, and Azarie, and als Mizæl, And dere Daniel also..With moni a modey moder chylde mo þen innoghe.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)16/42 : Þe duc of Lankaster was dight for to driue, With mani mody man þat thought for to thriue.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5598 : The kyng of Cypre, kyng Rody, Come with many a man þat was mody; To ffyght come kyng Henes, With alle his men Philotenes, Kyng Hencus and many other.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3008 : These tythandes..told were to Parys, Þat honerable Elan was entrid in þe tempull, Menelay mody wife þat he most louyt.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)295 : Now es dethe at my dore..Bot many modyere than I..Hafe passed the pase..And I schall neuen ȝow the names of nyne of the beste.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)215 : Þe mode kynge of Messedone..Þat was sire Philip þe fers farne out of toune.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2078 : Þe mody [Dub: worthy] man Amonta þan melis þir wordis.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5399 : Oure mode kyng was so maied, myndles him semed.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)260/86 : For as modee as he [Christ] can loke, he wold haue turnyd an othere croke, Myght he haue had the rake.
- a1500 Octav.(1) (Cmb Ff.2.38)106/771 : Octauyon, the emperour of Rome, To Parys sone he come Wyth many a mody knyght.
4.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1177) in Pipe R.Soc.26138 : Robertus Modi.
- (1206) CRR(2) 4106 : Stephanus Modi.
- (c1230) Cart.Oseney in OHS 97273 : Stephanus Modi.
- (1276) Hundred R.Tower 1110 : Rogerum Mody.
- (1316) Name in LuSE 3585 : Mody.
- (1338) Name in LuSE 3585 : Mudy.
- (1348-49) Name in LuSE 3585 : Modi.