Middle English Dictionary Entry
mō̆rā̆l adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | mō̆rā̆l adj. Also moralle; pl. moral(es. |
| Etymology | L mōrālis & OF moral. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Associated with or characterized by right behavior, virtuous, moral; also, associated with or concerning conduct or moral principles; ~ ivel, evil conduct; ~ vice, evil habit or practice; ~ minde, understanding concerning moral matters; (b) ~ vertu, right thought and conduct, morality; (c) ~ dom of resoun, right judgment concerning morality; ~ laue of kinde, moral law, connatural to man as having a rational soul; godes ~ laue; ~ philosophie, that branch of philosophy dealing with proper conduct, ethics.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)81/20 : No man may feyne þat the forseide heeste is cerymonial..For hit is verrey moral, longynge to good þewes.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)6/27 : We Cristen men and wommen, now at this tyme be the grace of God enlumyned with verrey feith, may brynge ayen to morall mynde the opynyones of ancient pepill.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)211 : Þou [Christ] lividist a moral, holy lijf after lawe of kinde.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)232 : Þilk good is callid moral good which longiþ to goode maners or for which a man is preiseable..Ensaumple..is..Almes deede, abstinence, pacience, mekenes, preier. Ensaumple of moral yuel is pride, coueitise, glotonye, wraþþe, and oþere.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)408 : Þe oþere moral deedis þan preier han in hem more moral goodnes.
- a1450(a1397) WBible(2) GProl.(Hrl 1666)p.3 : The old testament is departid..in to moral comaundementis, iudicials, and cerimonyals. Moral comaundementis techen to holde and preise and cherishe vertues, and to fle and repreue vicis, and these comaundementis bynden euer..for tho ben groundid in charite and reson and in lawe of kynde.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)366 : Siþ þat moyses lawe is moralle in þis poynte..criste myȝte not distroy þes lawis.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)76/8-9 : Alle þo seid vertues in þe wil bi which þe wil is disposid..to obeie..to prudence or to feiþ in resoun ben suche þat þei longen to maners..þei owen be clepid 'maneral vertues'..siþen 'maneral' and 'moral' is al oon to seie in englisch, þerfore þei ben clepid also 'moral vertues'.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)182/32-34 : Þe knowing of moral vertues is þe weie bi which..ben knowun þe moral vicis which stonden aȝens moral vertues.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)118.1 : Þis psalme..all shynys of haly lare and morale swetnes.
b
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.307 : Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1852 : Knowende hou that the feith discresceth And alle moral vertu cesseth.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2925 : Tarie thou mi Court nomore, Bot go ther vertu moral duelleth.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5006 : Freelte þat wommen han of kynde Þoruȝ vertu moral sche put out of mynde.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1672 : Moral vertu, grounded upon trouthe, That was the cause I first hadde on yow routhe.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.2 Merch.(Hrl 2255)388 : Hool of hir herte, benygne and immvtable..In moral vertu mesuryd and tretable.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)73/24 : Al moral vertu is to be doon aftir þe doom of oure resoun.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)11790 : I am callyd 'vertu moral, Polytyk, & general'..I contene..Al the pathys to goode thewes, The ryhte way, & ther degres.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)19/4 : 'Moral vertu' namyþ oonli habit or his disposicioun into him..'moral vertuose dede'..nameþ þe dedis goyng bifore þe habit and þe dedis comyng aftir þe habit.
c
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)334 : Leernyd men in logik, in natural philosophie and moral philosophie and in diuinite.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)13 : Doom of natural resoun..is clepid 'moral law of kinde'.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)19 : In to the charge of Cristen men abidith the al hool birthen of lawe of kinde which is not ellis than moral philosophie.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)34 : Holi Scripture reherce trouthis and gouernauncis whiche ben propre to moral lawe of kinde, that is to seie, propre to moral doom of resoun, which is not ellis than moral philsophie.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)2/31 : Schal be tauȝt..a fewe certeyn trouþis of moral philosophie.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)22/20 : Þe poyntis..of goddis moral lawe ben soortid into iij parcellis.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)103/53,71 : Philosophie..natural, and moral, and resonable..moral, whiche, in order, of living maners techeth, and by reson proveth vertues of soule moste worthy in our living.
2.
(a) Edifying, treating of morality; morales episteles; (b) as an epithet for an author concerned with morality.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2130 : It is a moral tale vertuous.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.325 : Tel vs som moral thyng that we may leere Som wit.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)434 : Þese now seid persoones wroote þe story of þe new testament and al þe moral documentis of þe same testament.
- ?a1450(c1380) Chaucer Gent.(Benson-Robinson)head. : Moral Balade of Chaucier.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)48/3 : He made many morales epistels to Aristotel.
b
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)995 : A Tragedye of Moral Senyk.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1856 : O moral Gower, this book I directe To the.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.MRose (Hrl 2255)86 : The tragedyes..Of moral Senek.
3.
Tropological, having to do with one of the four levels or methods in the interpretation of Holy Writ.
Associated quotations
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)107/7 : Such a moral vndirstonding or an allegorie or an anogogie of holi scripture.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)52/30 : Fredom and liberte of wil is an occasioun into moral yuel.
Note: Additional quote(s) for 1.(a).