Middle English Dictionary Entry
nought adj.
Entry Info
Forms | nought adj. |
Etymology | OE; for forms, see nought pron. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Immoral, evil; also, as a name; (b) of human beings: unworthy; of metals, soil, a voice: worthless, of poor quality; (c) unacceptable; inappropriate, unsuitable; (d) weak, impotent; bereft of power; (e) unavailing, useless; (f) of an agreement, decree, obligation: void, nullified; (g) diseased; (h) trivial; (i) with gerunds: not; (j) litel or ~ of reputacioun, of little or no reputation; (k) ?impossible.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(1389) Wycl.25 Art.(Dc 273)488 : Þo hoore-hows is not so cursid as mony suche templis bene, ffor more cursid synne regnus in hem..undur coloure of holynes..þen at þo hoorehows þat alle men knowen is nouȝt.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)14459 : Alle þat he wiþ loue hem souȝt þe iewes entent was euer nouȝt.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)430 : God forbede that ech dede..be holde nauȝt and badde if..therfro bi mannis freelnes..synne and yuel comen.
- c1450 Whos conscians (SeldSup 52)41 : Deme note my dedys yf yours be noght.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)111 : Nought: I harde yow call 'New Gyse, Nowadays, Nought', all þes thre togethere.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)273 : My name ys Nought; I loue well to make mery.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)924 : Why hatyst þou vertu? why louyst þat ys nought?
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3606 : God answerede, 'of sal ic don Hem ðe arn nogt to ben ðor-on.'
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)18.74 : Of muche moneye þe metal is ryght nauht [Cmb Ff: feble].
- (1402) Hoccl.Cupid (Hnt HM 744)321 : In herte of man conceites trewe arn dede; The soile is naght, ther may no trouthe growe.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)317/32 : Þe affeccioun of þi charite aloone schal ȝeelde þankynges to þee, for I am sche þat am nouȝt.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)333/20 : Al þis is ȝoue to þee of me for þin heelþe, þat þou schuldist knowe þisilf nawht and haue þe moore matir of mekenesse and not of pryde.
- a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307)160 : Hure wois is hors and noght þer-to.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)15472 : Þis wo I wott I am worthy for weked werkes þat I haue wroyȝt; I do me hale in his mercy þat mad me new when I was noght.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)414 : Alasse þe whyll, I wers þen nought!
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)310 : Wan I was nought, þou made me thus gloryus; Wan I perysschede thorow synne, þou sauyde [me].
c
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)13/123 : [A]ffrican..seide hire sikerliche þet ne schulde ha lihtliche wilni na wunne þet ha ne schulde wealden wið þenan þet ha walde hire, wil wenden. 'Nai,' quoð ha, 'þet nis nawt.'
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)476 : The cloth þat shal ben in a gowne wroght, Take an hool cloth is best, for lesse is noght.
- 1607 Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)474/240 : I bade thee curse them, every one, and thou blest them, blood and bone! To this north syde thou shalt anon, for here thy deed is nought.
d
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1480 : Owar þe lauerd is wel aht, Oþer aswunde & nis naht.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)939 : Al the contre was so lowe ybrought And Priamus the kyng fordon and nought.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4925 : He hadde sayde..Þat seynt Edus power was nought.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)28 : If þer be ani vsing of power, or callid power, þat is not bi Crist, þat is no power, but fals pride..and as to ȝend and effect is nowȝt.
e
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3020 : He haþ..dryuen out of felde Darrye -- Ytaken his children and his wyue; Jt nys nouȝth myd hym forto stryue.
- a1450(a1396) Hilton CPerf.(Paris angl.41)5 : And þouȝ þe feend putte in þin herte, þat it is nouȝt þat þou praiest, dispise and diffye hym wiþ mouþ and herte and euere praie.
- c1460 Cursor (LdMisc 416)10771 : Ioseph sie it was nawȝt But nede his [rod] must forþe by broght.
f
- (1444) RParl.5.110a : The utlaries therupon folowyng be anulled, cassed, voide, and noght in law.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.59/24 : Also both parties consentid that þe compromisse i-maade to-gedur bytwene þem of þe saide thynges be nawȝht and be i-cancellid.
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.316 : In the same manner wise be bounden the foure men..in an obligacioun of ij mark for noon othir entent but to heere..her acounte & to alowe hem that that is nȝt.
g
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.51 : Þey..departeþ Affrica from Europa and Asia, as a sore membre þat is nouȝt from membres þat beeþ hole and sounde.
h
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)384/27 : Mesure þe wrongis þat ȝe doon to me & to ȝoure neiȝboris, & þanne ȝe schulen fynde in reward of hem þat wrongis whiche ben doon to ȝou ben nouȝt.
i
- (1420) MSS PRO in App.Bk.Lond.E.299 : I beseche ȝowre hynesse to take not to displesaunsse my nowht comyng.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)181/13 : So Is the Prynce y-callid meke..in his owyn noght goynge owte of the vertue of Temporaunce.
j
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1103 : Egistus..was of birþe nor of blood Litel or nouȝt of reputacioun.
k
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)131 : 'Whider y go þou schalt wiþ me.' 'Nay, nay, Sir, þat nouȝt nis [vrr. Þat schall not be, It may not be þis].'
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)457 : 'Ich biseche þe Þatow woldest ȝiue me Þat ich leuedi'..'Nay..Þat nouȝt nere.'