Middle English Dictionary Entry
avarīce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | avarīce n. Also averice. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Greed (both in acquiring and in withholding), acquisitiveness; esp., avaritia, the fifth of the seven deadly sins; (b) the vice of withholding one's goods, unwillingness to give, miserliness [contrasted to the opposite vice of prodigality and also to the virtue of generosity]; (c) immoderate desire (for knowledge, glory, power, etc.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)115 : Þis worldes blisse..bringeþ man to..Auarice and glotonye.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)34 : Þet vifte heaued..is the zenne of auarice and of couaytyse..Auarice..him sseweþ in þri maneres generalliche: ine wynnynge boldeliche, ine ofhealdinge streytliche, ine spendinge scarsliche..of auarice guoþ out manye smale roten..gauelinge..þyefþe..roberye..chalenge..sacrilege..symonye.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)118/36 : Bowe myn hert into þy witnisses, & nouȝt in-to auarice [L avaritiam].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.56.11 : Alle in to ther owne weie boweden doun, eche to his auarice [WB(2): aueryce].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.155 : Þe pope see was fer fro þe elites, and þe prince disposed noþing by avarice.
- c1390 Mirror St.Edm.(2) (Vrn)359 : Þe ffyfþe [deadly sin] is cald Auarice..Þerof comeþ treson, and Robberie, fforsweryng, Oker, and Symonye.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.742 : Oother folk seyn that auarice is for to purchacen manye erthely thynges and no thyng yeue to hem that han nede.
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)64/14 : God hated auarice and loued penaunce.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)39/28 : Foule coueitises of ȝoure herte, & auarise of gredi gedring, þat is foule seruyse þat longiþ to ydols.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5866 : Who-so list auarice knowe, Amonge prestis he shal it rathest fynde.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1805 : Pride, Envye, and Ire, and Avarice He han to fle, and everich other vice.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)4495 : Auarice is a loue inmoderat, Richesses temporel for to purchace.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)16 : Alle þinges..weren anoon aftir turned fro him in foule couetise, þat is avarice, whanne he coueitide to haue more þan god had gouun him.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)56 : That drede schuld oppresse leccherie, and bisinesse schuld distroye avarice.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.413 : Nero sende..Vespasian..to make the Iewes subiecte, not willenge to suffre the avarice [L avaritiam; Trev.: covetise] of Florus.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)118.36 : Helde my herte in thi rightwisyngis and noght in auarice; That is, make my herte meke..that i serfe the for thi selfe, noght for any erthly wynnynge.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)210/2 : In the synne of auarice synned Mathewe, the which for auarice and couetyse ȝaf hym to fowle lucres and customes.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.744 : The difference bitwixe auarice and coueitise is this: Coueitise is for to coueite swiche thynges as thow hast nat, and auarice is for to withholde and kepe swiche thynges as thow hast with oute rightful nede.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.811 : Another manere of remedie agayns auarice is resonable largesse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7671 : And riht as Avarice is Sinne, That wolde his tresor kepe and winne, Riht so is Prodegalite.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)5338-40 : Coueytyse ys of wylle, as ys a bayte, But auaryce ys nygun haldyng strayte. Coueytyse cumþ of kynde of blode, But auaryce ys noþer kynde ne gode.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)209 : Another ymage set saugh I Next Coveitise faste by, And she was clepid Avarice.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)826 : That mesour haue domynacyoun..Twen Avaryce and prodigalyte.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)142 : Vsurere j am cleped. Summe clepen me coueytise, and summe oothere clepen me Auarice, For j keepe my goodes to miche.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)204/32 : Rychesse engendren couetyse and auaryce [L cupiditatem & auariciam].
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17457 : Coveytyse men calle me..Whan I..coueyte other mennys good. And Avaryce men me calle, Whan that I fro folkys alle Kepe al that euere I gete kan.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)130/30 : The more Maystri hit is to know and conquere fraunchis that holdyth the meen wey, than folargyse or auarice, that bene of two boundys.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.743 : Auarice ne stant nat oonly in lond ne catel, but som tyme in science and in glorie.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)95 : He toke hym..and bare hym aȝen in to a ful hiȝe hille..and there he tempted hym of auarice.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)5281 : Auarise..sovnes not onely in monee..but in heȝenes..And couetise of gret degre.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)29 : Covetise was the ground and cause of the Kynges dethe; Therfore..Maistre Johanes..thus said yn Frenche langage, Il nest pas sires de son pays, quy de son peple n'est amez, the which is..Yn oure Englesshe tonge, 'A grete prynce may have no more vice, ne hyme to greve, thanne a varite [read: avarice]. He nys no lord yn his cuntre, that of his mene hath no lufe.'
Note: New spelling