Middle English Dictionary Entry

avīs n.
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Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
Sight, view; inspection, scrutiny.
2.
Information, knowledge.
3.
(a) Act of thinking, reflection, meditation; bi ~, deliberately, advisedly; bi gret ~, with much thought; taken ~, to ponder; withouten ~, without thinking; (b) forethought, prudence, wisdom; (c) capacity for thinking, mind.
4.
(a) Judgment, opinion; do your ~, do as you see fit; (b) in (at, to) min ~, in my opinion, in my judgment; as after hir ~, in her opinion, as it seemed to her; in here ~, to his ~, etc.; (c) graunten at ~, to grant (sth.) in exact compliance with (someone's) decision or demand; serven at ~, to serve at the pleasure of (sb.); taken at ~, to take (a castle, etc.) to do as (one) pleases with, capture unconditionally.
5.
Something contrived or devised, plan, arrangement, device; at the best ~, according to the best plan, in the best manner; for the most ~, in the best manner, for the greatest benefit.
6.
(a) A spoken judgment, an expressed opinion; seien ~, tellen ~, to give (one's) opinion; (b) advice, counsel, recommendation; asken ~, to ask (sb.) for advice; taken ~, to get advice (from sb.); also, to accept or follow advice; yeven ~, to give advice, advise; (c) advice, directions, orders; bi (after, at) his ~, in accordance with his advice, in compliance with his orders, under his direction; after the ~ of, bi ~ of, etc.; (d) law advice (implying consultation and agreement upon a course of action); ~ and assent (consent, sent), advice and agreement.
7.
Consultation, discussion; also, time spent in consultation; be (with) gret ~, with much discussion or deliberation; taken ~, to confer, discuss, decide through discussion (to do sth.).
8.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1475(c1450) ?Scrope Mirror World (Bod 283)1671 : Godde hatthe doon to the iii maner of bounteys: on comune with al othir men, on especial with alle thy senguler advises, and on senguler for the alonly.
Note: Ed.: "MED does not record advises (sg. avis) in the sense of 'goods, material benefits.'" Appears to belong loosely to sense 8., via the sense 'legacy, something inherited.'