Middle English Dictionary Entry

paradī̆s(e n.
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Entry Info

Forms paradī̆s(e n. Also paradisse, -diȝs, parades(e, paridice, para-, peradis.
Etymology OF paradis & L paradīsus.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) The Garden of Eden; (b) court of ~, ertheli ~, ~ greve, ~ of god, ~ terrestre, paradises riche, the Garden of Eden; (c) an eastern land sometimes identified with (a); ertheli ~, ~ terrene (terrestre, terrestrial), earthly paradise; (d) ertheli ~, ~ terrestre, an intermediate place between purgatory and heaven, where Christ was between his resurrection and ascension; (e) appel (pome) of ~, a banana; grain of ~, a spice; prob. cardamom or Amomum cardamon; lef ~, a medicinal herb or the oil made from it; malobathrum, malobathron; probably Cinnamomum tamala.
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2.
(a) The Christian heaven; (b) the Moslem heaven; also, the abode of the God of Love; (c) blisse (joie) of ~, paradises blisse, the state of heavenly bliss; cite of ~, the heavenly city; flour of ~, the Virgin Mary; ~ gates, the gates of heaven; gates of ~, an epithet of the Virgin Mary; heuenli ~, ~ erde, paradises riche, the heavenly kingdom; prince of ~, God; (d) in comparisons involving joy, beauty, or splendor; a blissful place or state; a source of bliss; bliss; foles ~, the state of ignorant bliss; (e) alch. the final stage in the production of the white elixir.
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3.
An orchard, a garden; a pleasure garden.
Show 11 Quotations
4.
An ecclesiastical precinct.
Show 1 Quotation
5.
As a place name.
Show 3 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Quotations with form 'parais' should be moved to parais n.. Hence remove sense 1(d) quot. c1300 and sense 2.(a) quots. c1225(?c1200); c1230(?a1200); and c1250.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: The small sense 1(d) should perhaps make it clear that others beside Christ can dwell in paradise in this sense (see Sidrak quot., and further Sidrak 1.9139ff.); and the gloss should possibly omit specific reference to purgatory, since arguably paradise does not belong in the purgatory-heaven sequence at all, but is rather to be identified with the limbus patrum, home of Enoch and Elijah, incarnate souls awaiting heaven (but cp. quot. c1300 SLeg. Patr. (Ld) 551, s.v. parais n., which does indeed place paradise in the purgatory-heaven sequence...)

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • (1391) Doc.Beverley in Seld.Soc.1437 : Johannes de Erghes, hayrer…manucepit…ludere quemdam ludum vocatum Paradise…aceciam [read: ac eciam] manucepit reliberare…omnes res…pertinentes ludo predicto…viz. j karre, viij hespis, xviij stapels, ij visers, ij wenges angeli, j fir-sparr, j worme, ij paria caligarum linearum, ij paria camisarum, j gladius.
    • Note: New sense
    Note: New sense: apparently the title of a masque or play.

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