Middle English Dictionary Entry
par cā̆s adverbial phr.
Entry Info
| Forms | par cā̆s adverbial phr. Also per cas, per cace. |
| Etymology | OF phr.; see also ME par prep. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Perhaps, perchance, possibly; (b) by any chance; if..~, if the case or chance were; except ~, except by any chance; (c) by chance, as it happens or happened; accidentally; as fate would have it; (d) ~ of, because of (sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1377) Statutes Realm2.3 : Plusours gentz..font grantz retenuz des gentz..donantz a eux chaperons & autre livere dune suyte par an, repreignantz vers eux la value de cel livere, ou par cas la double value. ]
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.39 : Thou schalt mowe senden hire a lettre, And, per cas, wryte more plein Than thou be Mowthe durstest sein.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1239 : Bot otherwise, if thou refuse To love, thou miht so, per cas, Ben ydel, as somtime was A kinges dowhter unavised.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)4002 : Ar he alle þo haue slayn, he shal be mased of his mayn, þat while if þou wolt, þei shul pase, And com not in his hond, percase.
- (1415) Hoccl.Oldcastle (Hnt HM 111)113 : Par cas, thow to thy self shame it arettist Vn-to Prelatz of holy chirche obeie; If it so be, thy conceit thow mis settist.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6647 : They wolde hate you, percas [F espoir], And, if ye fillen in her laas, They wolde eftsoonys do you scathe.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Arun 507)135 : He resceyues goddis grace in vayne þat notis it noght in gode when god sendis it til him; & þerfore, percase, he sal neuer after wynne þerto.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.1 : To summe folk, parcas, it wolde seeme..The tragedies auhte inouh suffise.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)237 : Whi wil god don so gret a cruelte To eny man..To maken him so mych wo endure, For hir, percaas, whom he shal in no wise Reioise neuer.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)42/32 : Or, parcaas, he stireþ þee suche dedis to don þat þou þiselfe swiþe sore hatist & knowest it for yuel.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4227 : We miȝt sum connynge, per cas, chach of ȝoure wordis.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)165/4930 : That which is vnto sum oon plesaunce, An othir wille, parcas, ben with hit wroth.
- (1462) Stonor1.58 : Per case, þe on schall suffyse.
- (1475) Paston1.482 : To morow I purpose to ryde in-to Flaundrys..and, parcase, I shall see the assege at Nwse, ere I come ageyn.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)535 : All vertues alloone hath nat oo man..That thou canst nat, parcas, a-nothir can.
- a1500(a1450) Parton.(1) (Add 35288)10148 : She wiste neuer what he was; And if she hadde, she wolde haue, percase, Full gladde [be] to haue done hym eace.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)28b/28 : For sothe, if þou haue eny nobill triacle to ȝeue hym..percase he myght lyffe.
- a1500 O mestres (Hrl 2252)29 : But sythe þat ye So strange wylbe As toward me, & wyll not medyll, I truste, percase, to fynde some grace to haue free chayse, & spede as welle!
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)5780 : Þi chastite is þanne, parcas [rime: has], For sikenesse þat might not dure, Oþer for colde of thi nature.
- a1500 3 KCol.(1) (Tit A.25)2/29 : What they diden aftir, parcas [vr. perauenture], to many men it is vnknowe.
b
- (1402) Hoccl.Cupid (Hnt HM 744)164 : If it happe men fynden, par cas, O womman fals, swich is good for tescheewe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.808 : Euery wyȝt ouȝte to compleyne, Þat lytel gylte schulde haue swyche vengaunce, Except, parcas, þoruȝ goddys puruyaunce, Þat þis mescheffe schulde after be Folwyng, per-chaunse, of gret felicite.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1449 : Þan art þou, sone, a weddid man, per caas?
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1471 : If þat þou haddest, per cas, ben a prest, Þou woldest han as wantonly þe gyed.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17806 : But yiff the wode, par cas or chaunce, Wer yhewe, or feld a-doun Tofor ther convencion..Than..He peyseth..Hys long abydyng tyme and al.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.885 : And with that word, it happed hym, par cas, To take the botel ther the poysoun was.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2933 : He hadde also A brother, which was cleped tho Dedalion, and he, per cas, Fro kinde of man forschape was Into a Goshauk of liknesse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4940 : Upon a day as he, per cas, To wode in his huntinge wente, It hapneth..He fell unwar into a pet.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1967 : Noot I not how, it happede, par cas [vrr. parcase, percace], As Theseus compleynede hym by nyghte, The kynges doughter..herden al His compleynynge.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)411 : The pore borweth, par cas, for Indigence.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)20537 : An hundryd thousand men assaylle Euerych other in bataylle; Wher-off kometh ther destyne, That they ben alle at o Iourne, And yet, par cas, yt ys no nay, They wer nat alle born on o day.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)7926 : For a womman seuene chaumbres has, And in eche of tho, parcas, She may consceiue a child and no mo.
d
- [ (1310) Gloss.DuCange ()1.497b : Car tailles sont levees par cas de necessite. ]
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.995 : Þe letteris, þat falsly were conspired, Þei han hir put, par cas of Innocence, For to ȝeven to hastily credence.