Middle English Dictionary Entry
passī̆f n.
Entry Info
| Forms | passī̆f n. |
| Etymology | From adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A capacity in matter for being acted upon, a passive quality as opposed to an active; (b) the ~, passive people; (c) everlasting ~, eternal reception of bliss; (d) gram. a passive verb; the passive form of a verb; fig. the receiver of an action or quality.
Associated quotations
a
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1481 : Of the forsaid iiij qualitees pryme..the passivis haue some actyuyte.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1723 : It [food] is humour solide..Mightly medlide after some degre, In opposid passivis commixtid dewly.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)91/6 : Every active worcheth on his passive..If fyr be in place chafinge thing able to be chafed..the oon may werche, the other shal suffre.
b
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)28/122 : They enbolded the passif to take in the actives doinge.
c
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)80/102 : There is ever accion of blisse withouten possible corrupcion..there is everlasting passife, withouten any of labour, continuel plyte, without cesinge coveyted to endure; No tonge may telle..the leest point of this blisse.
d
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)111 : How many be out take of thys rule? Foure verbes actyues, wyth hure passiues.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)92/17 : No passife to vertues of this Margaryte but thee in al my Donet can I fynde, So that her vertue muste nedes on thee werche.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1414 Lin-C.Informacio (Lin-C 88)106/56 : Hit is to say þat uerbis passiues as Ordinor acolitus, verbis as hit were passiues as Vapulo ignarus, verbis betokenyng sternyk or meuynk of bode or saule vt Curro velox, Meditor tacitus, and verbes betokenyng rest vt Appareo bonus.
- c1450 Peniarth Accedence(1) (Pen 356B)5/201 : How know þu a uerbe actiue? For hyt endys in -o and may tak -r apon O and mak of hym a passyue, as amo, amor.
- a1475 Peniarth Informacio(1) (Pen 356B)102/406 : Why ys thys Englych made by a uerbe impersonell? For when I haue a uerbe neuter in Englych lyke to a passiue, where the passiue faylys I schall take the uerbe impersonell of seche mode and tens as the passyue semys to be, and þat as semys to be the nominatiue case I schall turne onto seche case as the uerbe impersonell wyll haue after hymme.
- a1500 Hatton Informacio (Hat 58)112/83 : Verbis passiuis, as Ordinor acolitus, Teneor sapiens; and verbis as they were passiuis as Fio prudens, Vapulo ignarus.
Note: Sense (d)