Middle English Dictionary Entry
pensī̆f adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | pensī̆f adj. Also pensife, pensiffe, pencif, pencive, pensefe, pinsife & pensẹ̄, pensei, pensī(e, penci(e. |
| Etymology | OF pensif, pensis. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Sad, sorrowful, mournful; melancholy, gloomy, dejected; ~ of, sad about (sth.), sorrowing over; (b) anxious, worried, concerned; troubled, dismayed; also, worried about (sth.); (c) thoughtful, contemplative, meditative; lost in thought, abstracted; vertu ~, the cogitative faculty; ~ of, thoughtful of or provident concerning (future events); (d) as noun: care, sorrow.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1906 : Laodomie, his lusti wif..for his love was pensif, As he which al hire herte hadde.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)246 : Much longeyng haf I for þe layned..Pensyf, payred, I am forpayned.
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Corp-O 198)F.914 : The odure of floures and þe freisshe sight Wolde han made ony pensyf herte light.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1216 : This worthy kyng hadde sone non..For which he was duryng al his lyff Trist in hert, passingly pensif.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2446 : For want of sight thou gynnest morne, And homward pensyf thou dost retorne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)391 : Pencyf, or hevy in herte [vr. pencyue]: Pensatius, cogitatius.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)9989 : Wele he sygh that he was pynsyfe..grete mervayle..had he..Hym thoght he had cause of gladnesse.
- c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)329/30 : Ipomedon..rode furth in his way all pensif and mournyng.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)73b/b : Þou muste charge þi pacient þat he be in reste, and þat he be neiþir malancolie ne pensif.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Prayer Leonard (LdMisc 683)27 : Suych as be pensiff, mak hem glad & murie.
- a1500(a1450) Parton.(1) (Add 35288)5292 : Hys herte hym þoȝte for sorowe shulde breke; Alle pensyfe [vr. pensefe] stylle a grette whyle he sytte.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)6 : My suster is so hevy and pensif of oure mys-happes that right seilden she maketh eny mery chere to me, ne to noon other.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)149 : He fonde the thre kynges full pensif and hevy for the contrey that was so wastid and distroyed.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1875 : Þe hydous tempest & þe wawes grene Oute of hope han me dispeired clene, Troublid my spirit & made me pensif, With-oute refut teskape with þe lyf.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)127/5 : Þe preste, hauyng gret abhominacyon of þat lothly syght, conceyuyng gret heuynes for dowte what it myth mene, on þe next day he wandrid forth in hys wey al heuy & pensife.
- a1450 Bot witt pas (Add 37049)141 : Be noȝt to pense in no disese; God wil þe helpe if þou hym plese.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)80/24 : Þis holie man, felyng hym selfe styrrid with þis temptacion..began to wax hevy & pensie for þis thoght.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)39/26 : He was all pensy and heuy in his thoghtes.
- c1475 Prov.Wisd.(RwlPoet 32)15 : Be not to pencyf fore no desease; Fore god wyll helpe, if þou hym please.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)67 : Vlfin..fonde hir pensif and angry.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)525 : Thei..com to the kynge Clarion..at a manoir..with a prevy meyne full pensif what he myght best do with the saisnes that so wasted his londe and his contrey.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)148/16 : Furthwithall apperid vnto hir thre of hir childern, which the toon stoode armyd, lenyng on his axe, ferefull and pensif [CQ(1): abaisshed].
c
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)8.132 : Manye tyme þis metelis han mad me to stodie, And for peris loue þe plouȝman wel pensif in herte.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2529 : How may ȝe sustene To sen ȝour men..slayn..And liste nat onys for to taken hede, But stonde stille, pensif in ȝoure tent?
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)1284 : Afftir mete be-war..Be nat to pensyf, of thought take no keep.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)6800 : This Carfull lover wyth petee, Pensyfe, thought-full alle day sytteth he.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2990 : Sire Dary as a drery man duellis at hame, With princes in his palais all pense [Dub: pensey] he sittis.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)43/25 : The kyng sat in a study..Ryght so com by hym Merlyon..and asked hym whye he was so pensyff.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)159/2 : The kyng answerde no thyng agayn but semed that he was all pensyffe.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)138/6 : A kynge..sholde be Purveyaunt and Pensyfe of thynges that may come aftyrwarde.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)98/15 : Vertu ymaginatyf..representys hem to vertu pensyfe, þat ys yn myddes of þe harnes to byholde hem.
d
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)180 : Whan service was don, hom they went, And thanked God with god entent, And put away penci [rimes: wiffe, stryffe, lyf].