Middle English Dictionary Entry
positī̆f adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | positī̆f adj. Also positive, possitive, posetive, posative, posatif. |
| Etymology | OF positif & L positīvus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of law, regulations, etc.: laid down by an authority; formally decreed or legislated (as opposed to natural or divine); ~ laue (ordinaunce), laue ~; (b) gram. of degree: positive; also fig. of the degree of a fever: the first; (c) having a specified quality or characteristic, as opposed to negative or privative; of ~, positively; (d) as adv.: positively; also, of knowing God: directly, in Himself.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1167 : Positif lawe and swich decree Is broke al day for loue in ech degree.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.172 : Sche..is Maistresse In kinde and techeth every lif Withoute lawe positif, Of which sche takth nomaner charge.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9433 : Laghes tuin sett thoru a-sis Was till adam in paradis..þe first lagh was kald 'o kind'..þe toþer has 'positiue' [Ld: posetyve; Got: possitiue] to nam, þe quilk lagh was for-bed adam For to ete þat frut.
- c1400 Wycl.CGosp.John (Yk-M 14.D.2:Hudson)78/146 : Þe lawe of kynde and of God is strengere þan lawe positif (or maad of man).
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)254 : We ouȝte obeie to þee..forto performe and fulfille þi voluntarie positive lawis or assignementis beyng bisidis lawe of kinde.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)361 : Alle oþere gouernauncis of þi moral lawe, noon except..ben wiþout þi positijf ordinaunce.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)392 : A bischop and his colage..may not alien fro hem eny of þe temporalateis þat þai han..what nede þat euer he haue, I-bounden oonly by a posityue lawe or a tradycion þat þai han hem sijlfe made.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)26 : He was..a grete legister of lawe positive.
- (1467-8) RParl.5.622b : All the Lawes of the world..resteth in thre..the Lawe of God, Lawe of nature, and posityfe Lawe.
- c1475(1459) Pros.Yorkists in EHR 26 (Roy 17.D.15)520 : Thay toke apon thaim thoffyce of auctour and accusator and thoffice of wytnes and of þe juge ayenst all maner lawes, divine or positive.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)695 : If forgoten be al lawe positife, Remembre the noble lawe of nature.
- c1500 Castle Love(3) (Ashm 61)122 : In paradys Adam had two lawys..The naturall and þe posytyfe.
b
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)79/10 : Þe positif degre..betokenyth qualite or quantite with outyn makyng more or lesse & settyth þe grownd of alle oþere degreis of Comparison.
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)80/62 : Whenne xal þe superlatif degre be formyd of þe genytif case of his positif degre?
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)5583 : Enuye Betwyn þem tweyn owyth no more to be Than is betwyn a posatyue [vr. posatyf] & a comparatyue degre.
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)102 : How knowest the posytyf degre? A noun adiectyf that by tokenyth qualite or quantite wyth oute eny echyng, as good, ffayre, whyte, black.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)22/6 : Þe feuere agu is þe posityue degree and in þe superlatyue degree.
- a1500 Donatus (1) (StJ-C F.26)1019 : Þe posityf degre..is ground of al oþyr grees of comparison.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)9b/b : Nounes adiectiue tokeneþ somwhat positif affirmynge, for somme tokeneth þerwith effect in creatures and somme respect.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)311b/b : Oon manere fumosite is stille in þe ayre..þat declareþ nouȝt þe complexioun of positif and by presence of odoure, but priuatyf and by absence of odour.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)316a/b : Posityf sauour is y-cleped vnsauory, þat is nouȝt y-knowe by þe witte of taste passyng þe firste gree.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)9a/b : And ȝit what he is in þe hugenesse of his mageste, no creature may vndirstonde and knowe atte fulle..and þerfore positif [L positiue] he may nouȝt be knowe, but by þeffect of his werkes. .
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)316a/b : The nynþe sauour..may be y-seyde in tweye wise, pryuatif or posityf [L positiue].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Peniarth Comparacio(2) (Pen 356B)66/17 : Whereof ys þe posityf formed? The posityf degre is not formed but of hym byn formed all oder degreis of comparison.
- a1500 Add.37075 Accedence (Add 37075)45/26 : How many degrees of comparison be þer?…How know þu þe posityve degree?
Note: Supplemental material for sense (b)