Middle English Dictionary Entry
prosperitẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | prosperitẹ̄ n. Also prosparite, prosperte, properite & prosperitie, prospertie & (errors) prospite & persperite. |
| Etymology | From OF prospreté, prosperité, propreté & L prosperitas. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Flourishing or thriving condition, good fortune, wealth; (b) haven ~, to prosper, flourish; (c) ~ of, abundance of (worldly treasures); (d) an instance of good fortune, a period of prosperity or flourishing condition.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)99/3 : Þe inre fondunge is twaualt, alswa as is þe uttre, for þe uttre is in aduersite & i prosperite [Cleo: prosperte], licunge þe limpeð to sunne.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)86/9 : Þeos fondunge kundleð þe inre uondunge, þet is, in aduersite mislikunge, likunge in prosperite [Cleo: persperite] þet limpeð to sunne.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)125/19 : Aduersete and prosperite he berþ..wyþ-oute wepinge.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Esd.2.10 : Tobie..herden & ben euele payed bi gret sorewe þat a man was comen þat shulde sechen þe prosperite [L prosperitatem] of þe sones of israel.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.491 : The speces of enuye ben thise: Ther is first sorwe of othere mennes goodnesse and of hir prosperitee [vrr. prosperite, properyte; profit].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2802 : He ne hadde no memoire That ther was eny good bot he, For pride of his prosperite.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.948 : A marchant..may nat ay endure..in his prosperitee; Som tyme his good is drowned in the see, And som tyme comth it sauf vn to the londe.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)33/25 : Kembelyn..was a gode man and wel gouernede þe lande in miche prosperite and in pees al his lifes tyme.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.853 : Comedie hath in his gynnyng..a maner compleynyng And afterward endeth in gladnes..But tragidie..begynneth in prosperite And endeth in aduersite.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1627 : For of fortunes sharpe adversitee The worste kynde of infortune is this, A man to han ben in prosperitee, And it remembren, whan it passed is.
- c1425 WBible(2) Prol.Job (Qu-O 387)p.670 : In this book of Joob is contened, first, the possessioun and prosperite of the iust man, Joob.
- a1456(c1425) Lydg.Eagle (Trin-C R.3.20)42 : Þis ryal bridde..Presenteþe..Þis Yeris Day, dovne frome þat hevenly see, Helpe and welfare, ioye and prosparytee.
- (1431) Plea Sharpe in RS 28.5 pt.1 (Hrl 3775)456 : Therfore alle comyns of the reme, desyryng to wurschype Godde, preyen that alle the temporaltes of chyrches thus apropred aȝens Crystes lore be turned to Godde, and to the prosperyte of the reme.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)1/25 : Ower mercyfulle Lord Cryst Ihesu, hauyng pety & compassyon of..hys creatur, turnyd helth in-to sekenesse, prosperyte in-to aduersyte.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)91/13 : Fortune..promissith to many prosperite ynough.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)15.610 : This lord..wile leden Me Into A plase þat is ful Of prosperite.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)9232 : Lytyll ought a man to make a vanyte Of wordely prospite [read: prosperite] or ther-of Ioy haue.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11329 : The cast ne the couytise come not of me, In pes & prosperitie to put me to wer.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1860 : For-þi, a we þat has wit, þofe he wele suffir So sadly in soueraynete he set neuire his hope For pride of na properite [read: prosperite].
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)109/14 : Thus are þei come hom in good prosperite fro þe court, brynging with hem þe bulle of our holy fader, þe Pope.
- (1453) LRed Bk.Bristol2.201 : He..shall duely and effectually prai for the good prosperitees and noble estates of oure souerayne lorde, Herry..and of oure souerayne ladie, Margaret.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3689 : God..Sent hem..plente of mony, fruyte, & corn..So in the meen while of this prosperite, Ther cam such a pleyer in-to þe same contre.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)139 : God defende owre kyng and gyff hym grase to augmente is reaume in riches, welth, and prosperite.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.21 : That londe..dothe encrease gretely in tyme of pease and of prosperite.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Esd.6.14 : Þe eldere, forsoþe, of Jewis bilden vp & hadden prosperite [L prosperabantur].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Mac.1.17 : The rewme hadde prosperite in the siȝt of Antiochus.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (LdMisc 210)14/1 : He saw þe laste ende of wicked men þat he saw haue gret prosperite of þis world.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.17.9 : And he took of the seed of the erthe, and..it wexede in to a brodder viyn ȝerd..Therfor, whether it shal haue prosperite?
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)294/37 : If þou haue ony prosperyte, þou art movid wiþ al mysrulid gladnes; and if þou haue aduersyte, þou art moved with vnpacience.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)281/21 : He thoght in his awn mynd þat þe domys of Almiȝtti God wer nott rightwus, þat sufferd synners & ill men to hafe prospertie & welefar of þis warlde.
c
- ?c1430(?1383) Wycl.Curse (Corp-C 296)296 : And þou schalt fynde þat þei seken worldly heynesse, and prosperite of worldly muk.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)176/13 : O hough daungerous a thyng is it to a corage that knowith nat his owne condicion whanne he livith in prosperite of worldely goodis.
d
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)24/22 : Þe guodes of hap byeþ heȝnesses, richesses, delices, and prosperites.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.11.17 : The ȝifte of God dwellith to iust men, and encressyngis of hym schulen haue prosperitees without ende.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.2.79 : Tragedye is to seyn a dite of a prosperite for a tyme that endeth in wrecchidnesse.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.290 : And God yeveth and departeth to other folk prosperites and adversites, imedled to hepe aftir the qualite of hir corages.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.1089 : Fortune..for she was chaungable Among hir gifftes & gret prosperites, She gaf hym part of gret aduersites.
- a1450(c1400-25) Legat Serm.PD (Wor F.10)10/19 : Al þi luste, al þi likinge, al þi loue..schulde incresse vpward..dispising alle erþelich goodis & prosperities of þis world.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)459/19 : On my right hand I se noyes þat commys after prosperities.
- a1500 Counsels Isidor (Hrl 1706)369 : If prosperytees come, be þou not prowde.
2.
(a) Success in an undertaking; a success; hauen ~, of an action: to be successful; (b) health; (c) prosperitees of, the prospering of (a people's affairs); (d) the goddess Fortuna; (e) fig. prosperity personified.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Mac.2.47 : And thei pursueden sonys of pride, and the werk hadde prosperite in her hondis.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.10.7 : Thei baren bifore cerclis and greene braunchis and palmes to hym that ȝaue prosperitee for to clense his place.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.10.28 : Forsothe in the firste rysynge of the sunne, bothe ioyneden, these sothely hauynge the Lord biheeter of victorie and prosperitee.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.3.32 : A wijs herte..schal absteyne it silf fro synnes, and schal haue prosperitees [WB(1): welsum aftercomyngus; L successus] in the werkis of riȝtfulnesse.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)79/14 : Þis same seruaunt, Gilbert, had grete prosperite in all his werkis.
b
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)369/14 : Þe strengþe of prosperite [L robur prosperitatis] failede neuer þe feete in batthes of alume.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2388 : And as longe as these spiritis three Contynew in man in theire prosperite, So longe the sowle with-owte al stryfe wil dwel with the bodie in prosperous lyfe.
c
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.14.14 : Than heithen men that fledden Judas fro Judee, flocmele ioynyden hem to Nychanore, gessyng the myseistees and dethis of Jewis prosperitees of her [heathens'] thingus.
d
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3187 : Certeyn, whan that fortune list to flee, Ther may no man the cours of hire withholde; Lat no man truste on blynd prosperitee.
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)34 : Prosperitee is blynd, & see ne may.
e
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)15987 : The Stepmoder off vertu And ful enmy to cryst ihesu, Wych callyd ys 'Prosperyte'..Hath Our sawdyours assaylled.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)16026 : We..Sende vn-to the A Maundement..ffor to cerche ffer and ner, Hows by hows, wher-euere he be, To sekyn out Prosperyte.