Middle English Dictionary Entry
pūrelī adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | pūrelī adv. Also purli, puerli, poreli, puirliche, puirlicle. |
| Etymology | From pūre adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Wholly, fully, completely; unreservedly, unconditionally; thoroughly; ne ~, not at all, nor to any degree; (b) solely, exclusively, only; simply, merely; ~ and simpli, simpli and ~, unambiguously and unequivocally.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(Hrl 2277)573/60 : He eschte seint Thomas, as hi bi þe see wende, Whar he purliche [Ld: puyrliche] his man were.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)45/5 : Oswold..was king are cristendom puyrliche stable were.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)986 : He is puyrliche for-swore..For he þe swor eorthþelich honur and nele don þe non.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1512 : Þe king louede is wif anon so purliche & so vaste, þat al is herte onliche on hire on he caste.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3601 : Ȝif eny of ȝou is aslawe in þis ulke fiȝte..He syweþ purliche god þat ȝef is owe lif her To savy us sinuol men.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4428 : Ne schuld he with wicchecraft be wicched neuer-more, ne persche with no poysoun, ne purliche enuenemed.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.260 : For may no..mannes masse make pees amonges cristene peple, Tyl pruyde be purelich [vr. puirlicle] fordo.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1660 : He hade so huge an insyȝt to his aune dedes, Þat þe power of þe hyȝe Prynce he purely forȝetes.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5656 : Fre in the eir thou shalt up go And leven al humanite And purely [F en pure] lyve in deite.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)181/26 : Sich a soule seeþ purely.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)215/16 : By loue, sche schewiþ it, louynge purely þat I loue & hatynge þat I haate.
- a1450(?a1349) ?Rolle All vanitese (Cmb Dd.5.64)15 : Þai þat lufes fleschly..Þair lufe partes porely [vr. purely] and putted es to pyne.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)187 : Þan sall þat victoure ȝow venge on ȝour vile fais, And þe province of Persee purely distruye.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)30/17 : Scottis & Walsshmen..as peeple moste ynpermyxt..with oþer, kepyne moste puerly [L ad purum] hire firste propir speche or language.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)3243 : My..goddes prestly adoure, Þine empyre & þi herytage þe purely [Ashm: enterely] to ȝeld.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)1038 : Hee sayed too my soonne..Hee was purlich payed of his prise werkes.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)318 : We [friars] haue power of the pope purliche assoilen All þat helpen our hous.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4219 : We alle..neuer-more..mowe be deliuered, ne pult out [read: out of] prison, but purli þourh ȝour help.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1:Compston)744 : Þis owiþ not to be don no but bi charite &..do pureli [L pure] oþir clenli for god & comoun good.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)9b/a : Nounes adiectif tokeneþ pureliche þe essenciam of god, and þat nouȝt elles þerwith.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)19.235 : Þre persones palpable is pureliche bote o mankynde, The wiche is man and hus make and moillere-is issue.
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)69/30 : Fraunceys seiþ þat oure Lord ȝaf hym, purelich [vr. poreliche] & symplelich wiþ-out condicioun, þis reule & þese wordes to say and to write.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Eph.2.8 : It is þe gifte of god purely and not sum deel of werkys.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)308/14 : I sey not þis, þat þei resceyueden oonly of þe liȝt of vertu purely whiche generaly al may haue, but þese hadden þe liȝt of kunnyng addid to þe liȝt of vertuouse lyuynge.
- ?c1430(c1400) Rule & T.St.Francis(1) (Corp-C 296)47 : I comaunde bi obedience..þat þei putte not glosis vnto þe reule..but as þe Lord ȝaf to me sympliche and pureliche [St.F.(2): purely or playnelye] to seie & to write þe reule.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)5 : I have so many an ydel thoght, Purely for defaute of slep, That..I take no kep Of nothing.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4062 : Þe cause..Is purly gods prouidens, predestayned it is before.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)118/28 : Þe graces ben cleped ȝiftes for þre resones..Þe þridde resoun and þe principaliste is þat þei ben ȝeue pureliche [F purement] for loue.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)11b/a : Summe lymes in þe body ben purely spermatik.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)45/25 : Lete no þyng be gret or hye or acceptable to þe, but purely god [L nisi pure Deus].
2.
Law Unconditionally, without exception.
Associated quotations
- (1427) RParl.4.327a : We knowe no powar nor auctorite yat ye have..consideryng ye open declaration..subscribed pureli and simply by my said Lord of Bedford.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)141 : It is used in the forseid toun..that no lond tenaunt..do homage ne feute to his cheif lord for ony tenement..that is holdyn purly [ID(1): purement] in fre burgage.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)147/3 : Also, A voyde grounde..to be holde & to be had..frely, quietly, purely, & vtterly, welle hole & pesybly for euer.
3.
In a pure manner, sinlessly, righteously.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)217/27 : I axe þat I may purely come to þee wiþ liȝt and not wiþ derknesse.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)346 : He that hadde the childe to kepe, and norisshed hym clenly and purely, he shuld be promoted to grete dignyte.
4.
Actually, really, truly; ~ palen, to appear clearly pale.
Associated quotations
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3323 : Icholle make þi sulue..þoru art þat ich can, Abbe al þe fourme of þe erl, as þou were purliche [vr. ryȝt; B vr. pureliche] he.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1004 : Þe calsydoyne þenne wythouten wemme In þe þryd table con purly pale.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)16.226 : He haþ the power þat seynt peter hadde; He haþ pureliche þe pot with þe same salue.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)802 : So mony pynakle payntet watz, poudred ay-quere Among þe castel carnelez, clambred so þik Þat pared out of papure purely hit semed.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.345 : Ȝif þo bookys ben purly hys owyn, he is nout bondyn to obeyyn.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 SLeg.Harrow.H.(StJ-C B.6)147/531 : Oure lord þei forsoke, betyn hym & slowȝ also So þat purelyche þei lordles ben.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(a)
Note: Ed.: "purelyche adv. wholly, completely".
Note: ?New form.