Middle English Dictionary Entry
rāther(e adj.comparative
Entry Info
| Forms | rāther(e adj.comparative Also rathre, radir & rayer. |
| Etymology | From rāthe adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Former, prior, earlier, previous; ben ~ than, to exist before (sb.); (b) as noun: the ~, the former, the former one(s; also, the first; that ~, the former one; of ~, too early, first; on after the ~, one after the other; (c) more expeditious, quicker; more frequent; ~ spede, greater speed; ~ and ~, increasingly frequent; (d) of a future day: sooner to come, earlier; (e) better, preferable; (f) phil. more fundamental, primary, elemental.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5809 : Seint Edward þe martir..was is sone Bi is raþere [B vr. first] wiue.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)1017 : Sire Degarre..Armed him in riche atir..Þat þe maide him ȝaf..For whom he did raþer batail.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)9.55 : After þe studyse of þe raþer men [vr. forthere men; WB(2): othere men that weren bifore us] in þe house of þe lord we trauelyn.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.25.28 : Þe biggere shal haue þat he bouȝte vnto þe Iubylee ȝeer; in þat forsoþe al byggynge shal torne aȝeyn to þe lord & to þe raþer hauere [L ad possessorem pristinum].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Eccl.1.11 : Þer is not mynde of þe raþere thingis.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.145 : He..axed hem wheþer he were leuer þe trauail of þe raþer day [Higd.(2): the day precedenge] oþer þe feste of þat day.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)148b/b : Here eyȝen beþ restored to þe raþir heele.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)316b/a : Herof it is y-treted to fore..but of liquours in þe whiche sauours ben y-grounded I holde it be to fulfille what lakkeþ in þe raþer bokes [L libris superioribus].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)John 1.30 : This is he that Y seide of, Aftir me is comun a man which was maad bifor me; for he was rather than Y [WB(1): the formere than I; L prior me].
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.12 : Thow languyssest..for desir and talent of thi rather fortune.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)29/31 : The sarazaines maden another cytee..& clepeden it the newe Damyete, So þat now no man duelleth at the rathere toun of Damyete.
- (1425) RParl.4.268a : Edward ye First hadde a rayer wif whiche hight Alianore.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.101 : Full wonder blissful was þat raþer age.
- (1457-8) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 499 : Of John Stevyn and Wyllyam Colyngs of the Recete of the rayer yere, xj d.
- (1473-4) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 4108 : From the rather Procturys, Thorbarm and Hycks, xv s.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)113b/a : Y schal in parti declaren þat raþere diffiniscioun aforn rehersid.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.16.13b : In tyme of his rather liffe he had..leaser I noughe to haue maad suche praieres.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)87/4 : Reymonde lette restore and arere that was destrued by the werre; And fale casteles ryght vpe and broght into radyr [Dub: rather] state.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Par.23.11 : Þese þe sones of Semei foure; forsoþe leeth was þe raþer [WB(2): formere; L prior] & Sisa þe secounde.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.20.34 : Þe remnaunt forsoþe of þe dedis of Josafath, of þe raþere & of þe laste, ben writen in þe bookis of yeu þe sone of Anany.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prol.Is.(Bod 959)30 : I preye þat, as grekis after þe seuenti translatouris, aquylam & symachum..þei reden..so & þese nameli oon remenour after þe raþere vouche þei saaf to han.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.465 : But þe vikers were worse þanne þe raþere [Higd.(2): the oþer; L prioribus] whan þey were i-made persouns, and lyvede in more outrage þan þe raþer dede.
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Heb.8.7 : Ȝef þat raþere hade y-ben wiþ-outen blame, þe place of þe secounde ne schulde noȝt haue ben y-soȝt.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.539 : Now lilly bulbes sowe or sette And wede hem þat of rather [L ante] growe.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)183 : Coste hauyþ ii maneres..Þe rather is more profitable þan is þis.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)186 : Ley þis medecyne vp-on þe raþer til þer be a sad seme vp-on þe place þat was sore.
- ?a1450 Mem.Cred.(Tan 201)182/8 : Þe latere dedis of þat man oþer of þat womman buþ worse þan þe raþere.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)90b/b : Þe matiere digest is I-knowe by raþer & raþer comynge [L per anticipationem] of accesse.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)1.117 : God was wel þe wroþer and tok þe raþere veniaunce.
- (c1456) Paston2.169 : I pray yow acqueynte me and yow, for the rather spede here-of, with a chapelleyn of myn lord of Caunterbure.
- (1477) RParl.6.194a : Whiche exemplificacion the said Duke hath kepyd with hymself secrete..therby to have abused the Kynges true Subgetts for the rather execucion of his said false purpose.
- 1532-1897(a1475) Ass.Ladies (Skeat)418 : The rather sped, the soner may we go; Gret cost alway ther is in tarying.
d
- (1429) RParl.4.342b : The seide hole Quinzisme..to be paied atte the Fest of the Nativite of our seide Lorde, may been..hadde atte a rather and nerre day.
- (1475) RParl.6.151a : Wee your said Commens..have lymyted and sette a rather and a ner day of payment.
e
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.7.14 : Rather it is [WB(2): Wel the rather it is ned; L Potius est], men ȝouen to deth of men, for to abijd hoope of God, beinge to be reysid aȝein eft of hym.
- ?a1425 Whi is þis world (Trin-C B.15.39)9 : It is raþer to bileue þe wageringe wiynd Þan þe chaungeable world.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)393 : In such aventure, it were rather to truste to the conscience and discrecion of him which is in state of a reuler than to the conscience of hem whiche ben..to be reulid.
f
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)335a/a : In þe prologe of þe firste book boys seiþ þat þe raþer [L quantum prior] is þere vertu of noumbres þere by it may be proued þat þinges þat stondeþ by hemself beþ raþere in kynde þan þilke þat beþ in comparisoun to somme oþere þinges.