Middle English Dictionary Entry
rē̆nāble adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | rē̆nāble adj. Also renabulle, resnable, -abile. |
| Etymology | OF raisnable, resnable, rainable, AF renable. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Eloquent; of a person's speech: fluent; (b) having the faculty of reason, wise; (c) moderate, reasonable; ~ to, proportionate to (sth.); (d) as adv.: eloquently, fluently.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1336 : Non of heom þar nas Þat ne preisede muche þis heiȝe man for he so renable was.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)25/8 : Sein Vincent..was renable inou to prechi uer & ner.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8572 : Renable nas he noȝt of tonge ac of speche hastif.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)129a/b : Þe holy goost was ȝouen to þe appostlys..for þey schulden be renable of speche.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.158 : A raton of renon most renable [C vr. resnable] of tonge.
- c1400 Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7:Bab.)8.25 : Renabel [Higd.(2): eloquente; L eloquens; StJ-C: He was..resonabel of speche and wel i-lettred].
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)209 : Of tong sho was trew and renable And of hir semblant soft and stabile.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2)1008 : Hast þou also prowde I-be Of any vertu þat god ȝaf þe? For..þow hast a renabulle tonge.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)2.42.130b : Þe soule preieþ þan not..bi renable spekynge out but in ful grete stilnes of voice.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)103/10 : Þat he be curtays and of fayr speche and of swet tonge, acordant to þe hert and þe þought, and þat he be of renable speche.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)231/110 : Men call hym a prophete, a lord full renabyll.
b
- c1375 SLeg.Concep.Virg.(Eg 1993)185 : So renable heo was and queinte, of wit & of dede, þat vch mon of a so ȝong þing wonder hedde and drede.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)8/201 : Mon ys made resnabyle Good and euyl to haue in his mynd.
c
- [ a1350 Ipswich Domesday(1) (Add 25012)122 : Facent les baillifs somundre le parcener desturbaunt, de qi la pleynte est fete..de estre a la proscheyne court de portmannemote a respoundre al dyt pleyntyfe de play de renable partye. ]
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)95/7 : Þyse þri þinges byeþ nyeduolle to alle þe þinges þet in þe erþe wexeþ: Guod molde, wocnesse norissynde, and renable hete.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)164/25 : Magnanimite is renable niminge of heȝe þynge and dreduol.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)132 : The kynges officers bryngen to thair houses euery yere, also moche salte as by thair coniecture is ressnable to the nombre off þe men, women, and childeren that dwellen therin.
- a1500(1446) Cart.Boarstall in OHS 88150 : Robert Power..hath reseyuyd of Edmunde Rede, squyer, xxv s. for a relyf and v s. for a renable eyde to the mariage of the heldyst doughter of my seyde lorde.
d
- c1460 Chaucer CT.Fri.(Nthld 455)D.1509 : Renabill [Heng: Som tyme we..speke as renably..As to the Phitonissa dide Samuel].