Middle English Dictionary Entry
returnāble adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | returnāble adj. Also reiturnable, retournable, retornable. |
| Etymology | OF retornable, retournable & AL (breve) retornabile, retournabile, returnabile. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Likely to return; of Christ: appointed to return; of chance: rebounding to and fro; also, reciprocal [last quot.]; (b) law of a writ or other document: designated to be returned to a court by a certain date with a report on action taken.
Associated quotations
a
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.4435 : To a deceyuour deceit is retournable.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)5.1882 : Considreth bexaumples resonable The pley of Fortune lik hasard retournable With sodeyn chaung of fals felicite.
- a1500 Add.Hymnal (Add 34193)451/62 : In owr nature be comene incarnate..In to thys world and eftsone reyturnable, Whane he hath putte the feendes to silence, Vnto þe fadyr by merveilows ascence.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)10/11 : The lawe of frendship woll euyr that the availe or profight that cometh therof be retournable [F reciproque] and ought to retourne to hym from whom it come be like kyndnes.
b
- (?a1424) Stonor1.35 : Our attorne of þe chapitre told me þat þe processe is at distresse now retournable at þe oeptes or þe quinzisme.
- (1439) RParl.5.15b : A Writte of Proclamation oute of hes Chauncerie, to be directed to hes Sherref of Somersetshir for ye tyme beyng, retournable atte a certeyn day, conteynyng fro ye date of ye same Wryt the space of ii Monethes and more.
- (1447) RParl.5.138b : This so do, that the seid Justicez or Commissioners, afore whom such secunde Writtes of Capias shall be retournable, at the day of them retournable, wethir thei be retourned or not, have power to procede after the fourme of lawe.
- (1454) RParl.5.239b : Ther was awarded in the seid Eschequer a Venire facias to the Shirreve..retornable in the seid Eschequer.
- (1461) Paston (EETS)2.369 : This daye the seide Jenney hathe sent doune to the scheryff an-other writte called an habeas corpus retournable crastino Annemarum.
- (1464) Paston2.298 : Ther is a capias ought ayens hym vpon the condempnaceon, and the shireff hath it; He had me geve hym warnyng; It is retournabill xva Pasch.
- (1467) Ordin.Wor.394 : That no citezen..be attached by his body for eny accusement or trespas yf he wolle comyn and appere at the day of the venire facias retornable.
- (1475) RParl.6.134b : The same Writtes, and every of theym, to be retornable at such day or days as the said Thomas will lymyte.
- a1525(?1456) Cov.Leet Bk.293 : Diuers subbaillifs of this Cite afore this han made many vndue returnes of preceptes directed & delyuered vnto theym returnable before the Maire and Ballifes of this Cite.