Middle English Dictionary Entry
sēsǒunāble adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | sēsǒunāble adj. Also sesounabulle, sesonable, -abille, sesonnabel, sesenable, seisonable; sup. sesonabulst. |
| Etymology | OF saisonable, AF seison(n)able. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) According to the season of the year; suitable for the time of year; of weather, wind: favorable, pleasant; (b) of timber: mature, ready to be felled; ~ wode; (c) of vinegar, a drink: well seasoned, tasty; (d) proper, suitable; acceptable, convenient; (e) opportune, propitious; in ~ time, in good time.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(?c1300) LFMass Bk.(Roy 17.B.17)391 : Þo weders grete & vnstable, lord, make gode & sesonable [vrr. sesonnabell, sesonabille, sesenable].
- a1400 Alle-mighty god in trinitie (Roy 17.B.17)42/472 : He sendes bothe drye & wete..& sum-tyme colde & sum-tyme hete, þat most to þe sesenabul es.
- (1425) Paston (EETS)3.3 (931/7) : This bille indentyd .. wittenesseth þat it is acorded be-twen William Paston and William Joye that þe seid William Joye .. shal .. ocupie, eryn, telyn, sedyn, sowen, and harwyn in seisonable tyme al þe arable londes of þe seid William Paston.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)42/10 : Reyn schal fayle whanne sesonable tyme were for to reyne.
- (1456) Paston (Gairdner)3.79 : The wedder waxeth seesonable and pleasante.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)179/38 : A ryghtful lordschypper is bettir þan a sesonnabyl [Yonge: seysonable] reyn.
- a1500 Ihesu þt was borne (Adv)53 : How feire insampuls god has hus sende: þo sesonabulst wedur..þat euer mon sawe dryvvn tyl a nende.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)134/45 : Wost thou nat wel..but every tree, in his sesonable tyme of burjoninge, shewe his blomes fro within?
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1048 : Þen comyn thies kynges..Saylyng full sound with seasonable wyndes.
b
- (1393) Doc.Thaxted in Ess.ROP 3339 : [There remains..44 acres, 3 roods; and to the feoffees of] Sesonablewod.
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.213 : [100 acres of underwood called] sesonablewode [whereof 50 acres should be felled every 14 years..and are now of age and in season to be felled].
- (1441) *Proc.Chanc.PRO ser.C 1 file 9no.51 : William shulde haue x acres of sesonable wode with Inne þe wode of þe seid Abbot.
c
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)135/21 : The iij d. ys good dyet of cleyn metes & drynkes sesenable.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.28 : Take brede and blode iboylyd and grynde And drawȝhe hit þorowghe a clothe..With venegur gode and sesounabulle, With powder of gynger and peper abulle.
d
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)33a/b : Idonius: sesonable, acceptable, or able.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)477 : Palamedon..Them off the cyte chargyd redy for to be..Alle..that longe to the cyte With-owte sesonabyl cause or gret specyalte..The dedycacion off..the tempyl to hold.
- (1455) Paston2.125 : I haue written vnto Yeluerton, the justice, that he wol at some sesonable tyme common with Sir Thomas Tudenham.
e
- c1400 Wycl.Blasph.(Bod 647)416 : Heven lokes lesse to fruyt of þo erthe, monnes strength is lesse, here lyve is shortere, þo tyme is lesse sesounable, and charite withdrawen.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)578 : In eld is auauntage..Whan youþe is past, is age sesonable.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)50/24 : In heven on highe, above Saturnes sphere, in sesonable tyme were they lodged.