Middle English Dictionary Entry
sibil(le n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sibil(le n. Also sibile, sibila, sibbil, (early) sibili, sibillie, sibeli; pl. sibilles, siblis. |
| Etymology | L, OE Sibylla & OF sebile, (as name) Sibille, Seblie. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A sibyl, one of the sibyls; -- sometimes used as if a single individual; (b) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12547 : Hit wes ȝare iqueðen..Sibeli [Otho: Sibily] hit sæide, hire quides weoren soðe..þat þreo k[ing]es sculden buȝen ut of Brut-londe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)16066 : Sibillie þa wise a bocken hit isette þat ich scal iuullen mines Drihtes wille.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7454 : Cassandre..Is that Sibille of whom ye wite That alle men yit clepen sage.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6999 : In his time war þe fabus written þat yeit er thoru þe bokes witten, Saturnus and sir iubiter..And þe first sibile [Frf: siblis; Göt: sybil] o pers.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7031 : Þan ras þe thrid sibila, þat man clepis delphica.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7051 : Þe ferth sibile wit-in þat sith In babilon bigan to kyth.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22315 : Als sibil [Frf: sibbil] sais in hir spelling, þat in time o þis forsaid king, Constans..He sal haue mikel lauerdhede.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1450 : Troilus..for Sibille his suster sente, That called was Cassandre ek al aboute.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)439 : Also sawgh I how Sybile And Eneas, besyde an yle, To helle wente.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)1163,1181 : Anodyr sybyll, a divyne prophetyss Callid Almathea..descrybede is..of this sybyll..Virgyle seith, she ledd Eneas To Hell, there Anchises, his fader, was.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)37/21,22 : In þis tyme lyued Sibille, þat was cleped Samia; Auctouris sey here þat þere were ten Sibilles: on was of Perse..þe sext was Samia, born in a ylde of þe same name.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)47/11 : Than called he [Augustus] to him Sibille Tiburtine, and rehersed onto hir þe desire of the Senate.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)61/166 : Sibill sage is my name; Bot ye me here, ye ar to blame, My word is prophecy.
- ?a1525(?a1475) Play Sacr.(Dub 652)431 : They hold hym wyser þan euer was Syble sage And strenger than Alexander.
b
- (1296) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 1091 : Rico Sibelicok.