Middle English Dictionary Entry
sotiltẹ̄ n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sotiltẹ̄ n. Also sotilti(e, sotelte, sotelti(e, sotilete, sotillite, sotulte, sodelte, soutil(e)te, sut(t)ilte, sut(t)elte, sutilite, sutilete, suttelite & soubtilite, subtil(i)te, subtilete, subtel(i)te, subdeliti & sōtilte & (error) sotelee; pl. sotiltes, etc. & sotiltese, (errors) sotellys, subilites. |
| Etymology | OF sotileté, sotil(i)té, soutil(e)té, sutilté, sutillité, subtil(i)té, subtil(l)eté. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. subtilacioun n.
1.
(a) Sagacity, perspicacity, prudence; cleverness, shrewdness; keenness of wit or understanding; (b) an act or instance of cleverness; (c) skill, ingenuity.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4509 : Ther nys no comparisoun Bitwix the wisdom and discrecioun Of youre fader and of his subtiltee.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2290 : Touchynge the cherl, they seyde subtiltee [vr. subtelite] And heigh wit made hym speken as he spak; He nys no fool ne no demonyak.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)25b/a : For þe subtilite of þis wit [smell], if he is wel disposid, hit comfortiþ þe vertu of bestis.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2083 : Myn erys with wex & gommys clere Were stoppid so..And finally þoruȝ my sotilte I and my men ben eskapid fre.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)5903 : Gudes of grace may þir be, Mynde, and witte, and sutilte.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.4.185 : The eighe..surmountith the envyrounynge of the universite and loketh over that bi pure subtilte of thought [F soutillité de pensee] thilke same symple forme of man that is perdurablely in the devyne thought.
- c1425 Castle Love(2) (Eg 927)412 : The four toures gret and strong, that fair were to se, Ware gastly strenght and sobernes, riȝt and sutilte.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)74/22 : Here-of he has takyn wysdome & sotelte, & he emonge wys kan speek & boldly say qwhat euer hym þinke.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)466 : Sotylte, of wytte: Ingeniositas.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)290/503 : His fadir..was but a write..No sotelte he schewed þat any segge saw.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)258 : Þare enhabetis..Þe wisest wees in þis werd..And, if I say it my-selfe, slik sotellte I haue.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)3567 : Throgh his force and high prowesse, And also throgh his sotyltee..Fortunyd was for to sustene Al the pereils.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)42/3 : Summe men seide þat he was þe son of swech a spirit whech þei clepe incubus, for þe lithnes of his body an the sotilte of his witte.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)5473 : For hyr gret sotyllyte, Thys lady..Prayede hyr..ffor to helpe make thys bred.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.4.3a : Lettred men..comyn to þis cnowyng..after þe sutiltee of kyendly wit.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)134/36 : What aualyth Sotilte of vndyrstondynge and connynge.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)27/16 : Likewise the symple ydiotes haue confounded the subtilte of philosophirs.
b
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)60 : It is a faire þinge..to se þe good rekeueryng and þe retreiving and þe maistries and sootiltees þat be in good houndes.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)381/163 : Þe kyng of is sotilte bi-gan sum-del a-grise, And seide, 'certus, ich ȝiue þe pris of þe beste Carpenter.'
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1371 : I kepe han no loos Of my craft, for I wolde it kept were cloos..For and men knewen al my soutiltee..they wolden han so greet enuye To me by cause of my philosophye, I sholde be deed.
- c1400 Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)49/982 : Gadere to-gydere wit al suttilte þilke holsum dropys of blood þat droppeþ doun of his wondes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.5667 : On his hede..smale pipes..made of gold..wern enbowed doun To an entre makyd in his crown Be grete avys and subtylite To eche party and extremyte.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)55a/b : Þai shal be dried be þe pecez sewed wiþ subtilite & þe lippez shal cleue togider.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)466 : Sotylte, of crafte: Artificiositas.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)92/3 : Merlion lette make by hys suttelyte that Balynes swerde was put into a marbil stone stondynge upryght.
- a1500 Chaucer Ven.(Cmb Ff.1.6)77 : Elde..Hath of endytyng All the subtilite Wele nye birafte oute of my rebembraunce [read: remembraunce].
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8395 : O lofte..were loget to stond ffoure ymages..Wonderfully wroght weghis..With..Miche soteltie, for-sothe, settyng of notes, Crafte þat was coynt, knawyng of tymes.
2.
A clever device, an apt contrivance, a stratagem; also, an esoteric art or science [1st quot.].
Associated quotations
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.1247 : And ye vouche sauf to techen me This noble craft and this subtiltee, I wol be youre in al that euere I may.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)15.76 : Of þe selcouþe þat þei seyen here sones þer-of þei tauhte, Þei helden hit for an hey science here soteltes to knowe.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ecclus.1.6 : To whom was the roote of wisdom schewid, and who knewe the sutilites therof?
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)201/24 : Þan Anon the mares retornen towardes hire foles with hire charges of gold, & þan men dischargen hem & geten gold ynow be this sotyltee.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)11.290 : Grekis haue an other subtilitee: Of see quyete vptaketh they maryne Water purest; oon yeer they lete hit fyne, Wherof, they seyn, so maad is the nature Of bitternesse or salt that hit is sure.
- c1450 Page SRouen (BodeMus 124)p.52 : But trewly ȝytte hade they with them also Of other soteltys meny other mo.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)758 : Yf þo syluer dysshe wylle algate brenne, A sotelte I wylle þe kenne: Take þe bredde coruyn and lay by-twene, And kepe þe welle hit be not sene.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)6/29 : Loke þat ȝe haue a sotilte and a sleiȝþe to quenche sodeynly þe fier, þat þe watir waaste not.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)66/12 : One thing I lette the witte: that armes, subtiltees, nor good nor nothing that any man may haue, withowt Hym is but a thin[g] voide and of no substaunce.
3.
(a) Complexity, intricacy, abstruseness; extreme refinement of argument; also, an instance of complexity; (b) a subtle argument, an argument which is technically correct but which produces a wrong or an unjust result, an argument which obscures primary issues by attention to fine distinctions; also, specious argument [2nd quot.]; (c) the exercise of wit, the posing of puzzles; also, a puzzle, conundrum.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.15 : Nouȝt sotilte of sentence, noþer faire florischynge of wordes, but swetnesse of deuocion of þe matire schal regne in þis book.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)48 : I wil þat ȝe teche him euyn Þe sutelte of sience seuyn.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Col.2.4 : Þis forsoþe I seye þat no man disceyue ȝou in sutilite of woordis.
- a1450(?c1400) Wycl.LFCatech.PN (Add 17013)337 : Þys Pater noster..passeþ oþer prayers in þes þre þinges: In auctorite, Sutelte, & profiȝt of þe chirche..And so schortli to comprehende so moche witte in playne wordes is a sotelte of god passynge witt of man.
- a1450(?1419-20) Topias (Dgb 41)81/279 : Iak, þou shewist sikirli, what scole þou hast ben inne; Of sutiltee of arguyng me þinkiþ þi brayn ful þinne.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)855 : Have y not preved thus symply, Withoute any subtilite Of speche, or gret prolixite Of termes of philosophie?
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)351/25 : If hit so were þat þou..passedist in eloquence and sotilte of argumentis alle þe philosophres and logicyans, alle þat schulde not helpe þe nor forþer..to good liuynge.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.25 : The epicurus and þe stoycienus..Þeym self enforced wiþ þaire subtilite [vr. sotilltie] And drew his wordes to þaire entencioun.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)14/3 : God byddeþ euery man..to vndirstond is lawe, and all mowe not com to þe perfite vndirstondynge þer-of for sotelte of þis lawe.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)9893 : Þe suteltes of science seuyn þor ware to red on raw full ryȝt.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)217/10 : He vsid so mekull soteltie & strange saying in his sermons þat his prechyng owder litle profettid or noght.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apost.(Dub 245)440 : Worldliche excusacioun shal not þenne assoyve [read: assoyne] ne onswer by procuratorye ne suttilte of werkis.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Spencer 19)4.30.74b : Sotilte [Eg: Thus meneth the tixte of Paule, writyng to the Romaynes, among whom as at þat tyme was the sotil of philosophie].
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)32a/6 : Ther is no sekenes in no lyme in al l a mannys body þat is so vnkouthe as þe sekenes of eyen for þe sotelte of þe eysight and þe makyng of þe eyn.
b
- c1390 Þe man þt luste (Vrn)93 : Falshede is called a sotilte.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)854 : For us schal plete no seriaunt, Al sotilte schal ben a-spyed.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)149/218 : All þir resons þat þou here sese War my sophims and sotiltese.
- ?c1430(?1383) Wycl.Curse (Corp-C 296)332 : Many men of lawe..bi here suteltes turnen þe cat in þe panne, and tarien pore men in here riȝt.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)10 : Þei prechen principaly for worldeli muk or veyn glorie, and so prechen here owne sotiltes to be preised of men.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)20 : Þis men myȝten schewe..bi false procurynge of matrymonye bi soteltees and queyntese..hou þes newe feyned religious ben anticristis.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)341/114 : At morne þei toke to rede, And soteltes vp soght, And demed hym to be dede.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)105/6 : Þies er sophyms & subtelties, whare-in I wastis all my dayes.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)428 : Þus men of scole trauelen veynly for to gete newe sutiltees & to magnefie þer name.
c
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)1700 : This god [Mercury]..doth habounde In sotyltes ful profounde.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)2429 : My sone..Amonge ladyes..Is..ryght acceptable..For tassoyle questions And demaundes on euery part That longen vn-to lowes art, And sotiltees many oon.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)119/17 : He profited more in forsaking all þinges þan in studieng of sotiltes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1623 : The chekker was choisly þere chosen þe first, The draghtes, the dyse, and oþer dregh gaumes; Soche soteltie þai soght to solas hom with.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2932 : Wemen..Yong men..ger stumble..Acoyntyng hom with kissyng & clippyng in Armes, With Sossyngs & Sotelte, Settyng of cases.
4.
(a) Trickery, guile, craftiness; dissembling, deceit; ~ wordes; (b) a trick, wily stratagem; also, a blandishment.
Associated quotations
a
- (?c1375-a1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3569 : At a sege, by subtiltee [vr. subtilte, subtyletee, soubtilite] Thow were bitraysed.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.691 : He wolde haue wend that of som subtiltee And of malice or of cruel corage..she hadde suffred this with sad visage.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)260/1 : Þe Quene Isabel þrouȝ conietting and sotelte of þe Mortymer, Lete ordein a parlement at Salesbury.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2077 : Wommen..With humble chere and with face pleyn Enclose her lustis by swyche sotilte, Vnder bowndis of al honeste.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6172 : I dwelle with hem that proude be And full of wiles and subtilite, That worship of this world coueiten.
- c1429 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)1554 : Wharefore Adam and Eue of glutterye first tempt he The forbedde fruyte til ete be his fals sutiletee.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.MG (Hnt HM 111)46 : Lest our fo, the feend, thurgh his sotiltee..Me ouercome with his treecherie.
- (1433) RParl.4.449b : Thurgh the grete sotiltee and disceite of soche Brocours aliens..yei..abaten the prises of oure Merchandises, as Wolle and Clothe and other.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)87/17 : He avised him of greet malice & sotilte; and þan Vlixes tooke..al maner of iuellis longing to ladies, and þer-wiþ faire armure & bright, and kest al dovne..and praid ech of þem to take þat the which plesid them best.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)531 : Olibrius..Margarete..to be shet in a ful strong presoun..comaundyd..Euere musynge..How and be what maner of sotylte He myht bereuyr [read: bereuyn] hyre hyr virginyte.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)20.132 : Þe maister Mariner that was with pompee, Of that Roch knew Al the Sotelte.
- a1450 Who þat liste loke (Stw 951)46/234 : By poyson, made by grete sotelee [read: soteltee], Albins was dede.
- ?a1475 LDirige(2) (Dc 322)149 : I thorough the sotylte Deceyued was of foule sathan.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.2692 : Chepmen..loke full sobirlie and inward do smyle, With subtilte wordis to selle her cheffare.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.261 : Alþou þu myȝtist getyn a þing be sleyþe and be sotelte, alwey tac hed to þe ryȝt & to þe lawe.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)56 : Ȝet seyn they in here sutilte to sottes in townes, Þei comen out of Carmeli Crist for to followen.
b
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)57/132 : We wile þat none of her breþeren make no sengler conseill..ne..non..to haue alwey, by her sotilte, þe catel in her hond.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2138 : Al his trist..So sikerliche on hem he leith..Nou herkne the soutilete, [etc.].
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2421 : Lo, whiche sleightes and subtiltees [vrr. subtilites, sotilteis, subilites, sotiltees, subtilitees] In wommen ben.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.576 : I bar hym on honde he hadde enchanted me -- My dame taughte me that soutiltee.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)13.240 : Worliche wele..makeþ men meny tyme and ofte To synegen, and to souchen soteltees of gyle, For couetyze of þat catel to culle hem þat hit kepeþ.
- c1400 Wycl.Reg.(Dc 273)18 : Þus ben rewmys distroyed by soteltees of Sathanas.
- (?a1417) Mem.Bk.York in Sur.Soc.120222 : Thurgh this sotelte thaye are continuely byand..and after that retailes the same fysshe at thayr houses to the moste dere value that tham lykes.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)241/5 : O souereyne..what wrecche am I þat þou..vouchistsaaf to schewe to me þi sooþfastnes and also þe pryue sotiltees of þe feend and disceytis of myn owne sensualyte.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)25 : Þei traueilen nyȝt & day..bi false sotiltis and cautelis..for to gete muche drit..of þis world.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)116/9 : A man shoulde doute þe sotiltees & þe spies of his enemy yif he be wise, & his shrewednes yif he be a foole.
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A noncredibilite of soteltes.
- c1450(a1400) Lavynham Treat.7 Dead.Sins (Hrl 211)5/37 : Ryȝt so a couetous man gooth wt many sleyȝtis & sotiltees [vr. sotellys] & gadryth an hoord of erthely catel to gydere.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)9/286 : They conseyvyd þis sotylte: yf cryst þis woman dede dampne, trewly A-geyn his prechyng than dede he..And yf he dede here save, þan were he A-ȝens moyses lawe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)285/421 : Loö serys, þis is of hym A false sotylte; he wyl not speke but whan he lyst.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)1538 : All this is done but for a sotilte, To hide your falshede vnder a coverture.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)206/79 : I haue sayde you here beforne his soteltyes and grefys to sare; he turnes oure folk both euen & morne and ay makys mastres mare & mare.
5.
Cook. A culinary decoration for the table, a course of a meal, or a particular dish, freq. in the form of a historical or religious tableau; -- ?also coll. [last quot.]; also, a device to make a culinary dish seem something it is not [quot. a1475 Liber Cocorum].
Associated quotations
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1563 : It were veyn euery cours to telle, her straunge sewes and her sotyltees, Ne how they sat lik to her degrees.
- a1425(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.20 : Aftirwa[rd] it techiþ for to make curious potages & meetes and sotiltees for alle manere of states both h[y]e and lowe.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)450 : At the seconde course: jussett, pynenade to potage..and a soteltee: Seint-Jorge on horsebak and sleynge the dragun..At the thridde cours, colde creme and gele to potage..and a soteltee: a castel that the Kyng and the Qwhene comen in for to see how Seint Jorge slogh, and payn puffe, and pety-pettys, and cuspis and doucettes.
- c1450 Brut-1431(1) (Eg 650)447/12 : The seruyce of þe ffyrst course: Brawne wyth mustard..Tartis; A Sodelte.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)69 : A sotelte: A godhede in a son of gold glorified aboue; in the son the holy giste voluptable; Seint Thomas kneling a-for him, with þe poynt of a swerd in his hede & a Mitre there-vppon..in sinistra parte Johannes Baptista; et in iiij partibus, iiij Angeli incensantes.
- (1452) Feast Neville(1) (Tit B.11)88 : Primus Cursus: A sutteltee, the bore hed..Brawne and mustarde..Frutour lumbert, A suteltee.
- (1467-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.9992 : Pro le Tynfole empt. pro ornacione et pictura del soteltez erga festum Natal. Domini, 11 d.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)12803 : To thys Sect [Epicureans] yt ys endwed, With rost somwhyle, and with stewyd, To be seruyd, and metys bake, Now to ffrye, now steykes make, And many other soteltes [F autre chose desguisee].
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.5 : Anoþer sotelte I wylle telle: Take harpe strynges made of bowel..Kast hom on fysshe or flesshe..Þat wynne seme wormes.
- a1475 VPhilibert (Brog 2.1)p.17 : Vesselle, nappre, mettus, I cannot reyhers, Sawsis, subdelytys to thine appetyte.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)55 : The therde sotilte was a castell, and Seint George and the kynges doughter ledyng the lambe in to the castell gate.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)2496 : He made hym wele at ese..Wyth pyment and wyth sotelte.
6.
(a) Thinness, slenderness, smallness; (b) the thinness of a liquid, gas, etc.; lack of density, rarity; ability of a substance to penetrate or permeate; also, the capacity to make a liquid thin.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)49b/a : Þe vtilite off þe multitude of þe tunykels of þe yȝen is for þre skilles and of þe gretenes of hem þat ben grete and off þe sotilte off hem þat ben sotile.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)117/8 : The curacioun..is fulfilled by þe forsaide gouernaunce..declynynge to more sotilte and to subtiliacioun, i. makynge sotil.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)117/35 : Þat man ys of good mynde..þat hauys..longe palmes, longe ffyngers, to sutillyte fallyng.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)111/26 : Of shuldres..Sklendernesse and sotelte of them declareth debilite of hert.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)133a/b : By sotilte of his substaunce & þennes eyr is clere and bryȝt.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)162a/a : Among alle bodyes þe erþe is most corpulent and hath leste of sotilte & of symplicite.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.75r : Medle with hym [Scamony] þo same þynges & alle þo þynges þat abatyn & fordon exces of acuyte, & abatyn suptilyte & myȝt of his penetracyon, pershyng & þerlyng, as mastyk & citonyis & ious of hem, for it arn noble rectifityfs.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)176b/b : Acetum..haþ componed vertue with most subtilite.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)427/17 : Thay hauen also wiþ a streynyngnesse some sotelte, i. smallenesse or þennesse, by the whiche þei ben made depe to þe rootes of here heres.
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)43/31 : Þe medicyne þenne most ben hote & drye wiþ subtilite, as terbentyne to moiste bodyes.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)163 : Crist appered in his uery body glorificat, whech body myth entre þorw wall and bord & no þing lette it, for þat body had..subtilite, þat no þing may hold it.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)7/11 : He..shal þere glorifye þe bodye..with þe stoole of subtilite euer to be as sotille as a soule with oute ponderosite.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)2.46.138b : Þan..may þe soule see gostly þe fairhed of aungels..þe sotilte of hem in substaunce.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)72b/b : It muste be hoot and drie with a subtilite as Terbentine & Euforbium and oþere siche.
- a1500 Diseases Women(3) (Yale-M 47)43/265 : At þis membre comeþe to myche floynge in mony maners, as of..soteltes [DW(2): sotilte] of blode þat swetyth þorugh smale pours of þe veynes and soo flooþe oute.
7.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)246b/b : Of wythy..beþ y-made diuerse noedefull þinges to housholde, as stolis, sotyletees, panyere, & kuyppes [L sedes, sportule, et canistra].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)60/7 : Aungelis kynde passiþ al bodiliche kynde in subtilite [L: subtilitate] of his essencia.
Note: New subsense of 6..--per MM
Note: Possible gloss: "fineness, etherealness"--per MLL
- a1500 Chartier Dial.F.&F.(Sion Arc.L.40.2/E.43)9/14 : Wyth how gret study haue we norysched cyuyle batayles we haue yn experyence, and yet to thys ynwarde fyre we haue mynestred secretly þe sulphyr of falce sybtylte and desseyte.
Note: Belongs to sense 3.(b)?--per MM
Note: Glossary (Dial.F.F.): treachery.
- a1500 Chartier Dial.F.&F.(Sion Arc.L.40.2/E.43)30/8 : That ys a dysseytefull, a freel and a feyned subtylte whyche thou callest wysedom.
Note: Glossary (Dial.F.F.): cunning, craftiness.