Middle English Dictionary Entry
sprī̆t n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sprī̆t n. Also sprite, spret(e, spreit(e & spright, spriȝt; pl. sprites, etc. & spretus. |
| Etymology | From OF esprit(e, vars. of esperit(e, espirit(e; also cp. AF spirit(e & ME spirit n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. espirit n.
1.
(a) The principle of life; ~ of lif, vital ~; (b) the human soul, esp. at the point of death; yelden ~, to die; (c) an immaterial being; an angel, a demon; also, an apparition, a ghost; ~ (of) wrong, Satan; (d) divine inspiration; also, the Holy Ghost; holi ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)812 : He ys so tymerouse, me semyth hys vytall spryt doth exspyre.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)6/168 : Spreyte of life I in the blaw.
b
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Kn.(Lnsd 851)A.2809 : His sprete chaungede house and wente þere As I cam neuer.
- c1430 Chaucer LGW (Cmb Gg.4.27)2069 : I mote of traytour haue a name, ffor whiche myn sprit goth, to do me shame.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3318 : With þis speke at he spake, þe sprete he ȝeldis.
- c1475 Awntyrs Arth.(Tay 9)p.10 : These ar the gracius giftus of the Holi Gost That enspires iche sprete.
- c1500 NPass.(Ashm 61)212/1808 : Spryte [Cmb Gg 1.1: His gost passid aftir his wille].
c
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)59 : Þe priour taught me to say this prayer..when y herd ony noyse þat y shuld be a fered of, if þei were good sprites or evel.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)623 : God is spedful in speche and spryt clene, Boþe blessed and blyþe þat blendeþ alle sorwe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)58 : He..haldis a wand, And kenely be coniurisons callis to him spritis.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)6270 : Hys yll sprett soyn hym spred.
- c1475 Awntyrs Arth.(Tay 9)p.5 : Of the gost..greue the no mare..I wille speke with the sprete [rime: wete, bete].
- c1460 Cursor (LdMisc 416)1656/170 : Ihesu after his fastyng long Was temptyd with the spryte of wrong [Bedf: sprit wrong].
- c1460 Idley Instr.(LdMisc 416:Heuser)p.207 : His [Lucifer's] purpose was..to sytte above all the sprytes vii.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)121 : The holy sprites and angels, þat mey not synne..haue more poiar than we.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.171 : How is it þat sprytis walkyn so aboutyn whan men ben dede?
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.307 : Al our fyȝtynge is aȝenys þe wyckyd sprytis of þerknesse [vr. derknesse] whyche ben pryncis & powerys & gouernouris of synful men and women.
- a1500 O cryste Ihu (Cmb Ff.1.6)10 : Wicked spretus so oryble & blake..besy bene to wayte me day & nyghte.
- c1500 Serm.AS (Ashm 61)509 : He..spake to hym of holy wryte, Namly fore hys saule euyne, ȝiff he were in gode beleuyne, An-anter if any wyked sprete had brouȝt hym in mysse-delyte.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13217 : The craft of coniuracioun þo cumly did vse; With Spretis & experyment so spend þai þere lyf.
d
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4721 : He sagh..þurgh þe spryt Þat þer shuld come veniaunce.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)34/4 : Ilkain salle..Offir sum þing to god mare þan þai es cumandid, wid þe ioy of þe haly sprite.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)60/90 : He xal send þe sprytt to his discyplis.
- c1475 Capgr.St.Kath.(RwlPoet 118)1.814 : Sche hauntyd holy werkys be steryng of þe spryght [rime: nyght, lyght].
2.
(a) The mind, intellect, reason; also, the senses, mental faculties [quot.: c1475, 1st]; (b) the power of prophecy.
Associated quotations
a
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Lnsd 851)F.727 : Colours of rethorik bene me to queynte; My sprite feleþ nouȝt of suche Matier.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)69/21 : Whan he was brought home..as good as halfe ded, and his sprite was come agayn a litle to him, he asked..whethir his enmys..toke his shielde.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)176/28 : The[y] shall be full of malyncoly for the spryt that hathe be in so gret labour of stodye befor.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)471 : Mony thoughtes full thro thrange in hir brest, And þus sho spake in hir sprete, [etc.].
b
- a1500(a1449) Lydg.15 Joys (Tit A.26)50 : Elisabethe..Withe the spryte ffulfilled of prophecye..gan to crye, 'Blessed be þowe among thes wymmen!'
3.
(a) Character, disposition; povre of ~, meek, humble; also, as noun: humble people; (b) a mental quality; (c) courage, resolution; -- also pl.; (d) one's state of mind; a mood, frame of mind; -- also pl.; (e) the human will.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)241/29 : Oure lhord zayþ þet þe poure of sprit byeþ y-blissed.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.287 : God schal seyn þo wordys to hem þat pore in spryt and lowe of herte.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.289 : In many contres arn but fewe pore folc in spryt.
b
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)43/11 : Þer be sum bownyd with þe wikkid sprete of pride.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)66/25 : God has ordeyned maner and remedye..and þaym has opynly shewyd to haly profetys..lightend with godys spryt of wyt.
- a1500(c1450) Idley Instr.(Arun 20)2.B.2566 : Salamon..Lost þe spryte of wysdom.
c
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)72 : Bi þat noyse my sprite and my wittes failidden me.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5320 : His sprete he rehetis.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)742/9 : He wolde angur sir Trystram for to cause hym to wake hys spretes.
d
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Kn.(Lnsd 851)A.1369 : Than wolde he wepe..So feble eke were his spretes and he lowe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5054 : Bot þat bot sprang of þe splene, þe sprite was vn-esid.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)291/26 : Lord, in me make þou a clene herte and make a ryght sprite newe in my bovels.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)141/12 : Huntyng, haukyng, and fowlyng be so laborous & greuous þat non of them may performe to enduce a man to a mery spryȝt.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)9 : The Kyng, hugely vexid in his spretes with the traturous and malicious rebellion..did mak an opyn proclamacion.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)40/8 : It is to be considred with what sprite he doth it with, other by pley and casuelly, or in contempt and derogacion of thy mageste.
- c1500 Befor my deth (SeldArch B.24)16 : So maisit Is my sprett of þis fray, my cristenmess Is turnit In to lent.
e
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)15667 : Þof þe spreit ai redi be, þe flesche be ful [read: fus] to plight.
4.
Breath; ~ ledere, one who draws breath.
Associated quotations
- a1500 *Medulla (Hrl 1738)71b/b : Spirator: a spryte [Stnh: spiryt] leder.
5.
Alch. A volatile substance; ~ of lif, a substance (analogous to pure alcohol) capable of uniting the fixed and the volatile elements of the completed philosophers' stone.
Associated quotations
- a1500 MS Sln.3747 in Singer Cat.Alchem.(Sln 3747)2.486 : The 4 sprites byn argentum vivum auripigmentum, sal armoniac, sulphur vivum.
- a1500 *Of spayn (Ashm 759)125a : Of spayn take thou thy clere light, The redde gomme..Of philosophers the sulphur vif Callid golde..drawe out a tyncture And make a matrimony pure Betwene the husbond and the wif, Espoused with the sprite of lyf.