Middle English Dictionary Entry
squaimǒus adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | squaimǒus adj. Also scaimes, swaimos, squeimous, skeimous(e, squemes, sweimous, squoimous, scoimous, skoimos. |
| Etymology | From AF escoimus, escoymous. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. queimous adj.
1.
(a) Easily nauseated, squeamish; feeling queasy; also, of a taste: producing nausea; (b) disdainful, contemptuous; fastidious; (c) ~ of, disgusted or repelled by (sth.), contemptuous of; (d) averse (to do sth.), reluctant; (e) modest, shy.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3509 : Was non off hem þat eete lyste; Kyng Richard..seyde, 'Frendes, beþ nouȝt squoymous [vr. scoymes].'
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)452/6 : He commaundid hym þat he sulde eate flessh; and he was passand swaymos & wold nott.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)93/8 : Summe is passing greet sensual peyne..in taasting moost squaymose taastis.
b
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)62 : Þan was þe leuedi of þe hous a proude dame & an envieous..squeymous & eke scorning.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)21 : Nif he [God] nere scoymus and skyg and non scaþe lovied, Hit were a mervayl to much, hit moȝt not falle.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)202/27 : Unresonable folis þei ben to..ben wroþ and scoymes ȝif a man likneþ hem to oules.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)457 : Skeymowse, or sweymows [Win: Skeymows, or qweymows: abhominati[u]us].
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)212 : Whi schulde ȝe thanne be so tikil and so squaymose, and holde for an inconvenient..forto folowe the clergie?
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)151/20 : It may not suffre to here ne to be spokyn of flesshli workis with oute grete lothenes..þe hert is so squaymos whan it herith þerof.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3337 : He was somdel squaymous Of fartyng.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)101a/b : Þey þat beþ I-bete of wode houndes..drediþ watir..and beþ agrise þer-of ful sore and scoymous [vr. scoymos] also.
- a1400 Primer (StJ-C G.24)102 : Wickednesse y hadde in hatrede and y was skoymes þer of.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)598 : He is so skoymos of þat skaþe, he scarrez bylyve.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)48 : They were not squeymous [Aldh: squemes] of the stable.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)181/20 : Þei schulde [not] heere speke þer-of þat þei ne schulde haue gret abhomynacion and be squeymes þer-of.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)70 : Be alwey squaymous of suche sklaunders.
d
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.461 : Sche..was nouȝt squaymus [vrr. scaymes, scoymes] to wasche seke menis feet.
- c1425(c1400) Primer (Cmb Dd.11.82)p.7 : Thou were not squoymous [vrr. skoymus, skoymes] to take þe maidenes wombe to delyuere mankynde.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)155/13 : Atte sum tyme she wolde..haue be right scoymous ta haue do the seruice.
e
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)357 : Squaymose: verecundus.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7248 : Many one are so..oute of mesure esquaymous, Þat hys koke may no day Greyþe hym hys mete to pay.
Note: New form: Also..esquaimous.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense (b).--notes per MLL