Middle English Dictionary Entry
stāblī adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | stāblī adv. Also stablei, stabeli, stabili, stabulich. |
| Etymology | From stāble adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Steadfastly, faithfully; also, persistently; also, stubbornly [quot. a1480]; (b) resolutely, staunchly, unflinchingly.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)485 : Tweien..maistres..þonkeden ore louerd..Þat him sende so guode bi-leue so stableliche for-to laste.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)122/8 : Sein Benet..wende into wildernesse..no confort he nadde; Stabliche he was inis bede, swuþe strang lif he ladde.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)100 : If worldli bisshopis myghten stabliche seyn this poynt..thanne thei myghten soone stoppe men to preche truli holi writ.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)10751 : She offred for hym to þe auter..Euery day..Alle þat twelue moneþ stabely.
- (1409) Doc.in Sur.Soc.45320 : I Elizabeth avowe to be chaste..and I behet to lyve stabilly in this avowe duryng my life.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Deeds 2.46 : Ech dai thei dwelliden stabli with o wille.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)215/3 : Sche stabely & stedfastly beleuyd þat it was God þat spak in hir sowle.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)340 : Bi þe keping of þo statutis þei schulde be þe stablier and þe surelier dressid foorþ and..constreyned to kepe þi lawe of resoun and of feiþ.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)548 : Religiose persoones haue her outward habitis stabilid to hem..and..thei be bounde forto holde hem stabili and vnchaungeabili therto.
- a1450(a1396) Hilton CPerf.(Paris angl.41)7 : Þe moore þou art temptid and trauelid, þe moore stably dwelle in praier.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)45 : Þe virgyn amongst alle hir betynges abood stably in praysynge and doyng thonkynges to god.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.40.25a : If a man..haue receiued a ȝifþe of god, as deuocion of preiere..holde þat he haþ and trauaile þerinne stabli.
- a1480(c1450) Barlaam (2) (Peterh 257)61/2197 : Y considerid..þat non abode in stedefast state..and þei þat wende to haue lyued stabylly in here vanyte..were caste adoun.
- a1500 Craft Dying (Rwl C.894)409 : Euery good cristene man is bound..to obey þe statutis of þe chirch of Roome, & stabilly to abyd & dey in hem.
- a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)86/1 : Þey whiche servyn in werkis & placis stabelliche..shul ben ocupiid in profitable & honest trauayles.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(Hrl 2277)524 : Seint Thomas..bad him holde vp stabliche Holi Churche riȝte.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2611 : Þe king..bed hom..þat hii hom vnderstode & stabeliche helde to gadere to sauy þat lond.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)11492 : Þe erl..& sire Ion giffard..stable conseil nome To holde aȝe sir simond: stabliche hii were at on.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)17271 : Sho bad þat þei suld stably stand þat Cyte to saue and socoure.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)17796 : Þe moþer..Comforthys hyr suns all seuyn and bad þem stably stand.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)183/22 : Iche man shuld alwey han the publique well..before the yien so that the corages had ben stablelye confermed [CQ(2): had ben stablischid] as the aught.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)170/32 : Who-so hathe the vertu of Fortitudo, he shall lyue..wythout drede. Moche is hit grete to manes corage noght to flessh, but stabilli Stonde.
2.
(a) Motionlessly, still; without moving away from a place or position; (b) firmly, securely; in a steadying manner, steadily [last quot.]; (c) permanently, unalterably.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)15154 : Ihesus preychand ilk a day stably in þe temple stode.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)86 : If he se an hert stondyng stably, he must loke wel what contre he shal goo to his leire.
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)128 : So did þai þare þat day bidene, and stabilly gan þai stand.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)354/18 : Late hym stably lye vpon a feþer bedde.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)126/6 : They saide a sterne, with lemys bright, Owte of the Eest shulde stabely stande.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)376/5 : Ordeyne som of thyne horsmen to stire the cuntree and the remanent stablelye to abide in array in bataile.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)6021 : The fifþe planete Venus is..In Pissibus he regneþ stably, And doun he goþ in Gemini.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)305a/b : Druye matiere..may make som matiere..sotile & þynne if þe matiere is druye oþer stabulich y-pight.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.124 : Some thinges..sourmounten the ordenance of destyne, and tho ben thilke that stablely ben ifycchid neygh to the firste godhede.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)211/34 : Sche resceyueþ a maner of strenkþe in holy haate aȝens her owne propre sensualite, groundid and sett stably in þe riȝt plesaunt fruyt of verry mekenesse.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)10516 : He hath..made an Auter noyȝt to moue bot stably in þat sted to stand.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)12543 : I pray þe me to gyfe Two horssus lade of erth..þat I þer on may stably[vr. stabley] stand, my cryatur when I sall pray.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1085/32 : The courser lepte..and he that was uppon hym..strayned hym myghtyly and stabely, and kepte stylle the speare in the reeste.
c
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)22710 : Alle salle turne a-gaine to noȝt..heiuen & erþ to be made new þat ay salle laste stabeli & trew.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.97 : God disponith in his purveaunce singulerly and stablely [Walton Bo.: stabillye] the thinges that ben to doone.
- c1429 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)4430 : The joyes of seints..shalle neuer take eende..There bes perpetuel hele..There shal be strengh stably.
3.
(a) Irrevocably, absolutely; holden (kepen) ~, to maintain (an agreement, etc.) as binding; (b) unequivocally; accurately, precisely, exactly; (c) certainly.
Associated quotations
a
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.37 : The qwilk ordenaunces..þe breþerin..of þis gilde han be hoten..to holden and stabeliche kepen.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.126 : Þei held parlement..& ordeynd..þat Steuen..of Inglond suld bere coroun & his gyft certeyn be holden stabilly.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)47/5 : That he decreyd & ordeynyd be-twene hem he shold charge ferme & stabiliche to be kepyd by the censur of the churche.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)2663 : Yiffe ye make an heste, he wille it holde..By-twene you for to make pees Stabully euer for to stonde.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.31.76a : Ordenaunces of pryuate lawes in reawmes or in othir Communalteis be called Statutes, for thei schuld stably be kepte an observed euer with owt chaungyng.
- -?-(1435) Doc.in Power Craft Surg.308 : An ordinaunce in this mater is maid & assentid stabilli to stonde euere here aftur.
b
- ?c1430(c1400) Rule & T.St.Francis(1) (Corp-C 296)44 : I comaunde stably to freris þat þei haue not suspect companyes or conseilis of wymmen.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)131/140 : Speres þaim sadly of þe same, So shall ȝe stabely vndirstande Þer mynde and þer menyng.
c
- ?a1425 GGuy(2) (Qu-O 383)18/8 : Ihesu crist oure sauyour, knowere of alle preuytees, seyng þat þing, and williyng strongliere and stabliere strengþen his feiþ among cristen men..wolde schewe siche an vntaliliche myracle..so þat we miȝt haue gretter certeyn of þe lyf þat is to come.