Middle English Dictionary Entry
stōnī adj.
Entry Info
Forms | stōnī adj. Also stonie, stani; pl. (early dat.) staniȝum. |
Etymology | OE stānig |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Consisting of stone, made of stone; (b) fig. unfeeling, insensitive; ~ herte, a hard heart; (c) constructed of building stones or stonework; (d) full of stones, rocky; beset with stones or rocks; also fig.; (e) of a fish: living in gravelly or rocky waters, inhabiting stony waters; of a plant: ?growing in stony places.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Cor.3.3 : Ȝe ben the pistle of Crist..writun..not in stoony tablis, but in fleischly tablis of herte.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.23 : In Brytayne beeþ hoote welles..Maistresse of þilke welles is..Minerua; In hire hous fuyre dureþ alway þat neuere chaungeþ into askes, but [þere] þe fuyre slakeþ, it chaungeth into stony clottes [L globos saxeos].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)198b/b : Stony þinges of substaunce of oore ben water in manere.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)51b/a : Bi perile is vnderstonde..priuacion of þe life or..vnpower of þe membre..After which þe membre is not saide a membre no a partie of þe body proprely, bot denominatiue and equiuoce, as a stony [L lapideus] or brassyne eiȝ.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)595/25 : We sholde have mette at the stony grave that Merlyon sette besyde Camelot.
b
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)16/228 : Wei þe sehe þenne hu þe engles beoð isweamet þe seoð hare suster se seorhfuliche aueallet..Stani were his heorte ȝef ha ne mealte i teares.
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)133/658 : He hauit stoni herte, no-þing him ne smerteþ.
- c1400 Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)50/1016 : A word..wolde to-breke..a stony herte.
c
- (1447-8) Shillingford85 : They have made a purpresture..yn..a new tenement above Seynt Stephyn ys churche..wher was never no stale but a stony walle.
- (1473-4) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum15 : In makyng of the stony basis of the sperys of the north ile, ij s.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)463/16 : Alice Georges..yaf..to philip myxbury..all that place with a stony walle and all his pertynentis.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)485/25 : Symond and luce..shold..make a chamber of stonys..with ther owne costis..also with the reparacion of a stony welle.
d
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)211/14 : Zima lentition byð cenned on staniȝum stowum & on dunum.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 4.5 : An other seed felde aboute the wey, and briddis of heuene..eeten it..an other felde doun on stony placis, wher it had nat myche erthe.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 27.27 : The nyȝt cam aboue to vs seilinge in the stoony see [L in Adria]; aboute mydnyȝt the schipmen supposiden sum regioun..to appere to hem.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)215b/a : Silenum..groweþ in stony place in mounteyns and in cragges.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.52 : That gat that ledes Til hel..es stany and thornye, Wit couaitys and glotounye, Wit prid and nithe and licherye.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)477 : Stony, or ful of stonys: Lapidosus, petrosus.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)13.38 : This gentyl tre wol growe in euery londe..In stony [L saxosa] grounde ek loueth he to stonde.
- c1450 *Bk.Marchalsi (Hrl 6398)11b : Eueri hors þat is folid in heyȝe mountaynes and in stoni lond is þe bettir.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)460 : Otherwhile in stony stede is fight, A mountayn otherwhile is to defende.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)359 : Sstany: petrosus, scrupulosus.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)162/1 : Watyr þat comyth fro a stony grownde..is febyl and noyabyl.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)19 : Þe wey toward þe Cite was stony, þorny, and scroggy.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)45 : Stony grounde..grevithe sore the oxon on þer fete.
- a1500 *Medulla (Cnt D.2)5a/a : Adriaricus: Petrosus, stonye.
e
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)13b : Calamynte ys an herbe þat is of stronge sauour, and þere bethe iij speces of þis erbe; þat one is stony, þat oþer is hery, and þe þirde watrye.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)36b/a : Þo þingez ar put in þair metez þat coleþ & moisteþ and gendreth safe materie as..water of barly & stony [Ch.(2): smale; L petrini] fisshez and ȝolkez of suppy eiren & like þingez to hem.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)139/10 : Calamente..haȝt lewys lyk to mynte..þer are iij specis of þis herbe; on þat is stony, [etc.].
2.
(a) Of sulfur: in a solidified or crystalline state; (b) of a deer's antlers: covered with bumps, knobby.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)65b/b : We tristed Sulfur, noȝt vif, ne stony [L lapidosum] for to helpe wonded neruez, for þe subtile partiez of it medling it with als mich partie of subtile oile þat it be made glutinous.
b
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)80 : A grete hert..haþ grete beemys al about as ȝif þei were sette like as it were wiþ smale stoonys..alle þe beemes al along boothe grete and stony, as ȝif þei were ful of grauyll.
3a.
Med. (a) Like a calculus; of a person: afflicted with a calculus; (b) of a lump or swelling in the body: hardened, solidified; also, of induration: hard, stiff; (c) as noun: a hard lump or growth in a horse's body.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)147a/b : If forsoþ þer be ioyned or pissed þe withholden somwhat stony, bi nature or bi propre farmaciez, þat þer is not lefte ouer, þer is had digestioun forsoþ, & bigynnyng of cure.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)147a/b : How ofte þe stony man pisseþ [Ch.(2): he pisseth þat haþ þe stone] Als sone desireþ he to pisse.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)35a/a : Of flegmonez & of apostemez of naturale humours whan þai ar vnwisely infrigidate or resolued, þan þe subtile is resolued & þe grosse petrified, i. stony, & reduced in to melancolie.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)36a/a : In fewe daiez..it [skirro] semeþ to take meliourament..neþerlez it haþ it noȝt, for þe relefe or remanence of þe disposicioun al þe liptomo, i. subtile euaporate, shal lefe vnhelable & like to stony coagulacioun.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)107a/a : Þe iuncturez..ar termined as most bi resolucioun or bi petrifaccioun, i. stony hardnesse.
c
- a1500 Cmb.Diseases Horse (Cmb Ll.1.18)77 : For a stony in þe pastoroun: That is whan þat an horse stumblyth or slydyth, or that he sette his fote sodenly in an hole, þat his fote is wrenchet þerwith and þat stonyth hym in the pasteroun.
- a1500 Cmb.Diseases Horse (Cmb Ll.1.18)80 : For a stony in þe shulder: Take a lavnset and pryk evyn thorow the skyn, [etc.].
3b.
Anat. Of the parts of the temporal bones of the skull: very hard and dense; the ~ bon(es, the petrous part of the temporal bone(s containing the labyrinth of the ear.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)43a/b : Þe hooles þat ben þe propur Instrumentis of huyringe..ben I-sette in þe stony boon in þe whiche synewes ben I-piȝt þat comeþ fro þe brayn and bryngeþ to þe eeren felinge.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)40/13 : William and Lamfranque..saien also þe stony boones [*Ch.(1): bonez petrosa] to be putte to aboue þe parietal bones, and nouȝt touchynge þe brayne, neyþer to be of þe principales, whos contrarie is trewe.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)44/22 : The full grustly eeres beþ ordeyned to herynge, vppon þe stony bone.
4.
(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem.2.145].
Associated quotations
a
- (1220) Bk.of Fees304 : Gilibertus de Stonistrete.
- (1272) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames331 : William atte Stanylond.
- (1291) Close R.Edw.I176 : Roger Attestonyhelde.
- (1297) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames331 : Matild' de Staniforþe.
- (1300) in Kristensson ME Top.Terms88 : Joh. de la Stonilowe.
- (1320) Plea R.Edw.II in WSAS 1031 : John de Stonihegge.
- (1332) in Kristensson ME Top.Terms88 : Henr. atte stonybrok.
- (1355) in Sundby Dial.Wor.182 : Ric. atte Stonywall.
b
- (1202) EPNSoc.2 (Bck.)18 : Stani Stratford.
- (c1220) Chart.in Capes Hereford Cath.55 : Stanistret.
- (1246) in Ekwall PNLan.41 : Stanistrete.
- (1267) in Wallenberg PNKent114 : Stonired.
- (1290) EPNSoc.2 (Bck.)18 : Stony Stretteford.
- (1300) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.3116 : Le Stonibrugge.
- (1327) Name in LuSE 3525 : Del Stanyhurst.
- (1358) in Ekwall PNLan.141 : Del Stanyhurst.
- (1372) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.2308 : Stonywey.
- (a1400) in Ekwall PNLan.41 : Le Stanystrete.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 3.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. stony bone.