Middle English Dictionary Entry
sulphur-vīve n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sulphur-vīve n. Also sulphurevive, sulfer-, sulphurvif, sulphre-, sulphureviffe, soufrevife & (error) sowfrevyl. |
| Etymology | ML sulphur vīvum, sulfur vīvum & OF soufre vif; cp. ME sulphur n. & vīve adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Native or natural sulfur, used as a component of medicines and incendiary mixtures; (b) alch. ?sophic sulfur [cp. sulphur n. (c)].
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)30/27 : The prestes arrayen here awtere..and putten þere vpon spices & sulphur vif [Man.(2): sulphure viue; F soufre vif] & oþer thinges þat wolen brennen lightly.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)174a/a : Þer ben eiȝte maner of pouders: þe first is pouder of arnement..alumme, tarter, sulfer viue, calce viue, [etc.].
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)632/24 : One fourme of medecyne for þe scalle..Take of litarge, of sulphre vif [L sulfuris viui], of attrament, [etc.].
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)105/285 : Take sulphur vyue & whit tartre & blak & grynde him al to-geder.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)118/18 : Take iii ounce of fyn sowfre vyl [read: vyf] and an ounce of sarkacoll, [etc.].
- a1500 Platearius CInstans (Cmb Ee.1.13)5/20 : Ayeyne euery kold sekenes, take asa fetida & petroil and melte hem togedre, and put þerto þe poudre of castor & of euforbium & of soufre-vyfe [L: sulphuris vivi] & wyth þis oynement annoynte hym.
b
- a1500(1471) *Ripley CAlch.(Ashm 1486)718 : The fyrst [kind of combining] is callyd by phylosophers dyptatyve be-twyxte ye agent & ye pacyent, ye wyche muste be male & Female, mercury with sulphure vyffe, mater & forme, thynne & thycke to thryve.
- a1500 *Of spayn (Ashm 759)125a : Of spayn take thou thy clere light..Of philosophers the sulphur vif, Callid golde withouten stryf.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(Ednb-U Laing 3.164)951 : Off our mercury they mell & of our sulphur vyff.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Ashm.1393 Artist.Recipes (Ashm 1393) 163/13-14 : Forto make vermilon. Tak a li. of mercure, and .ij. li. of sofur vife, and put hit in a vessel on þe fire with hote colis.
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 189/15 : Forto make golde colour to wrytte. Take sulphur fyfe, mercury, sal armonyas, [etc.].
Note: Postdates sense (a). New spelling (sofur vife & sulphur fyfe).