Middle English Dictionary Entry
adama(u)nt n.
Entry Info
| Forms | adama(u)nt n. Also adama(u)nd, adem-, adom-, atham-, athem-. |
| Etymology | L & OF, from Gr.; taken as ad-amant 'loving deeply' in ML, and hence applied to the loadstone. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. adamas.
1.
(a) A kind of precious stone; diamond; (b) adamant; fig. something indestructible and enduring, something impenetrable.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.833 : In his corone..The seconde [stone] is an Adamant.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)196b/b : De adamante: Adamans [L Adamas] is a litil stoon of ynde..No þing ouercomeþ it, noþer yren noþer fyre..it is ybroke wiþ newe hoote blood; Grauers vsen þe peces þerof to signe and to þirle preciouse stoones.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)2a/a : Adamas: an hous, or erþe, or an adamant.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)6 : Adamant, precyowse stone: Adamas.
- a1450 Dc.291 Lapid.(Dc 291)37 : Athemaunde is a stone of his name that man may not ouercome; when he hath hit on an anfeld of iren and smytith aboue with a grete hamer of iren, more is empeired the Anfeld & the hamer then is the stone.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5273 : Small gemmes..of Amatistis & adamants fyne.
- c1450 When the son (Frf 16)116 : Commyng out of Inde..Iacinthe, charbocle, and adamante.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)66 : Adamant is a ston of his name, þat no man may be ouercome when a man bereþ it vpon him.
- a1500 Dayly in Englond (BodPoet e.1)p.273 : An adamant stone, it is not frangebyll With nothyng but with mylke of a gett.
b
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1990 : The dore was al of athamant [vrr. athemaundis, adamans, adamant, attemant, athamanutz] eterne.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.3.9 : Y ȝaue thi face as an adamaunt [L adamantem] and as a flynt.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4181 : The stoon was hard, of ademant, Wherof they made the foundement.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)57/25 : The ferthe gree was of a Granat..The fifte was of ane Adamande. Þe Adamande es so harde þat it may noȝte be broken.
- (1445) ?Bokenham Claudian CS (Add 11814)261/42 : She this stabelisshith frenships..With bidyng adamawnte.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3372 : Þe fift [degree] was all of adomant..þat is he þat is so hard þat hurt may nane tole.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)85 : A fethere shulde so soone entre in to an anevelte..He [the fool] is as hard as adamaunt other dyamaunt.
2.
A loadstone; also fig.
Associated quotations
- (1345) *Acc.Exch.(PRO) 25/7 [OD col.] : xij petr' voc' adamants voc' sailstones.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.221 : Adamant stones [L lapides magnetes] þat were in þe fot and in þe arches aboute drowe euen þe yren eueriche to his side.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)111b/a : Þe worchinges of þe planetis is liche to þat ston magnas [L lapidi magneti], adamaunt, & to iren.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)157a/a : And so a yryn folweþ þe stone adamaunt, so the see folweþ þe cours..of þe mone.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)107/11 : Men taken the Ademand, þat is the schipmannes ston þat draweth the nedle to him, And men leyn the dyamand vpon the Ademand.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)180/13 : Schippes..weren drawen thider be the Adamauntes for the iren þat was in hem.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)145a/a : Þe adamant [*Ch.(2): adamaunde] draweþ þe limature in þe place of þe rupture.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)152a/a : A plastre made of adamaunde [*Ch.(1): made of diamante; L factum de dyadamante].
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)158/87 : Haile aþamond, þat God and mon Þou drew into þi blessid bode bryȝt.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)148 : Betwixen adamauntes two Of evene myght, a pece of yren set Ne hath no myght to meve to ne fro.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)27.245 : Litel and litel it with-drowgh tho, Tyl the strengthe of the Ademant was Ago.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)6048 : The crafty cheker..Was..Wroght out of an adamant, The whiche ston..draweth yren and eke stel.
- a1500 Away ffeynt (RwlPoet 34)61 : My lady in ffygure as þe adamauntt, to whom was lent Propyrte attractyff.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)100 : Þe powder of audamant, put it into a woynde, it draweþ owte yerne of þe wounde.
3.
Meaning uncertain [prob. a mistranslation].
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)234b/b : Virgil spekiþ of þe brode cloues of mirtus and of adamant [L et amantis] and of þe cleues of mirtha.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)294 : Þe sonne..had colour of cristal; Þe mone in propre nature Of adamaunt bare þe coloure.
Note: Needed for date 1.(b)
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450(1438) GLeg.Apost.Paul (GiL84) (Eg 876) 450/370 : His soule surmounted al hardenesse of iren and of ademond.
Note: Editor: "ademond: MED adamaunt records no spelling in ond (confined to E). L ayemant is probably nearer to s.w.'s [the English translator's] spelling; MED s. v. aimant has only two instances, spelt aymont, aymant; P2 has aymant."
Note: New spelling (with a final ond).
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(b).