Middle English Dictionary Entry
bilēve n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bilēve n. Also (early) bileave, (late) believe. |
| Etymology | Cp. OE gelēafa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. bilẹ̄ven v.
1.
(a) Faith in, or devotion to, a religious institution, doctrine, or precept; douten of ~, to waver in (one's) faith; (b) faith as opposed to reasoning.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)84/25 : Þonne we mid bileafan gað to haliȝe husle.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)112/7 : Ðe Hælend wolde festnen & strengæn heore bileafe.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)136/27 : Heo..buȝon to him mid soðe bileafæ.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)6/48 : Ha riht luueð him wið soðe bileaue.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)15/161 : Ne make ȝe nowðer mi luue ne mi bileaue lutlin towart te liuiende godd.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)72 : In þis ilke burh wes wuniende a meiden..of treowe bileaue.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)189 : Wepnede hire mid soðe bileaue ant wrat on hire breoste..þe hali rode taken.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1509 : He haueð iweddet him to mi meiðhad mit te ring of rihte bileaue.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)1a : Þeos riwle is chearite of schir heorte & cleane inwit & treowe bileaue.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)269 : Þulke man þat of goed byleoue is, And ffor al þat wole synegy.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)40/1122 : Seynt iame seyþe þat orysoun Of þer holy by-leue Of hijs siknesse helþe wynþe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)123 : Beleaue..ous zet onder god, and hi ous deþ beknawe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)166 : Þise uirtue hi clepieþ beleaue: hi is wel nyeduol a-ye þe asaylinges of þe wordle, of þe ulesse, and of þe dyeule.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.63 : And thogh that I, vnworthy sone of Eue, Be synful, yet accepte my bileue.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1133 : Holy chirches feith in oure bileue Ne suffreth noon illusioun vs to greue.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9992 : What shal þan þe most saue, But stedfast beleue?
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.351 : Þat an vncristene..may crysten an hethen, And for his lele byleue..Haue þe heritage of heuene.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.213 : Cryst to a comune woman seyde..Þat fides sua shulde sauen hir..Þanne is byleue a lele helpe, aboue logyke or lawe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.70 : Freres..ȝe moeuen materes inmesurables to tellen of þe Trinite, Þat ofte tymes þe lewed peple of hir bileue douten.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)452 : Þei hadden no grettir bileeue..þan we haue now.
- ?a1450(?c1400) Wycl.LFCatech.(Lamb 408)14/23 : Hyt ys soþ þat beleue is ground of alle vertues.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4287 : For lacke of beleue þai..fellen vnto fals goddes.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)438 : What myghte es in a rotyn tree Þat ȝoure byleue es In?
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)6/6 : Their truste and stedfaste beleve in almyghty Gode.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)33/31 : Þilk ful and hool bileeue whiche is tauȝt bi crist.
- a1500(c1380) Wycl.Papa (Ryl Eng 86)480 : Þus we shulden lyue in bileue, in hope, and in charite.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)18/25 : And be no lengyr out of beleue, but..stedfast yn þe byleue.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)27 : He loste grete parte of beleve for his wif that was not crysten.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.125 : The feith of holi cherche..Which in som cas upon believe Stant more than thei conne prieve Be weie of Argument sensible.
2.
(a) A body of religious doctrines, a religion or faith, a Church; esp. the doctrines of Christianity, the Christian religion or Church; right, soth, treue ~, the true (i.e. Christian) faith; fals, luther ~, a false (i.e. heathen) faith; bok of ~, a canonical book; beneth ~, not scriptural; out of the ~, unconverted; (b) a religious belief or doctrine; false ~, a heresy; (c) a formal statement of doctrines, a creed; articles of ~.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)51/33 : Ȝe sculen habben sikerliche ðat eche lif, alle ðe æure belieueð on ðessere soðe beleaue.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1341 : We leaueð þi lahe & al þine bileaue, & turneð alle to Criste.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)10/7 : He..hehede hise heþene godes..& lei to his luðere bileue [Roy: bileaue].
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)13889 : Woche beoþ ȝoure bi-leue [Clg: i-leuen] þat ȝeo an bi-lefeþ [Clg: ileueð]?
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)16795 : And alle houre bilefue [Clg: laue] nou vs beoþ loþe.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)190/26 : Þine riȝte bi-leue þe schal teche a man, to ȝwam i-schal þe sende.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1652 : Tweie holi men..Þat riȝte bileue him teiȝte & ȝeue him cristendom.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)829 : Til he wer cristned..& y-broȝt to þe riȝt beleue.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)8.162 : Now haþ þe pope pouwer pardoun to graunte..Þis is a lef of vre bileeue, as lettret men vs techeþ.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.202 : To do good for goddes loue..And nameliche to suche þat sueth owre bileue.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.210 : In-to þe trewe feithe and in-til one byleue.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)4/11 : A trewe Cristen man & of riȝt bileue.
- (1415) Hoccl.Oldcastle (Hnt HM 111)14 : Allas! þat thow..Haast lost the style of cristenly prowesse Among alle hem þat stande in the cleernesse Of good byleeue.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)341 : But bisie we us not where þei ben seintis..for al þis is byneþe bileve.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)84/19 : Of here lawe & of here beleue.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2109 : By Mars, that is the chef of my beleve.
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)9 : Holy writt may be expowned and vndirstonden in dyuers maneres..so that it be not aȝenst the bileue.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)114/14 : To sweryn, ȝyf þe forseyd creatur wer a woman of þe ryth feyth & ryth beleue.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4052 : Hit is a poynte of owre byleue.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)217/8 : When Englond was oute of þe belefe.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)52/19 : To lerne cristen soules þe trewe byleue.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)2.544 : Yet is that book not of oure be-leue Receyued as yet.
- c1453(c1437) Brut-1436 (Hrl 53)568/26 : Whiche cuntre was out of beleue of Christen faith.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)137 : Articlis whiche ben famed to be of feith and bileeve.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)81 : Gracian..broute the cuntre to the rith byleve.
- a1500 WBible(2) GProl.(Wor F.172)p.7 : The Booke of Wisdom, though it be nat a booke of believe..reproevith fleshly men for their fals bilieve and yvel livyng.
b
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)13942 : Cnihtes, ȝeo beoþ me leofue ac ȝoure bilefues [Clg: tiðende] me beoþ loþe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.951 : Thei maden of this thief A god..And clepede him in tho believes The god of Marchantz and of thieves.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)339 : Here we takun as bileve þat ech member of holi Churche shal be saved wiþ Crist.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)4335 : He sal bygille Many thurgh gyftes..And turne þam til a fals belyefe.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)452 : And so we haue ij bileeuys: oon þat þou didst suche myraclis, þe oþer þat..þou were god.
- a1475 Form Excom.(2) (Rwl B.408)1/15 : Heresy, wicchecrafte, enchauntement..or any fals beleve aȝens the feyth of holichurch.
c
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Creed (Lamb 487)75 : Buten heo cunnen heore bileue þet is, pater noster and credo.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)11 : Þe tuelf articles of þe cristene byleue.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3456 : Ye, blessed be alwey a lewed man That noght but oonly his bileue kan.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.7 : I..sat softly adown and seide my bileue; And so I babeled on my bedes.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)103/6 : What article of the crede or bileeue hast þou [etc.]?
3.
Confidence, trust; also, conviction [quot. Gower 1.1216]; maken ~, create confidence or credence; putten ~ in, have confidence in (sth. or sb.), trust in, rely on; bringen, putten into ~, arouse (someone's) confidence or credence; convince (sb.); ben no ~, be untrustworthy.
Associated quotations
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)101 : Cristene men ne sculen heore bileafe bisettan on þere weordliche eahte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.91 : So woll I now this werk embrace With hol trust and with hol believe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.699 : With yhe upcast on hire he siketh..To bringen hire in to believe Of thing which that he wolde achieve.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1216 : That thou ne be noght deceivant, To make a womman to believe Thing which is noght in thi bilieve.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2136 : And thus Fa crere makth believe, So that fulofte he hath deceived.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)378 : Hancel ys no beleue to man.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1294 : He putte hir fully in byleve Of al þe tresoun.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.39.16 : In argument of bileue [WB(2): in to the preuyng of trouthe; L in argumentum fidei], the..mantil she shewide to the housbonde turnynge aȝen hoom.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.593 : O blisful lord Cupide..lyve and dye I wol in thy byleve.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)111/15 : Natheles..scholde noght a man putten his beleeve in suche thinges.
- c1440(?a1375) Abbey HG (Thrn)52/29 : Þat sall be bownden to-gedir with..lufe & stedfaste by-leue.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1686 : In qwhom Priam prinsipally put his beleue In sauyng his Citie.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)50 : It is a grete merveile, that ye haue so grete bileve in this man.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)12/34 : Ha wente into helle..uor to draȝe þannes and to deliuri þe zaules..of alle þon þet..storue in zoþe guode byleaue..þet hi ssolden by y-borȝe be him uor þe zenne of þe uerste manne.
Note: Sense 2.(a) doesn't cover his phr. where it means "a state of grace" or "the state of being in the faith"--per MJW
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 Interpol.Rolle Cant.(1) (Trin-C B.5.25)1183/38-44 : Heere moun we see hou bileeue is taken heere for treuþe þat men bileeuen grounded in God. And on tuo oþere maneres men taken bileeue: sumtyme is bileeue cleped a qualite bi whiche a man is named a trewe man in God, and þis bileeue is a maner of a trewe soule. On þe þred manere is bileeue taken for a þouȝt þat a man haueþ in dede of þe first bileeue, and þis bileeue is liȝtest to falle fro a man.
Note: Editor (Anne Hudson): "38-44: For the three understandings of bileeue: the first (38-9) is truth whose foundation is in God, the second (40-2) faith according to which a man is believed true in God; the third (42 ff.) is faith in matters pertaining to God -- these last are the most liable to change."
Note: Poss. supplemental theological distinctions for bileve n.