Middle English Dictionary Entry
trembling(e ger.
Entry Info
| Forms | trembling(e ger. Also trembelling, trimbeling. |
| Etymology | From tremblen v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A state of anxiety, fear, or awe; also, the physical correlate of such a state, quaking; ~ and drede, drede and ~; (b) an involuntary twitching or trembling of the body or a part of the body; a pathological condition characterized by muscle spasms; also, the phase of a fever characterized by shivering; also, arrhythmia; (c) a quivering motion, vibration; (d) counseil of ~ of the erthe, the synod in progress during the earthquake of May 1382; (e) fear;—rendering L timor.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.15.15 : Than ben distourbid þe princes of Edom; tremlyng withheelde þe strong men of Moab.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.3.14 : Forsothe in the day ordeynyde Heleodore entride..there was not a lytil tremblyng [L trepidatio] by al the citee.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Eph.6.5 : Seruauntis, obeysche ȝe to fleishly lordis with drede and tremblyng..as to Crist.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)27 : Serue ye to the Lord in drede, and make ye ful out ioie to him with tremblinge.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.2.3 : I was at ȝow in seeknesse and drede and mykyl tremblyng of body.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)2533 : Wha..may þis lyfe here lede With-outen tremblyng and drede?
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)501 : Tremelynge, or qwakynge: Tremor, trepidacio.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)506/242 : Þe day of drede to more and lesse, Of care, of trymbelyng, and of tene, Þat ilke a wight þat weried is May say, 'allas, þis daye is sene!'
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)1559 : These thynges peysed myn hand make to quake..the magnificence Royal, To whoom I wryte, in-to tremlyng cause me fal.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)50/31 : The horrible places schal appere..the gastfulnes of wrechednes and of confusion, the tremlynge of anguysch, the drede of tribulacion.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2853 : In euery man thei [angels] setteth fortitude..And on the part aduerse, an impotence With couwardise & diffident dispayre Wil ferdfully with trembelyng repayre.
- (1471) Rec.Throne Edw.IV (Roy 17.D.15)p.276 : For fere of that fray many man did shake; There was tremelyng and turnyng; thayre woo did wake.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)46/5 : The busshop gretely was maruayled in hym-self and with greet trepidaunce or tremelyng he a-boode tyl the morowenyng.
b
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1008/15 : Caule wiþ-stondeþ wyn and dronkenesse..and is þerfore good for þe palsy and for trembelyng and quakynge.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(1) (NY 12:Wallner)3.46/16 : It is demed þat trembling and febrez in þe paralisy bitokeneþ gode.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)102b/b : Ȝif blode & coler be to muche brent & melancolie be malicious, þer folowen þe werst accidentes þat maie ben, as tremblynge of þe herte & swownynge..& sumtyme deþ.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)126 : For þe feuere..coriaundre sede etyn a-fore þe accesse or tremblyng of þe feuere wole destroie the tercian.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)151/21 : Þer dyed of þaim þer a man & ij wommen and all þe toder slepid iij dayes & iij nyghtis to-geder, and som of þaim had a tremblyng of all þer bodie evur after ewhils þai liffid.
- c1450 Bod.483 Herbal (Bod 483)57/154 : Hyt [peony] ys gode for þe crampe and for þe tremulenge.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)1806 : Sleep receyved in tyme and mesure..ffroom these seknessys the boody doth Recure..ffrom tremblyng and quakyng kepith membir & boon.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)113/13 : For akynge of a wombe þat trembelyth: Take tansie, ruwe, and soþernwode, and ete hem with salt, and þat schall don awey þe trembellynge.
- a1475 Gilb.Angl.(Wel 537)29/9 : He lyeþ as þoughe he were deed, withouten crampe and withouten tremblyng and fomyng also.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)80/38 : Of wyn þat ys takyn abundanly in greet quantyte, þes euelys folwyn..bolnynge, tremblyng, drede, hydousnesse.
- a1500 Bloodletting in HSLC 29 ser.3.5 (Chet 6680)2 : Þe same day on þe lyuer veynes..þat ben cleped bosalica is good for þe bak & tremblynge & schrinkyne of synwes..& for rotinge of lyuer.
- c1500(1446) Morstede Surgery (Hrl 1736)117 : The pacyentes wyttes schall be takyne from hym and schall brake and have tremelynge of lymes.
c
- a1484 Treat.7 Lib.Arts (Trin-C R.14.52)1040/81 : If..the pointe of the tunge towchith the palat, so is l causid, but if þe tunge be more bowed and in maner with a tremelyng folowyng afterward, than is r gendred.
- a1484 Treat.7 Lib.Arts (Trin-C R.14.52)1044/232,234 : Thei gon out ageyne from their natural situacioun, and..turne ageyne..so that in this maner is caused a contynual tremelyng in the smale partis of a stryng..this maner of tremelyng or shakyng is open to touchyng or sight.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)54 : They herd..blowinge off bugles and bemes aloft, trymlinge of tabers And tymbring soft, bridlinge of stedes and baners vp to fold.
d
- a1500(?1382) Wycl.Wks.Mercy (NC 95)175 : Þes freres..at þer cownsel of trembulynge of þe erþe, seyde, [etc.].
e
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)941/7 : Þe maister..seiþ þat Rebecca, for tremelynge [L timore] of naciouns þat sche hadde yseye in fader and modir..leyde a manere lauri tree..vnder here heed.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. trembling.