Middle English Dictionary Entry
unfruitful adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | unfruitful adj. Also unfruiteful, unfrut(e)ful, onfrutful. |
| Etymology | From fruitful adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of a person: infertile; without issue;
(b) of a land: unproductive, barren; of a tree, branches: not producing fruit or vegetation; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.30.1 : Rachel…was vnfruytful, and…seide to hir hosebonde, ‘Ȝyue thou fre children to me, ellis Y schal die.’
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ex.23.26 : Ȝe schulen serue to ȝoure Lord God…neithir a womman vnfruytful neither bareyn shal be in thi lond.
- a1425 LOL (Wnds E.I.I)34/16 : Whan he [Ysachar] siȝ Ioachim stondinge wiþ offringe among oþere men of his citee, he…axede whi he þat was vnfrwtful presumede to stonde among frwtful men…whom God deemede vnworþi to haue a child.
b
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Jude 12 : Wo to hem þat ȝeden in þe weye of Caym, & with errour of Balaam beþ ȝote oute þoroȝ mede…Þese it beþ þat in here metis beþ defouled, in feestynge, fedynge hem-selue withoute drede: cloudes with-outen watyr, þat with wyndes beþ bore aboute; vnfruytful heruest trees þat no fruyt bereþ, twyes deede þei ben, & drawen up by þe rootes.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Job 24.20 : Merci forȝete hym, his swetnesse be a worm; be he not in mynde, but be he al to-brokun as a tre vnfruytful.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)1525 : Undere the colde pole boreall, Where froste and snowe euer doth endure…A lande ther is, but litell of plesure, Vnfrutefull for colde and baren.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)6/4 : Thou vnfruteful tree, where be now þi frutes of vertu?
- a1500 12 PTrib.(2) (Rwl C.894)394 : Ther bene v maner of materiall purgyngis…The thrid purgynge is of trees, as cuttynge of vynes, and voydynge of onfrutfull branches.
2.
Of an action, works: worthless, purposeless, without profit; also, leading to no good end; of a person: doing no good, unproductive.
Associated quotations
- c1400 Bible SNT(1) (Selw 108 L.1)Eph.5.11 : Ȝe beþ now lyȝt in oure Lord, & walke ȝe as children of lyȝt…prefe ȝe what þing is wel plesynge to God, & ne comune ȝe noȝt to þe vnfruytful werkes of darknesse…for þilke þinges þat beþ y-don of hem in prifete it is foul forto speke.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Tit.3.14 : Oure cretences lere þei to be byfore in gode werkys…þat þey be not vnfrutful.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)47 : Þe maydens wordes by whiche she repreued our goddes sture so myn hert þat what euer we do to oure goddes me thinkeþ hit is bot veyn and vnfruytfull.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)229/30 : Ȝif þou wylt noȝt be deed in dedly synne, ne ydel & vnfruytefull as sande & grauel, forsake þi synne & do wel!
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)156/5 : Ȝif ther hadde noȝt ben an ascencion in-to heuene, the natiuite hadde ben vayn, þe passion hadde ben vnfruytefull, and the resurreccion hadde ben vnprofitable.