Middle English Dictionary Entry
unportāble adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | unportāble adj. |
| Etymology | Prob. from importāble with substitution of un- pref.(1); also cp. portāble adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Burdensome, intolerable, vnbearable; onerous, oppressive; ?also, unjustifiable, unsupportable by facts, etc. [last quot.];
(b) impossible or very difficult to pay, financially ruinous;
(c) too heavy to bear;—used fig.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)223/24 : Sich oon falliþ into peyne and tediosite and is maad vnportable to hymsilf.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)60/30 : Fire and hungir…schal asaile þe Cite þat hit schall be verely vnpportable vnto hem.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)136/4071 : So vnportable are my paynes fele That but y speke y am my deth to wite.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)172 : Ther hath be in late daies…To myche folk unportable punicion.
- a1525(?1464) Cov.Leet Bk.324 : The…Recordour & his felowes…afore the kyng disclosyd…that, as semed, greuous compleynt had be made on hem, the charge of which were to theym unportable.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.139 : Hardeknute, of the unportable [L importabile] tribute of Engelond, made viii marc to be paide to every steresman of his navy.
- (1417) *Assem.Bk.A Shrewsbury (ShropRRC 3365/67)84 : The forseide toun of Shrosbury bereth…a charge of taske that is to hem unportable.
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)323/32 : In this same ȝere þe Citee of Lymage rebelled…for grete taxes, costages, & raunsoms…þe whiche charges were unportable, & to chargeable.
- (1447) RParl.5.135a : Unlawefull delayes…hath putte youre pouer Oratours to unportable charge and coste, and, withoute youre socoure, to their undoyng.
- (1451) Pet.Hen.VI in Archaeol.Ael.n.s.3186 : Thies subsidies to be paied…Excepte…that it be lefull to the Maire and Citeseyns of the citee of Lincoln…to shippe…every yere…lxti sakkes of wolle…without ony subsidie…in relefe, confortacion, and supportacion of the grete and unportable charges the which the seid Maire and Citesins yerlie in paiement of thaire fee ferme of the seid citee beren and susteign.
c
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.23.4 : Thei bynden to greuouse chargis, and vnportable [L importabilia], or that mown nat be born, and putten in to shuldres of men, but with her fyngir thei wolen nat moue hem.