Middle English Dictionary Entry
blessed ppl.
Entry Info
| Forms | blessed ppl. Also (early) ibletsed, ibledsed; blest, blissed, blist. Comp. blesseder, blistar. |
| Etymology | OE ge)blē̆tsod |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Blessed by God, enjoying the blessing of God; spiritually blessed; deserving of blessing, pleasing to God, devout, pious, saintly, holy; ~ of bounte; (b) chosen to eternal blessedness; enjoying bliss of heaven, beatified; as noun: the blessed dead.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)47 : Aedie and blessede [L beati] beon alle þeo þe ihéreð godes weordes.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)684 : Comeþ..My ffaderes blessede children!
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)93/32 : Guod lyf and yblyssed þet cristene ssolle yleue.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3260 : Pite is thilke vertu blessed Which nevere let his Maister falle.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)136 : Nothing in this lif..is hardere..and perilousere than the office of bisshop..but anentis God nothing is blessidere.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1055 : Þis abel was a blissed [vrr. blesset, blisced] blod.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17078 : Mirthful maiden..blisced [Göt: fulfild] of all bu[n]te!
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)2044 : He & his eldest broþer seem Blessedest of þat barneteem.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.402 : Þe blissed Noe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.249 : Pouerte..bothe bettere and blisseder [vr. blesseder]..than ricchesse.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.30.13 : Alle wymmen schulen seie me blessid [L beatam].
- a1425 Rolle FLiving (Arun 507)414 : If þou take þir with þe louyng of god, i halde þe blissid & hiegh bifor Ihesu.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)28 : We schal be holdun of God þe more blessid and be þe more blessid.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)40/6 : No man blistar euer sall be þen he þat for gretenes of lufe may dy.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)48/29 : Off his conuersacion and oþir blessid condiciones.
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)f.81va : Judith .. was a wydowe and a blessyd woman.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)38/514 : Doufe, byrd full blist, ffayre myght the befall!
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)126/4 : Drihten..sæð to þa soðfestæn: 'Cumeð, ȝe iblesode, on þenne roderlice æþele & þær symle wuniæð!'
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)173 : Cumeð, ibledsede!
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)198/23 : Comeþ, þe yblissede of mine uader, onderuongeþ þe riche of heuene.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)23376 : Þe blessed saule al þese [blisses] sal fele.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.503 : And blewe alle þi blissed in-to þe blisse of paradise.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)61/94 : My chosun blest.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)3 : So many..worshipfulle men haunting armes, whiche as verray trew martirs and blissid souls have taken theire last ende by werre.
- a1500(1413) ?Hoccl.Poems PS (Eg 615)p.xxxiv/17 : Right wolcome be ye, blissed creatures!
2.
(a) Consecrated by a religious rite, dedicated to religious use; hallowed, sacred, holy; (b) consecrated to ecclesiastical office, holy; blessedest fader, honorary title of the Pope.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)139 : Sunnen dei..is þet halie dei, þet blescede dei, þe blisfulle dei.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)41/2 : Þe halȝede þinges:..þe yblissede uestemens and oþre yblissede þinges.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.383 : Here is bred yblessed and goddes body þer-vnder.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)3041 : Þe contre of Wyltone..thongedon god..For þuse blessude relekes.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)188 : Baptemed..in blessed water.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)6.313 : Sche hade receyvyde the blissede [L sanctam] sacramente.
b
- c1400(1389) Wycl.25 Art.(Dc 273)457 : Men..schal..calle hem [popes] moste holy faderis and moste blessid.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)82/1227 : To an holy and blessedest pope [L beatissimo papae] Austin, Jerom recomaundeþ him.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)7.13 : Bisshopes yblessed.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)344 : Ȝif a man be chosen pope, þan he is chosen to blis, as he is here clepid blessederste [Dub: blessidist] fadir.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)3 : A byschop..blessyd and sacryd.
3.
(a) Worthy of religious reverence, holy, blessed, glorious; as noun: holy one; (b) revered, honored; my ~ lord, my gracious lord; of ~ memorie, of revered memory.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)51/18 : Crist..ðurh ðessere iblescede mihte.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)28/267 : Þe engles..þe archangles ant..þe oðre þe beoð buuen ham, iblescede gastes þe beoð a biuore godd.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)70/2 : God an..his blissede moder.
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)267/23 : Þe blyssede heape of confessours.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.947 : The blissed Magdalene.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17043 : Þou, bliscedest of all [vrr. blisced mai, blessed maide].
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.131 : Crist..in his blessid passioun.
- a1425 Primer (Add 36683)34-5 : Blessid andreu, the apostle..Blessid nicholas..seynt nicholas, the blessid bishop.
- (1426) Reg.Chichele in Cant.Yk.S.42 (Lamb 69)340 : The holy and blessed Trinite.
- (1430) EEWills85/3 : To all the Blyssid company of hevyn.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)25/6 : Þe blist maydin.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)40 : Blyssyd, hevynly: Beatus.
- c1440 Treat.PN(2) (Thrn)262 : Es noghte godde name ay blyssede and haly?
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4671 : Bryȝtyne, þat blessude abbas.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4385 : Þe vayn pepull voidly honourit Bachian, a bale fynde, as a blist god.
- c1450 Heil be þou marie þe (Lamb 853)2 : Heil þe, blessidist [vr. bleste] þat euere bare child!
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)51/249 : We haue wurchepyd oure blyssyd lorde.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)10 : Þus blessid martirs for gloriouse martirdom deseruid to haue perpetual crounis.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)8 : The blissid king of Fraunce, seint Lowes.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)35 : Blyssyd: beatulus..gloriosus.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)158/567 : How I this blyst of bosom bare..And madyn cleyn, as I was are, Thrugh his pauste.
b
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.454 : My blissed lord..the duc Homfrey.
- (1464) RParl.5.545a : Oure noble Fader of blessed memorie.
- (1472) RParl.6.46b : The high and myghty Prynce of blessed memory, youre noble Fader.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)4 : The Prince of blissid memorie, king Harry the vthe.
- a1500(a1475) Ashby Dicta (Cmb Mm.4.42)798 : Rectifie youre selfe..By whiche grete noblesse is multiplied..Purchasyng your therby a blessed name.
4.
(a) Fortunate, happy, lucky (person, state); (b) praiseworthy, admirable (thing); (c) kindly, benign (face); cheerful (sound, song).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ecclus.14.2 : Sely or blessid [L felix] that hadde not sorewi slouthe of his inwit.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3418 : Thus was this yonge Maiden blessed..Hire fader lif sche gat..And wan with al the kinges love.
- ?c1425(c1380) Chaucer Form.A.(Benson-Robinson)43 : In caves..Slepten this blissed folk..in parfit quiete.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)40 : Blessyd [Win: blyssyd], erthely: Benedictus, felix.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)28/18 : Blyste mote ȝe be..þat hase getyn þe comendacions..of þe gude doctour Homerus.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)2309 : Partanope stont in Blessid plyte.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)35 : Blyssyd: faustus, fortunatus, felix.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)148/12 : Than was the worlde y-blessyd, whan wyse men regnyd.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.763 : Yif me a plante of thilke blessed tree, And in my gardyn planted shal it be.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)94/33 : Oile of camamille..is a blissyd þing of many helpyngs.
- ?a1500(?1458) Off alle Werkys (Inscr)p.41 : Another blissed besines is brigges to make.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1198 : Whan þat þe larke with ablissed lay Gan to salue [etc.].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)9b/a : Benignus: blessud.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)8/18 : Crist Ihesu..in lyknesse of a man..lokyng vp-on hir wyth so blyssyd a chere.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.4668 : The blissid souns Of Famis trompetis.