Middle English Dictionary Entry
blisful adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | blisful adj. Also bles(se-, -fol(le, -vol(le. |
| Etymology | From blisse . |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Glad, happy, joyful; happy (about sth.); glad (to do sth.); (b) giving joy, joyous, pleasing; (c) ?innocent, ?gentle [cp. blithe 2].
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)55 : Ne muge we noht singe þe blisfulle songes alleluia ne te deum laudamus.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9539 : Þa weoren in þissen londe blisfulle songes.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)148/2 : Blisuol sselt þou by to [Vices & V.(2): Be glad of] þe guodes þet oþre habbeþ.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1055 : Eiþer tok..is way..blisful for þei were botned of here bales strong.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.220 : Ech of hem ful blisful [vrr. blythfull, blithe] was and fawe To brynge me gaye thynges fro the feyre.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)8547 : An angel..wiþ blisful [Vsp: blithful] chere.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)80 : In May..is blisful many sithe The..papyngay.
b
- a1350 Iesu suete is (Hrl 2253)6 : Iesu, noþing may be..in eorþe blysfulere..þen þou, so suete alumere.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)516 : To here þe foules song..Him þouȝt a blisseful fare.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.726 : This blisful tidynge.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.100 : In the huge weltering wawis fell Off lufis rage, blisfull havin.
c
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)212/3 : A man his..Sympill and blesfull as a lambe, Swyfte and delyuer as a kyd [etc.].
2.
(a) Full of the bliss and glory of heaven, glorious; glorified, transfigured, beatified, sanctified; -- also as noun; (b) blessed, holy, sacred.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)28/254 : Ihesu crist..hu he sit blisful [Roy: wunderful] on his feader riht half.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)75/4 : Þer [in paradise] is blisfolle [Vices & V.(2): ioye-ful; F gloriouse] uelaȝrede of god and of angles and of halȝen.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1077 : The blisful compaignye that reioysen hem eueremo euerich of otheres ioye.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.17 : The holy blisful martir.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.97 : Yt blisful corsant seynt Nicholaus.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)119b/b : Bodies þat ben blisful [L glorificata] as bodies schal be in þe blisse of heuene.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)169a/a : In þe coppe of þis mounte oure lorde shewed him selfe blisful [L se transfigurare voluit].
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1100 : Vergynez in þe same gyse Þat watz my blysful.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7774 : Alle þe blyssfulle spirites þat in heven dwels.
- 1451 Tundale (Roy 17.B.43)2173 : Amonge þat blisfulle cumpany, He se [fowre] bisshoppes.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)24/7 : O þin blisfule nome.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)50/15 : Ti blisfule sune, Iesu Crist.
- a1275 Stod ho (Tan 169*)7 : Þat blisful bearnes buirde.
- c1300 Iesu cristes milde moder (Arun 248)60 : Glade and blithe þu us make..edi maiden, blisful wif.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)186/12 : Þe blisuolle [Vices & V.(2): precious; F precieus] blode [of] Iesu crist.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1669 : Þat blisful barn þat bouȝt us on þe rode.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)2.3 : Þe blisful [vrr. blisside, blessyd; B: blisful; C: blessede] Barn þat bouȝt vs on þe Roode.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4240 : O blisful god that art so iust and trewe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8906 : Þat blisful [Frf: blesful] king, Iesus crist.
- (1413) Will in Bdf.HRS 216 : Þe blyssfull Trinite.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.705 : Now, blisful [vr. seint] Venus, thow me grace sende.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)50/18 : His blesful blod He bled.
- a1440 Fasc.Zizan.(BodeMus 86)441 : The blysful sacrament of the auter.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)6/194 : Aungelys xul..telle þe shepherdys..the blysseful byrth of þat kyng.
- a1475 Cross of ihesu (Rwl B.408)15 : O blisful crosse!
3.
(a) Fortunate, prosperous; spiritually blessed; (b) praiseworthy, illustrious, excellent; (c) fair, beautiful; ?bright.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)169 : Warð blisfuller [L melior] his [Job's] ende þene was his biginninge.
- a1250 Cristes milde moder (Nero A.14)19 : Þu ert briht & blisful ouer alle wummen.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2388 : Blisful is that man that hath nat folwed the conseilyng of shrewes.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)6852 : Min angel sal..ȝou..lede Into a land of blisful [Frf: blessed] thede.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Eccl.4.3 : Y demyde hym..to be blisfulere [vr. more blessid; WB(1): welsumere; L feliciorem] than euer eithir.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.321 : A blesful synne þat Adam synnede.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)53a/a : Prosperor: to..be blisful; Prosper: blisful, wyþoute tene & happi.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.m.5.1 : Blisful [L felix] was the firste age of men.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2256 : A blisfull begynnyng..Þat..hath a faire yssue.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.363 : Hercules is i-seide of eros..man, and of cleos..blisse; as þey Hercules were to menynge a blisful man and glorious [L quasi vir gloriosus].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.172 : Whan they han this blisful mayden sayn.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.403 : Thassemblee of this blisful oost.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)35/2 : Þat doyng is blisful in princes & in kynges by ensaumple of Holy Writ.
c
- a1350 Ichot a burde in boure (Hrl 2253)19 : A burde..wiþ browen blysfol vnder hode.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)412 : A semly siȝt, A tabernacle blisseful and briȝt.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1635 : Meliors þat blisful burde.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3247 : This yonge wyf..was ful moore blisful on to see Than is the newe perionette tree.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1203 : Troilus..Gan thanken tho the blisful [vr. bryghte] goddes sevene.
- a1450 Dc.291 Lapid.(Dc 291)21 : The signifiance of the rubie & of his blesful colour.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.101 : O bryght blisfull goddess.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)100/21 : Hali men & wummen beoð of alle fondunges swiðest ofte itemptet & ham to goderheale, for þurh þe feht toȝeines ham, ha biȝeoteð þe blisfule kempene crune [L gloriosam coronam agonizancium; F la corone du ciel].
Note: [L In certamine contra temptationes, lucrantur gloriosam coronam agonizancium.; F Si con-quierunt einz en la bataille ke est con-tre eus, la corone du ciel meritorie
Note: Needed for date in sense 3.(b).
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3015 : Fo [Otho: go] we ȝet to Beline, to þan blisfulle [Otho: blisfolle] kinge.
Note: New form: Also.. (early) blisfolle.
Note: Needed for date in sense 3.(b).
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)68.20 : Here me, Lord, for blisful [L benigna] ys þy mercy.
Note: Needed for date in sense 1.(b).
Note: Add to gloss in sense 1.(b): "kind, gracious".
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL