Middle English Dictionary Entry
worthī̆nes(se n.
Entry Info
| Forms | worthī̆nes(se n. Also wurghtinesse. |
| Etymology | From worthī adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. worthnesse n.
1.
(a) Value; significance, importance; also, spiritual worth; also, a valuable attribute; Coll. valuable things;
(b) deservedness, merit;
(c) honor, dignity; nobility; the noble class [quot. c1400]; also, a chivalric act; ~ of blod; dere ~, q.v.;
(d) excellence; splendor (worldly or spiritual); also, ceremony [quot. c1450(c1430)];
(e) used as an honorific for a person;
(f) strength; prowess; also, a feat of arms; stal ~, q.v.;
(g) a morally worthy deed;
(h) the word ‘worthinesse’.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)833/8 : Siluer…þough it be of more grete and boystous matiere þan gold…it bereþ þe pris after gold in worþinesse.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1078/21 : Þe worþynesse and preisynge of wyne mighte nought Bachus himself descryue atte fulle þough he were alyue.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)2 Cor.4.7 : We han this tresour in britil vessels, that the worthinesse be of Goddis vertu, and not of vs.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)3/19 : Þe þrid chapitre: How þe werk of þis book schal be wrouȝt, & of þe worþines of it bifore alle oþer werkes.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)213/4 : The world wiþ alle hise excellencis & worþinessis, and tyrauntis wiþ alle her powers myȝte neuere defende hem fro hem, for þe myȝt and strenkþe of þis qweene, pacience, was myȝtily worchinge in hym [read: hem].
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)3/27 : I make you yifte of my litell laboure…to se how I endure To my symple power for to aument The wurthynesses well sette in good entent.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)136 : This Riche Man hadde moche of worldly good, More thanne ony man tho vndirstood of Bestes and of other Richesse, of kamailles, of jewelis, & of oþer worthynesse.
- a1450 Chauliac(4) (Cai 336/725)21/20 : Þat he take his salarie mesurably aftir…þe worþines of þe ende.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)3/25 : Þis preier ouerstiȝeþ alle oþer & ouergoiþ in dignyte, in worþines, in price; it ouerweiȝeþ alle.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17383 : Love excellyth in worthynesse Euery tresour and rychesse.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.43.26b : Hou a man shal knowe þe worþines and þe worshipe of his soule þat it owiþ to haue be kynde and þe wrecchednes and þe myschef þat it is falle in for synne.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)29/1 : Forto lyue anentis god preisingly…is forto…declare or witnesse…sum excellence or worþines or goodnes of god in him silf.
- a1475 Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)10751 : The bodily worþinesse Þat is nouþer more ne lesse, But after þat a man haþ here…And as miche as þou hast now, So miche worthi art þow.
- 1530(c1450) Mirror Our Lady (Fawkes)2 : No man ne may well shewe the worthynes or the propertyes of any thynge to the praysynge therof.
b
- (1395) Wycl.12 Concl.(Th 17)303 : Sleyng of children…passith in worthinesse to ben punischid in peynis of helle.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)3757 : Þe help þat es don here specialy Availles til þe saules in purgatory, Bot to som mare and til som les, Aftir þai er of worthynes.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)24/26 : If we any worþines haue, of his ȝifte onely we it haue, whois liknes we beren.
- 1530(c1450) Mirror Our Lady (Fawkes)162 : That they haue, or canne, or may, they counte yt to theyre owne merytes and worthynesse, as though yt came all of themselfe.
c
- 1372 Clernesse of (Adv 18.7.21)p.6 : In anima debet esse…Buxumnesse withouten grochingge, Worþinesse of good doyngge.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.221 : Þere were tweie noble men, Marcus Cato and Gaius Iulius, wel nyh of worþynesse of blood, of age, and of noble and real speche.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)307/9 : Be auctorite of þe apostil he seiþ a man tofore a womman in dignite and worthines of þe ymage and liknes of god.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)318/31 : Riȝtfulliche a lord fongiþ of his subiectis worschipe and reuerence and be þe worthines of his office he makeþ his subiectis worþi to haue worschipe.
- c1425 Liber de Hyda in RS 4570 : I bydde…that none of my kyn…labor not aȝenst eny of ther kynrede that I have ȝyve…to here byfore, And wt me all the worthynesse of West-saxone to ryȝt consentyn that I most leve hem as fre as thowt, wheythyr that I wyll.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.77 : I this wirk…Toke vp-on me…Of verray knyȝthod to remembre ageyn The worthynes…of olde chiualrie.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1130 : In þis worlde falshed hath more myȝt Ful ofte sithe þan…þestat set of worþinesse.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.161 : The wise, worthi Ector…In whom that alle vertu list habounde, As alle trouthe and alle gentilesse, Wisdom, honour, fredom, and worthinesse.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)12/1 : Hercules was a knyghte of Grece of merueilous strengthe and brought to ende many knyghtly wurthynesses.
- a1450(a1396) Hilton CPerf.(Paris angl.41)10 : Wherfore it seemeþ þat þere is no more dignyte ne worþines þat a man mai come to þan for to haue tribulacioun for Cristis loue.
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)4838 : Þat tyme…Was þe vsage in þe olde laye, Men þat were of worþinesse At þe temple to haue a maystresse To teche her childer…To serue God in maydenes astate.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)63/26 : Worthynes and good tacchis and also good dedis is nat only in araymente, but manhode and worship [ys hyd] within a mannes person.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)203 : The knyghtes…semede to be of grete wordynesse.
d
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)981/5 : Þe lilye is next to þe rose in worþinesse and nobilite.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1012/18 : In schadowy places…palme may nouȝt growe and…he may nouȝt bere fruyt and come to worþynesse of palmes.
- c1400 Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)45/819 : Now, suster…go nyer and chalange sum partye of alle þis swete wurþynesse.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.819 : Rome…Of al þe worlde was hed and chef cite For þe passyng famous worthinesse.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)428/17 : The Quene was dellyuyryd of a feyre sone…whiche with high and grete worthynesse was brought forthe and cristenyd.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)57/6 : He was delyverd oute of þe paynys of hell…& þan put agayn in so grete wurthines.
- ?a1525(?a1475) Play Sacr.(Dub 652)119 : No man in thys world may weld more rychesse…as a lordys pere thus lyve I in worthynesse.
e
- (c1391) Gower CA Suppl.(Bod 294)prol.50* : To his hihe worthinesse Som newe thing I scholde boke.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.824 : I neuere heeld me lady ne maistresse But humble seruant to youre worthynesse And euere shal whil that my lyf may dure.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1609 : I thus am hires, dar I seye, That thanked be the heighe worthynesse Of Love, and ek thi kynde bysynesse.
- (a1440) Let.Coventry in EHR 55642 : Like hit you of your wurthynes to lett the seide Simon haue the seide Cotages.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1938 : Sire, wetis it wele, ȝoure worthines…Þat þis child…Has reden all oure regions.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3163 : First wrote I to ȝour worthines.
- (1455) RParl.5.287a : The grete and outrageouse costes and expenses, not unknowen unto your wurthynesses, which in divers parties of this lande I bare.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)257/25 : We undirstonde, youre worthynesse, that thou art the noblest knyght lyvyng.
- a1480(c1450) Barlaam (2) (Peterh 257)21/702 : Barlam answerid…‘O worthy kyngis sonne, it were vnriȝtful and vngoodly to me to telle ȝou enyþynge þat were wronge and contrarye, þat shold displece ȝoure noble worthynes and dignyte.’
f
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)11/11 : It is nothing necessarie to the…To go and feight with…beres ramping; Whethir thou ymagin this I wote nought, Or ellis of wildenes it comyth in thi thought Of wurthynes for to haue a name.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)25/26 : Pantasselle was a ful faire mayden and quene of Damazoine, and of merveillous wurthines in armes and in hardines.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)26/3 : Vigorousli sche venged his deth where sche dede merveilous worthinesses.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.130 : Goodes of þe body…To þise forseide haue relacioun, For strengthe and largesse of proporcioun Ben like to cause worþinesse or myght.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)69/4 : The gret and coragious citee of Lacedemonye is put vndir by our worthynesse in armes.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)152/32 : Whan that any man had done any dede of armes passyng any othre men in valiaunce and worthyness, the Romayns did make his ymage right nobley.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)1975 : Ille thow kythes…Off thy wordynes, þat þou haste done.
- a1500 Partenay (Trin-C R.3.17)5959 : The more in hym was of hug wurghtinesse, Remembred ought be his knyghtly entent.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9196 : There is no medcyn on mold saue the maiden one…ne with pure strenght, Ne for worthines of wer, ne of wale dedis.
g
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.180r : Eche worthy man thulke tyme thoght the day or tyme lost in whiche he wrought no worthynesse, as in foundyng houses of religion or other prowes ayenste hethen.
h
- c1450 Add.19046 Treat.Syntax (Add 19046)200/343 : The genetyfe case and þe ablatyfe case for all wordes þat betokenyth fulnes or amptines, worthynes on [read: or] vnworthynes, preysyng or blamyng maye construe wt a genetyfe case and a ablatyfe case.