Middle English Dictionary Entry
cerimoniāl adj. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cerimoniāl adj. & n. Also cere-, sermonial. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Belonging to religious ceremony or ritual; ceremonial; -- distinguished from judicial and moral.
Associated quotations
- (a1402) Trev.DCur.(Hrl 1900)81/19 : No man may feyne þat the forseide heeste is cerymonial, to be vsed among þe Jewes aloone; For hit is verrey moral, longynge to good þewes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3092 : Festis funeral And oþer ritys Ceremonyal.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.57 : Þus kepyng of þe Saboot was sumwhat a comandement and sumwhat cerymonial, to figure þat Crist shulde reste in þe tombe al þe Satirdai.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)60/36 : Whan þe grettiste bisschope of here lawe hadde in þe Cerimonyall ritis..constrayned hym tenclyne mekely his necke vnder þe Awtere of þe temple.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)118/23 : Alle þe dedis..bi wordis writen in þo x comaundementis ben pure moral ech oon, and not cerymonial, neiþir iudicial, except þe dede of þe iije commaundement, which was halewing of þe satirdaie.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)129/15 : Þe ije now seid poynt or gouernaunce was cerymonial to þe peple of iewis; and siþen al cerymonials and iudicials of þe iewis lawe ben cessid [etc.].
2.
A ceremonial practice or usage, a rite or ceremonial.
Associated quotations
- c1400 Wycl.Dominion (Dub 244)285 : Sermonyalis of þe oolde lawe and summe iudycialis bynden nouȝt now, but moralis bynden euere.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)526 : God ordeyned the cerymonyalis and the iudicialis..to the Iewis, as the bookes of Exodi and of Numeri maken ther of mensioun.
- a1450(a1397) WBible(2) GProl.(Hrl 1666)p.3 : The old testament is departid in to thre parties, in to moral comaundementis, iudicials, and cerimonyals..Cerymonials techen figuris and sacramentis of the olde lawe.