Middle English Dictionary Entry
chāste adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | chāste adj. Also cheaste, chest, chaiste, cast. |
| Etymology | OF chaste (from L casta). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Sexually pure (as defined by Christian doctrine): (a) virginal, abstinent, continent, chaste; (b) as noun: a virgin (man or woman); (c) true or faithful (to one's mate).
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)20/299 : His mihte heolt ham i clennschipe chaste efter þet ha hefden ifondet flesches fulðe.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)44b : Chaste cleannesse.
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)218/120 : His grace maked of þo euele manne good man, of þe orgeilus umble, of þe lechur chaste.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)60/1689 : Ac ȝef eny hys ine þe cas, Redich þat he be chaste.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.429 : Þey schulde in þilke dayes faste, and be chaste and spare þe likynge of here wifes.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)1.164 : Moni Chapeleyns ben chast, but Charite is aweye.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.946 : If that a wyf koude kepen hire al chaast by licence of hir housbonde..it were to hire a greet merite.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6368 : In worschipe of virginite, which tho was of gret dignite; Noght onliche of the wommen tho, Bot of the chaste men also, It was commended.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.46 : I wol nat kepe me chaast in al; Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon, Som cristen man shal wedde me.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)216a/a : Agnus castus..wiþ smyl and vse makeþ men chaste as a lombe..it makeþ chaste, wastynge þe humour and moysture semynal.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7459 : Ȝyf man or womman may nat be chaste, Take..One of whom ȝoure loue wyl be, And ȝyueþ nat ȝoure bodyys to alle ylych fre.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21202 : Was naman moght chaster be.
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)67/19 : Summe men beþ chaste of nature, and summe þorouȝ strengþe, and summe þorouȝ her goode wille for Goddes loue.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)48/16 : Fastars in Cristis chirche abstynen hem from lustis for to tempir..þe reble fleishe & kepe her bodi clene, chast, & suget to her soule.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.7.8 : I sey forsoþe to þe not weddyd and wydowse: 'good it is to þem, if þei so dwellyn chaaste as I.'
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)3829 : Chastite of virgyns clene, Þat chast and haly ay has bene.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.4.95 : Som man haboundeth..in rychesse..but yit he bewayleth his chaste lyf, for he ne hath no wyf.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)42/27 : Chast leuars be clepyd þe temple of þe Holy Gost.
- c1440(?a1400) ?Nassyngton Trin.& U.(Thrn)131 : Lord..þou lyghtede in a mayden chayste, Ðat conceyuede the of þe Haly Gaste.
- c1440(?a1400) St.John (Thrn)61 : Thou was..with na fylthe filede, Ne with na fandyng thi flesche defoulede with na fere, For-thi was þou chosen, chaste as a child.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)492 : Tho religiose men..bidden to her vndirlingis..forto lyue chaast for euer; wherfore..thei musten needis forbede to the same vnderlingis..forto be weddid.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)137 : Þe mayden chosen for chaste.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)10/4 : Ye aught to fast..iij dayes a woke, forto holde lowe youre flesshe, to kepe you chaste and clene.
- c1475 There stood (Trin-C R.3.21)89 : That blessyd lady, chosyn for chaste To bere þat lord þat all thyng wrought, Heuen and erthe, wode and vaste.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.7.92a : Seint Paule..wrestlyd with his fleschely lustes and kepte hem selfe chaste to his liffes ende.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)326 : He was a preste..and was also a mayden and chaste as longe as he leved.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.31 : Inpossible is yt this woman be ffornicatrice, So seint, abstynent, and chaste.
- a1500 Platearius CInstans (Cmb Ee.1.13)6/12 : Agnus castus .. his vertu is to make a man cast: a bed imad þerof abatiþ a mannys lust & likynge.
- 1534(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Herford)1.461 : Romains..Had in custome..To serue Diana, that was the cast goddesse, That Venus had with them non intraunce.
b
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)129/64 : Þat vnicorn, þat was so wyld, Aleyd hys of a cheaste.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4049 : Ioseph..þat was þe chast and þat gentil, þat siþen sufferd sa fele peril.
c
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)221/20 : Þe wyues ssolle..by chast and sobre; chaste, to loki hare body uram oþren þanne of hare lhordes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)151a/a : Þe turtur is a chast bridde, and haþ þat name of þewes, for he foleweþ chastite.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)196b/b : If a verray adamas is sleliche layd vnder a wommannes heued þat slepeþ, hir housbonde may wite and wheþer þat sche be chaste or non.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7366 : Þey haue broke..Þe chaste bonde of spousayle.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1577 : Trewe to Jason was she..And evere kepte hire chast as for his wif.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1862 : Brutus by hir chaste blood hath swore, That Tarquyn shulde ybanysshed be.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.1234 : To halwe & make stable The chast chaumbres of wifli gouernaunce.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)528/14 : Gorgias..þuf all at he war chastie, neuer-þe-les he had a fayr maydyn, and here-for his wyfe was passand hevy & sad.
2.
(a) Of persons: pure in spirit or faith, virtuous; innocent; (b) of actions: pure, true, virtuous.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)99b : Bitweonen delices & eise & flesches este, hwa wes eauer chaste?
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)288 : Þat mayden..Hw wis sho was, w chaste, hw fayr.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)212 : His Moder him wolde al day rede..Chaste lijf and clene for-to lede, and for-sake lecherie.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3959 : Womman..were in armes wel yproued..Þat made, lo, þe wimmen þe chastore lif lede.
- c1330(?a1300) KAlex.(Auch)379/110 : No cunnen hye of no schame Þat ben trewe and stedefast, Mesurable, bonour, and chast [LinI: chest].
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)202/13 : Huo þet him consenteþ..to þe kueade þoȝtes of his herte, he ne is naȝt chast.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)236/36 : Hi ssolle by chaste wyþine ine þe herte and wyþoute ine bodye.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)1.154 : Þauȝ ȝe ben trewe of tonge..as chast as a child þat in Chirche wepeþ [etc.].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.43 : As wel in goost as body chaast was she, For which she floured in virginitee.
- c1390 11 Pains(3) (Vrn)181 : Not chast of bodi..Ne of herte ne of his þouȝt.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.228 : Thei were ek chaste in word and dede.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25568 : Mak vr bodijs fair and chast, For to receiue þe haligast.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)23/8 : Þis chirche is clepid a clene chaast maiden [L sancta & immaculata].
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)394/29 : Allas, I sary wrich! I was chastie enogh & a grete almos-deler, & I am now dampnyd.
- c1450 Myldeste of moode (BodR 22)2 : O modyrs mercyfullyst, most chast þat euer was wyfe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)72/19 : Sothly wole I [Mary] to be goddys chast seruaunt.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)23a : Chaste: Castus corpore, pudicus animo, nuptus, continens.
b
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)11.7 : Þe wordes of our Lord ben chast [L casta] wordes, siluer ytried wyþ fur þryes.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.192 : Iesu Crist..Sowere of chaast conseil, hierde of vs alle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2010 : Sche satte so in silence..Of honest schame and of chaste drede.
- a1425(c1340) Rolle Psalter (LdMisc 286)127.1 : The dred that aman has to wreth god..is chaste drede, & that cumys of luf.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.m.8.26 : This love..knytteth sacrement of mariages of chaste loves [L castis amoribus].
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)243/359 : Who so followeth me..He may goe no chester way, For light in him is dight.
3.
Clean.
Associated quotations
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3343 : A stoon..Ful riche and noble and riȝt vertuous..And mot be kepte chast & wonder clene.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 LOL (Wnds E.I.I)34/3 : Þei werin riȝtful to God & pitous to men, and vseden chaast wedlok at home wiþoute gendringe of childrin bi aboute twenti ȝeer.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a). ~ wedlok, a spiritual marriage, Josephite marriage.
- ?c1400 PPl.Z (Bod 851)1.104 : Thouȝ ye be trewe of yor tonge..Ant be as schast as a childe..Ye habbeth no more meryte in masse ne in houres Then Maleken of here maydenhod that no man desyreth.
Note: New form: Also..schast.
Note: This quot. belongs to sense 1.(a): "also in prov. comparison: ~ as a child."