Middle English Dictionary Entry
cōld n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cōld n. Also could, cald & chald. |
| Etymology | From adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Coldness of atmosphere, season, climate, or habitat; in hot and cold, at all times, always; neither in hot ne cold, never; (b) a cold spell of weather; (c) coldness of an object, esp. as felt.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.51 : All þe chil and greet colde þat ofte is þerynne [in Europe].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1090 : In Wynter doth he noght for cold, In Somer mai he noght for hete..He wol ben ydel al aboute.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.465 : For also siker as coold engendreth hayl, A likerous mouth moste han a likerous tayl.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)266b/b : [The ass] fleeþ..colde..and is nought þerfore y founde in þe norþ londes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)902 : Þof þou wald euer haue hat sted, In cald sal euer be þi bedde.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1844 : I am derely to yow biholde..& euer in hot & colde To be your trwe seruaunt.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)59 : Neyþer for hete ne for cold, ne for non euyl wedir.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.967 : Right as floures, thorugh the cold of nyght Iclosed..Redressen hem ayein the sonne bright.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)410 : Wel had she clad hirsilf and warm, For cold myght elles don hir harm.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.m.5.28 : Whan the weighte of the snowh, ihardid by the cold, is resolvyd by the brennynge hete of Phebus.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)205 : Th'air..so attempre was That nevere was ther grevaunce of hot ne cold.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.41 : If hit [water] be cole in hete an luke in colde, The bettir may me with that watir holde.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)21 : Yf the fyche styr not for colde or feyr.
- c1450 Whanne marye was greet (Lamb 853)161 : Neiþer in hoot ne coolde I may not make him stumble.
- c1425 Wycl.Antichr.(2) (Dub 245)p.cxxvi : Crist ȝed on hise feet..teche & turne þe peple in colde & in hete, & in weete & in driȝe.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)20b : Calde: frigus, frigiditas, tepeditas, geliditas, algor, algeria.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)5/24 : An angyll lad hym ynto a place þat on þe toon syde was suche a colde..and on þat oþer syde was suche a hete, þat [etc.].
b
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.2.48 : The yeer hath eek leve to apparaylen the visage of the erthe..with floures..and to confownden hem somtyme with reynes and with coldes.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)142/7 : The coldis and the hetis of the Somer and the wyntyr helpyth to the Spryngynge and the bourgynge of naturall thyngis.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)4/125 : The wylde wind Boreas..with dryinge coldes maked the wawes of the occian-see so to aryse [etc.].
c
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)21/7 : Þat þa teþ þoliȝean ne mæȝe ne hæte ne ceald.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)9/22 : Þe office of þe v outward bodili wittis..is forto..touche hardnesse, neischnes, heet or coold present to þe touche.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)98/5 : Þe wyttys þat er yn þe hondes ys atouchable & tastable stryngh, and his cours is yn hete, yn cold, and in sharpe þing and softe.
- a1500 Earth(3) (Rwl C.307)12/15 : When erthe goeth on erthe as colde opon colde.
2.
Coldness as felt or suffered, exposure to cold, suffering from cold; hunger and ~; haven ~, suffer from cold, feel cold [cp. OF avoir froid].
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)3734 : Forr o þatt hallf þatt he wass mann, Mann mihhte himm fon & pinenn Wiþþ hat & kald..Wiþþ pine off þrisst & hunngerr.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)416 : Þer he greten ofte sore, Boþe for hunger and for kold, Or he weren þre winter hold.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)139/19 : He soffreþ and honger an þorst, and chald and hot.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.467 : A pore man þat was nygh deed for colde.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.15 : Þe Nakede, nym ȝeeme hou þei liggen, And cast on hem cloþes for colde.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.100 : With thurst, with cold, with hunger so confoundid!
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8620 : Mi barn es ded..Caald [vr. calde, Colde] has slan it.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.160 : Colde, ne care, ne compaignye of theues..Tene þe eny tyme, and þow take it [charity] with þe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.50 : Whan þow clomsest for colde or clyngest for drye.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)47/28 : Þere schal be..gnasting of teeþ for quaking of coold.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4194 : Ful gret meschief of hungre, thrust, and cold.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)411 : These olde folk have alwey cold; Her kynde is sich whan they ben old.
- a1425 Cursor (Glb E.9)28904 : When þou sese any haue hunger or calde.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.3.95 : Thise riche men, may they fele no cold on hir lymes in wynter?
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Curates (Corp-C 296)147 : Þei techen cristen men to sufre moche cold, hungur & þrist.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)105/2 : Þan it drow in-to-wyntyrwarde, and sche had so meche colde þat sche wist not what sche myth do, for sche was powr.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)6 : A-comelyd for coulde: Eviratus, enervatus.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2032 : Vntil þeir beddyng sal þai haue At suffise þam fro cauld to saue.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)4 : But the angleer may haue no colde ne no disese ne angur, but he be causer hymselfe.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)7653 : Þare in hungir and calde full pure Þai leuyd.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1211/26 : Lat us kepe oure stronge-walled townys untyll they have hunger and colde, and blow on their nayles.
3.
(a) The chills (of intermittent fever); (b) the chilling anguish (of love or lust, said to alternate with fervent elation); (c) lack of sympathy or feeling for one's fellow men as an aspect of certain emotions or attitudes; the cold of envi, hate, etc.; (d) the chill of death; lifelessness, death.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)90a/b : [In intermittent fevers] ffurst þe colde & þer aftir þe hete, and euery day axesse.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)19/202 : Þe rawen rahten of luue þurh euch lið of his limes ant inwið bearnde of brune swa ant cwakede as of calde.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)908 : Þat hache..hentis me wiþ hete as hot as ani fure, but quicliche so kene a cold comes þer-after.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2421 : Whan thou hast taken eny thing Of loves yifte..Or tok upon thee, for the cold, Som goodly word that thee was told, Or frendly chiere..Wherof thin herte was the bettre [etc.].
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1730 : The God of Love..shet att me..And therwithall such cold me hente That..I have chevered ofte.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)357 : What I desire, þat mai I not possede..For þouȝe I brenne with feruence and with hete, Wiþ-in myn hert I mot complein of cold.
c
- c1450(?a1405) Lydg.CBK (Frf 16)229 : This ys the colde of ynwarde high dysdeyn, Colde of dyspite, and colde of cruel hate.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)87/1 : They wyll nott leve þe cold of her aune sowles.
- a1500 Lydg.LOL (Adv 19.3.1)p.121 : Owre franke..Is with cowod medled of envy.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)92/25 : To faste..in wynter, for to chaste the colde of infidelite and of malice.
d
- a1300 A Mayde Cristes (Jes-O 29)78 : Nere hit reuþe for to heren hw hi were wiþ pyne aquold..al is heore [Paris' and Helen's] hot iturnd to cold.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2800 : From his feet vp to his brest was come The coold of deeth.
4.
Phys., physiol., etc. (a) The primary quality 'coldness' or predominant 'coldness' [see the *Trev.Barth. quots. & cold adj. 7]; (b) 'coldness' as producing disease; (c) a disease caused by excessive 'coldness', such as gout, dropsy, paralysis [see cold adj. 7 (g)].
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.420 : He knew the cause of euery maladye, Were it of hoot, or coold, or moyste, or drye, And where engendred and of what humour.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.977 : His complexioun Is mad upon divisioun Of cold, of hot, of moist, of drye.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)28b/b : Mannes body is made of foure elementis: of Erþe, Watir, Fire & Aier. And eueriche þerof haþ propre qualitees. Foure þer beþ I clepid þe firste and principal qualite, þat is to wite, hete, coolde, drye, and wetenesse; and ben I clepid þe firste qualites, for þey sliden first of þe elementis in to þe þinges þat ben I maade of elementis. Þey ben also I clepid þe principal qualitees, for of hem comeþ al þe secundarye effectis. Tweyne of þese qualites ben I clepid actiue, able to worche: hete & cooldnes. Þe oþir tweyne, drynesse and wetnesse, ben I clepid passiue.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)29b/b : Coolde makeþ þicke and sadde, for colde makeþ þe parties to meue toward þe middel, and so þe parties cleueþ ner togidres.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)293a/a : Þe mule is bareyne and noþing is y gendred of his semen for passynge colde þat haþ maystry on him.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)308a/b : Colde makeþ moiste matiere white and druye matiere blak.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)10/15 : It is vnpossible to departe þo qualitees from bodies, þat ben foure: hoot, coold, moist, & drie.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1479 : Heat and colde be qualites actiue; moysture and drynes be qualitees passive.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)30a/a : But it happiþ þat coolde corrumpiþ & distroyeþ; ffor ȝif coolde lettiþ defienge & digestioun, þan þe worchinge of kinde hete is I-lett, & corrupt humours be I gendred of þe whiche corrupcioun & distruccion of þe body, for corrupt humours beþ incorporat & Ioyned to þe body. And so it is in woundes to þe whiche is I leide to coolde salues and medicynes þat constreyneþ and stoppiþ þe poores, & so newe fumositees neisschiþ þe fleisch..Also, by kinde, to grete coolde sleeþ; ffor of [read: if it] constreyneþ and stoppiþ to swithe, þe spiritis falliþ in þe herte..Also, for to grete coolde quenchiþ feble hete, and þe spirit vitalis of lif lakkeþ foode and is I stuffid.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)69b/b : Colde is enemy to neruez, bonez, & medullez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)176b/a : Hote þingez..sleeþ noȝt so as opium & oþer colde þingez..For colde is more enmy to nature þan hote.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)116/29 : Þis oynement serwith for all maner of maladiis þat ben in þe senowys bycawse of colde, wheþir þat it be gowte or palsye.
c
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.60 : He went to þe holy lond..& died þer for colde.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)32a : Yf a man haue a wekyd colde, let this erbe [etc.].
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1026 : Titus..With a cramp & a colde cauȝt was so hard, Þat þe fyngres & feet..Was lyþy as a leke & lost han her strengþe.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)496/8 : Þe damysell was bod a wayke thyng, and hur maistres was ferd at sho sulde take colde.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)258/14 : For brest þat ys encombryd with glay[m] oþer cold.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)630 : Aftir his hete he cauȝte a cold þurh þe nyȝtis eyr.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1239/33 : Thy longe taryynge puttith me in grete jouperte of my lyff, for I have takyn colde.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1240/25 : Thys wounde on youre hede hath caught overmuch coulde!
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.24rb (2.2) : Congelacioun of blode is when þe blode is congelede, i. when þe blode is colde-byten, i. taken wiþ colde; and be cause þerof leseth his kynde colour and waxeþ wan.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.38va (2.3) : 'Epatica passio' mai be caused in 3 maneres: or by cause of feblenes of þe lyuer, i. whan it is colde-biten; or by cause of oppilacioun, i. stoppyng; or elles by cause of replecioun.
Note: Quot. needed for date in sense 4.(b).
Note: New combination: ~ biten, affected by the cardinal humor cold.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. cold.