Middle English Dictionary Entry
comēte n.
Entry Info
| Forms | comēte n. Also comate. |
| Etymology | L & OF (from Gr.). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A comet; ~ sterre; also said of the Star of Bethlehem.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)17871 : Þa isehȝen heo feorre ænne selcuðe sterre..þe steorre is ihate a latin comete.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8600 : A sterre þat comete icluped is..þe taylede sterre..Þulke sterre is selde iseye bote it bodiinge be.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.135 : Stella comata is a sterre wiþ a liȝt blasynge crest above, and evere bodeþ pestilence, deþ, and werre, oþer some harde happes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)116b/b : Cometa is a sterre biclippid wiþ brennynge glemes..and couereþ chaunginge of kynges, and bodiþ pestilence oþir werre oþir wyndis oþir grete hete.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)15.97 : Clerkes [the Magi] knewen the comete and comen with here presentes.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)155b/a : Cometez, or what so euer impressionz of þe aier by þe which Ipocras vnderstode a heuenly signe or token.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1582 : Affor the siege..Ther appeered a comeete..Which endured the space of al a yeer.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)89 : Comet sterre or blasynge sterre: Cometa vel stella comata.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)1599 : A lemyng sterre..a comete..That euer doth represent A gret chaunge.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9033 : Als he was ded, þen ros a sterne Þat many a man biheld ful ȝerne, Comete ys cald in astronomye.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)80 : That same yere..apperyde the starre comate..a blasyng sterre.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)52 : The same yere apperyd stella comata v wekys in Leynte.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)59/29 : Þere aperid a large grete Comede [vr. Comete].
Note: New spelling: Also..comede.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may not be complete. For example, the forms comata (in the combination "stella comata" found in the (a1387) and a1500(c1465) quots.) is a Latin form, while the form cometa (found in the (a1398) quot.) may be construed as Latinate (although in the (1440) quot., it is clearly Latin).--per MLL