comfortable - Middle English Compendium

1.

(a) Encouraging, inspiring confidence, reassuring; (b) consoling, comforting; (c) spiritually edifying, comforting or gratifying.

a

(1419) Let.War France in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)79/5 : Þe right gracious and right confortable lettres, which ye liked late to sende vs.
?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)318/22 : He had grete compassioun..and sent aȝen comfortable letteres to Prins Edward.
a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)74a : Ȝif þe duke of þe oost is boold..his confortable wordes may make..boldenesse & hardinesse to encrese in his oost.
c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)4425 : The shadwe of kyndly ryght Ys allone so comfortable And to profyte most notable.
c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)427/25 : Vaspasyan..was a nobyl man..and comfurthable to yong men in batell.
(c1460) Let.Sou.in Sou.RS 22 (Sou SC.2/9/2)22 : Vnder his most g[ra]cious & confortable p[ro]teccion, and oute of the grete daunger.
(?1472) Stonor1.125 : I have comfortabul demenure of my mastresse.
a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)215/25 : Yf thou Seiste ham adrede..conforte thou hare hertys by good confurtabill techynge.
a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2212 : A comly prince..right good and honorable, And in the feld a knyght right confortable.
a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)86/9 : Þat þe soule may be þer fed & refestid of þe comfortabel wordis of his espouse [Christ].

b

c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4649 : She ne myȝt..Refusen hym..Þat was to hir..so counfortable..and so seruisable.
(a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)1/1 : A schort tretys, and a comfortabyl for synful wrecchys, wher-in þei may haue gret solas and comfort to hem.
c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3283 : He kairet to þat comly with comfortable wordys, And menyt hir in maner hir mournyng to voide; Yet sesit not hir sorow for solas of hym.
c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)44/26 : The fowrte es: Conforte the sory..be ȝefte or confortable wordes!
c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.2420 : Geve freely to them that haue nede, With comfortabil wordis!

c

c1390 Hilton ML (Vrn)287 : Þe mynde of þe manhede of vre lord..schulde be cumfortable to a monnes soule.
c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.281 : Contricioun is confortable þinge..and a solace to þe sowle.
?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)108/321 : Fare wel, Gabryel..I thank ȝow..Gramercy..of ȝour comfortabyl massage!
a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)132.1 com. : It is profetabil and comfortabil that men be wonand in anhed of halikyrke, with charite and trouth.
a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16588 : Blyssed lady, alle ys swetnesse, alle ys Comfortable that kometh ffro the.

2.

Pleasing, pleasant, agreeable; cheering, cheerful.

(?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.170 : Now is the se calm..Now ar the wyndis confortable & still.
a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)28.19 : The day is more comfortable thanne is the Nyht.
a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)22 : Alle þe counfortable sightes þat she had seen.
c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)697 : Flouris a-mong the grasis grene..That lusty been, & confortabill for mannys siȝte.
a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21908 : Be-cause the water..Ys lewk..yt ys..to bathys mor coumfortable.
c1490(?a1449) ?Lydg.De SMCP (Chet 6709)1 : O Hevenly sterre, most Comfortable of lyght!
1532(?a1405) Lydg.FCourt.(Thynne)31 : Whan I had herde..the lusty melodye Of this heuenly comfortable songe.

3.

(a) Invigorating, stimulating; refreshing; (b) soothing.

a

a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)75/3 : To him..schulde not be ȝouen ..comfortable mete, but if þei weren ouercomen wiþ to greet febilnes.
c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.673 : Zephirus, þat is so comfortable For to norysche þinges vegetable.
a1456(a1449) Lydg.Corp.Chr.(Trin-C R.3.20)101 : Cristallyne water, to him so comfortable.
?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)55/23 : Whan þe vegitatife vertu bi þe comfortable influence of þe sonne is..ascendit into brawnches.
c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)210/3 : Þat wyne ys good and confortable, and yt makyth good dygestiun.
a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)338 : It most be wyne comfortable þat shold be yeue to the syke.

b

(a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)103a/b : He swagiþ þe ake of woundes wiþ comfortable & likynge medicines [L letificativis].

Forms	cǒmfortāble adj. Also cum-, coum-, con-, coun-.
Etymology	OF

Middle English Dictionary Entry