Middle English Dictionary Entry
cǒmlī adj. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cǒmlī adj. & n. Also comeli(ch, cumli, kumelich. Comp. cǒm(e)loker; sup. cǒm(e)līest, cǒmlokest. |
| Etymology | From OE cȳmlic fitting, splendid, with substitution of the vowel of bicǒmelīch, bicǒmen (sense 6). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. bicomelich.
1.
Of appearance: (a) beautiful, fair, nice (woman); handsome, stately (man); -- frequ. as a cliché; (b) beautiful, elegant, splendid (thing).
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2637 : Þe kud king of spayne hade a comliche sone.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2704 : Þat corteys quen & hire comliche douȝter.
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)199 : Þe Renkes..Þis comelich [Susan] accused with wordes wel kene.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6374 : Phyryns, which was of mannes kinde..the faireste Of Rome and ek the comelieste, That wel was hire which him mihte Beholde.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6045 : Faire maydens..Þat weren wiȝth in bataile, And comelich in bed, saunz faile.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)690 : Be he ne neuer swa stalworth..And comly of shap.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3259 : Than discendis..A duches dereworthily dyghte..so comly of colour on knowen was neuer.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)474 : I wold yonder worthy weddit me hade..So comly, so cleane to clippe vpon nightes.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)32 : Than lufly he lyghtede..To comforthe þat comly and couer hir chere.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)533 : Þe childe..was so comely and so fayre, Lyke to be a kynges ayre.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2210 : A comly prince he was to loke vppon.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)45 : Ther mette hym a comly man, well araied.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)205 : Þat comelich beurde For too welde too his wife.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)506 : In comely cloþes was he clad for any kinges sone.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2056 : Noþing he no fond wiþ-inne hire comly cortynes, but hire cloþes warme.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)929 : So cumly a pakke of joly juele.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)767 : A castel, þe comlokest þat euer knyȝt aȝte.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)934 : In-to a comly closet coyntly ho entrez.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1086 : Seraphis aperis..Cled in a comly clathe of castans hewes.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)82 : A meche mantel..with menyver furrit..with cumly bordures.
2.
(a) Of noble birth and/or bearing; ~ of kinne, of ~ kinde; (b) of noble character, holy; -- said of Christ, the Virgin, the Crown of Thorns.
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 In a fryht (Hrl 2253)37 : Betere is taken a comeliche y cloþe in armes to cusse..þen a wrecche ywedded so wroþe.
- a1350 Weping haueþ (Hrl 2253)65 : Richard, rote of resoun ryht..Cunde comely ase a knyht.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.480 : Þine heued..Mi leman schal haue to presaunt, Þat comly is of kinne.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)873 : Kurteyslyche kneling þat komli he grett.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2631 : His comeliche quene..was a menskful lady.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)268/644 : Þei drouh to hym as treo to Rynde wiþ goode Maners of comelich kynde.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.49 : He roses him of his cumly kinde, He wenes his mak mai na man find.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)775 : Mony a comly on-vnder cambe For Kryst han lyued in much stryf.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)53 : Þe comlokest kyng þat þe court haldes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)539 : Knyȝtez ful cortays & comlych ladies.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)674 : Al..sayde..Carande for þat comly..'hit is scaþe Þat þou..schal be lost, þat art of lyf noble!'
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)869 : Þat a comloker knyȝt neuer Kryst made, hem þoȝt.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)662 : By-fore þat comly kynge.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)71 : That comlyche conquerour commaundez hym seluyn Þat ylke a lorde sulde lenge and no lefe take.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)764 : Þis is a comlich kyng, knyȝtes to lede!
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)414 : Þei þat craven by craft comelokur seme þan þei ben kindeli coren.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12084 : He denyet hym onon, þat noqwere he knew Þat commly be keppet ne in cloese haldyn.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3887 : Þe comliest kniȝtis at þe kyng ledis.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)46/109 : To þe fadyr evyr most comly, It ovyth þe childe evyr buxom to be.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)152/9 : I [Herode] am þe comelyeste kynge, clad in gleterynge golde.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)308/77 : Welcom..Oure comly knyght!
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)1281 : With þat þe comle [Ashm: semely] kynge chakez hys bernes.
b
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2960 : Þat comly croun Þat was on cristes heued y-set on his passyoun.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Widow's Candle (Phys-E)p.161 : This leuedy yed with serge in hande, And ofered first als comly quene [i.e. the Virgin].
- a1400(?c1300) LFMass Bk.(Roy 17.B.17)132 : Ihesu crist, comly to neuen.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)23961 : Þe care al of þat cumli kinge [Christ] al cristen agh to rewe.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2874 : Cumly Crist, þat heried hell, Len þe grace!
- c1440(?a1400) St.John (Thrn)46 : To cayre with þat cumly [Jesus] thou keste the full clene.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)142/128 : [Joseph speaking to Mary:] And wakynd me oute of my slepe, Þat comely childe fro cares to kepe.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)209/261 : Go we þan with processioune To mete þat comely [Christ] as vs awe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)150/113 : Heyl lord ouer lordys..Heyl comely knyth, þe deuyl to ouer throwe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)25/71 : Comly kyng of mankyn, I pray the here my stevyn!
3.
(a) Becoming, appropriate, agreeable, fair (behavior, manner); (b) fitting, proper (dress, etc.); (c) convenient, favorable (event).
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)22/359 : As þah nefden wit in ham ne tweire schad, as mon haueð ba of god & of vuel, of kumelich & vnkumelich.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)512 : He spekes wyth þat ilke In comly comfort ful clos and cortays wordez.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1070 : Loke..By how comly a kest he watz clos þere [in the Virgin's womb], When venkkyst watz no vergynyte.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)74/3 : God, qwos praysynge is not cumly in synnar mouthe.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.444 : Cloth þat cometh fro þe weuyng is nouȝt comly to were, Tyl it is fulled vnder fote or in fullyng stokkes.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)54 : Þay samne schulde, And in comly quoyntis to com to his feste.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)88 : Comely or semely in syghte: Decens.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.174 : Ȝit blame I no burne to be as him ouȝte, In comliche cloþinge as his statt axith.
c
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1203 : Thy comly come has comforthede vs all. Thow has in thy realtee reuengyde thy pople.
- c1440-a1500 Eglam.(Schleich)1299 : Alle maner men to schippe gase: A comly wynd þam drave.