Middle English Dictionary Entry
compendiǒus adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | compendiǒus adj. |
| Etymology | ML |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of a treatise or narrative, or of an author's presentation of a subject: (a) brief, succinct; (b) comprehensive though brief, concise, compact; (c) comprehensive, inclusive.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)6 : Bi compendiose rehercing..of ech..moral vertu of goddis lawe..which lengthe wold disturble þe compendiose comprehencioun for which þis present book is pryncipaly maad.
- c1475(1459) Pros.Yorkists in EHR 26 (Roy 17.D.15)514 : Ye shalle have audience, safe oon thinge..that ye be as succynt and compendious as ye may.
- c1475 Babies' Bk.(Hrl 5086)74 : Latte thy Resone be sayde In wordes gentylle and also compendious, For many wordes ben rihte Tedious.
- a1500 Lydg.LOL (Adv 19.3.1)p.85 : Luke..spoke but a lyte And was full bref and compendyous.
- a1500 Richardoune Stones (Add 34360)45 : But I of force must be compendious, Therfor of theym no further wil I write.
b
- a1425 This blessyd boke (LdMisc 286)43 : This holy man..fologth holy doctours..And makes it compendyous, short, gode, and profetabul To mannys soule.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)9 : If a schort compendiose logik were deuysid for al the comoun peple.
- a1450(c1395) WBible(2) Pref.Jer.(NC 66)p.73 : James, Petre, Joon, and Judee maden seuene epistlis, as wel goostly and mystik as compendiouse; they ben bothe schorte in wordes and longe in sentences.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)6/12 : This breefe compendious tretice shalle conteynene xvii Chapptris.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)2/12 : A schort compendiose reporte.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)19/35 : Moost compendiose gadering to gider, þat is to seie, moost schort profitable gadering to gider of moral vertues.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)110/31 : So þat þilk nowmbre be not ouer large but compendiose, and in a meene bitwixe to schort and to long.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2319 : Now mvste I..Myn auctor folwe & be compendious.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)75 : God haþ ȝeuen to vs þe newe lawe, compendiosar and more complet and more profitablar þan ani oþer lawe.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.SPuer(1) (LdMisc 683)94 : Go, lytel bylle..Pray yonge childer þat þe shall se or reede, Thogh thou be compendious of sentence [etc.].
2.
Misc. uses: (a) of distance or time: short; (b) of a cure: comprehensive, full.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3568 : Þe obseruaunce of swiche religious, Prolix in werkyng & not compendious.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)28/10 : He þat will go first to Babilon by anoþer way, mare compendious..he may go thurgh Fraunce.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)352/35 : Hit is a streyt wey, but þere-with siker and compendyous..ledynge to lyfe.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)114/19 : Thre wayes thou scheudest me..The seconde was compendiouse and sleper as Ise.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.45 : The dimension..is more compendious [Trev.: wel lasse; L compendiosior] by the see then by the londe.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)24a/b : Compendious [L compendiosa] cure forsoþ of flegmonz is complete bi farmaciez desiccatiuez & resoluyngez, þat ouþer fully hele of þe disposicioun [etc.].