Middle English Dictionary Entry
concepciǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | concepciǒun n. |
| Etymology | L conceptiōn-em |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The fact of conceiving or begetting offspring, or of being conceived or begotten; conception; (b) propagation of offspring; (c) pregnancy, childbearing; also, fetus, offspring.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)117/64 : Þe furste [joy] was wyþ concepcioun, Þo þe angel gabryel come a-doun.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)54a/a : Lennes of pappes aftir concepcioun tokeneþ þat þe child is feble.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)68b/a : From þe day of concepcioun to þe day of ful disposicioun and þe firste lif of þe childe ben sexe & fourty dayes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)201a/b : Jaspis..wiþstondeþ leccherie and letteþ concepcioun.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)p.583 head. : Listens now..And i sal tell of þe suete concepcion.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)433 : Þe feiþ which bigan at þe tyme of þi concepcioun and þin incarnacioun.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)27.10 : Et refloruit caro mea..eft it florist in my resurreccion, for it florist in my concepcioun.
- a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16691 : The Concepcion off thy blyssed sonne.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)172b/b : Whan þe tyme was y doo þat was y ordeyned to þe office of concepcioun, þan þei [Amazons] wolde compelle here marites to wende fro hem.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3784 : Her custom..Is, þat no man shal hem nyȝe ner..Til tyme cometh of concepcioun.
c
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)10.178 : For Couetise of Catel vnkuyndeliche beoþ maried, And Careful Concepcion comeþ of such weddyng.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.576 : Whan man destourbeth concepcioun of a child and maketh a womman..bareyne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)257b/a : Seed þer of casteþ out concepcioun of wommen.
2.
The feast day celebrating the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin; the ~, the fest of the ~, ~ dai.
Associated quotations
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.108 : Ye feste of ye Concepcioun of oure lady.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24759 : Þe fest o hir concepciun.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)24934 : Þar es made of proper seruise..of þat concepcion day.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)281/12 : Þis bifelle on oure Ladyes eve, þe Concepcioun.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.390 : Þe Gospel on Nativyte and Consepcioun daies of oure Ladi.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)15/12 : Our Lady-day þat ys callet þe Concepcyon.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)41/19 : This feste..was prefigured..for in the Olde Testament speketh Ysay of the concepcioun of oure lady thus [etc.].
3.
The formation of concepts, conception.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.201 : In a man beeþ many dyuersitees, for swiftnes of þouȝtes and chaungynge of witte in þe concepcioun preentiþ in meny dyuers liknesse and schappes.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.4.229 : This same considereth wel resoun; but that nis nat by ymaginacioun nor by wit, but it lookith it by resonable concepcioun.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.5.58 : Thanne is the concepcioun of resoun veyn and fals, which that lokith and comprehendith that that is sensible and singuler as universel.
4.
Gram. The joining of elements of a sentence or phrase by partial concord, or in accordance with the sense rather than the forms; syllepsis; -- see illustrations in the quot.
Associated quotations
- c1450 Battlefield Gram.(Trin-C O.5.4)118-19 : What is silempcis? A figure by which concepcion is mad..How knowyst concepcion of person? Whenne I haue twey nominatyf cases of diuerse person joynyd to gedyr wyth an & coniunccion in reward of a verbe plurel, as..ego & tu currimus. Whych be the persones that conceyuyth and whych be conceyuyd? The furst conceyuyth the secunde and the thrydde, as..ego & tu & ille currimus. The secund schal conceyue the thrydde, as..tu & ille ffuistis in campo. How knowest concepcion of gendre? A joynyng to gedre of the nounes substantyfys of diuerse gendre in reward of an adiectyf plurell, as..Willelmus & Katerina & mancipium sunt sedencia ad prandium. Knowe thys for a certayn reule, that the neutre gendre schall conceyue the masculyn and the ffemynyn..Wher euer is concepcion of person, ther is concepcion of noumbre, but nouȝt aȝenward..as..homines & asinus currunt..Concepcion of case is whenne a nominatyf case is joynyd wyth an ablatyf case and a preposicion j sette by twene, as ego tecum currimus.