Middle English Dictionary Entry
contrārien v.
Entry Info
Forms | contrārien v. |
Etymology | ML contrāriārī & OF contrariier. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
To oppose (sth. or sb.); run counter to, conflict with; counteract, resist.
Associated quotations
- c1390 Hose wolde him (Vrn)28 : Trouþe schal deme vs alle bedene..we han contraried him al to long.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.329 : For kynde cleueth on hym euere to contrarie þe soule.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.437 : Ȝut my kynde..shal contrarie my wil.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)156 : Ȝe moste a-proche to my mortal lawe; Hit to contrarie [DM(2): constreyne], hit were not but yn veyne.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)24/30 : Blyssyd Lord, þow knowyst I wyl not contraryen þi wyl.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.759 : Swich peeple that be rebellioun Gan frowardli contrarye & assaille Tobeye his lordship.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)437 : Thilk oold politik gouernaunce werneth not neither contrarieth this newe politik gouernaunce.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)229/231 : Ellis contrarie we oure consciens.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)95 : The bodi oppresseth me..I haue no vertu bi whiche j may resiste him ne contrarye him.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)78.20 (v.2:p.76) : Patricius .. was passyngly hasty, angry, and malencolious; which condicion knowen of hir, she nevir wolde contrarien ner geynseyn hym in worde ner in dede.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.2.88a : This nethir speer..so contrarieth contynualy the moevyng of þat othir [etc.].
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)30 : She woll folewe hire owne will, or contrarie þe will of hire husbond.
- a1500 Medit.St.Aug.(Hrl 1706)379 : Lorde, sythene thou art alle trewe and may nat contrary thy owne wordis [etc.].
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)140/16 : I fele in my flesshe þe lawe of synne contrarieng þe lawe of my mynde.
2.
(a) To oppose or violate (a doctrine, statute, etc.); break (a promise); (b) to act contrary (to a rule, etc.), infringe (upon); (c) to commit a violation.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.55 : Who-so contrarieth treuthe..god knoweth hym nouȝte.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)15.531 : Þe peple..Þat contrarien crystes lawe.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)62 : Thou seist that I contrarie Cristis owne rewles.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)29 : Alle thoo that contrarien, withseyn, or with stonde thoo Statutes.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)97 : Ȝif ony man..lay hand on ony of the chieff ballives of the toun..or maliciously contrarye his offis.
- (1439) LRed Bk.Bristol2.170 : To contrarye and trespasse ayhenste the ordenaunces.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2205 : It contraries kniȝthede..To any wiȝt werriours in wallis þam to close.
- c1450 In my ȝowþe (Lamb 853)87 : If þei contrarie god is biddinge, þei may wiyte hem silf her owne woo.
- (a1500) LRed Bk.Bristol2.152 : Diuers trespassoures..dredeth not to contrarie the seide ordinaunces.
- a1500 Parton.(1) (Add 35288)11967 : But shame it were to you to varye From your beheste or it contrarye.
- c1525 Rule & T.St.Francis(2) (Fst D.4)74 : To breke or withstonde this chartoure..or too contrary yt, or to do ageynste yt by boldnes.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)194a/a : No secte..þat contraried to goddes lawe.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Deut.1.43 : Contrariynge to the heest of the Lord..ȝe stieden vp into the hil.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)341 : Ȝif þis pope contrarieþ to Cristis lyf, he is þe moste fendis viker.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.5.59a : I wil not contrary to this ordenaunce.
c
- (1439) LRed Bk.Bristol2.153 : He that faileth or contrarieth in eny of the seid ordinaunces..schal pay [etc.].
3.
(a) To antagonize or offend (sb.); be hostile (to sb.); (b) to feel resentment, grumble; ~ ayens, complain about (sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.705 : Now herkneth what I seye. I wol yow nat contrarien in no wise As fer as that my wittes wol suffise. I prey to god that it may plesen yow!
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.117 : Þe strengþe of a rewme comeþ of acord of þe partis..ȝif oon contrarieþ anoþer, nedis þe strengþe is enfeblid.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)3.7 : Thou has smyten all contrariand til me withouten cheson.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)8.4 : Thou distroys all that ere contrariand til the.
b
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)20.320 : Þauh men maken muche deol in here angre..þei han cause to contrarien.
- a1500 12 PTrib.(2) (Rwl C.894)401 : Whan the herte, with avisement, contrarieth & grucchith a-yence tribulacion.
4.
(a) To oppose, contradict, object to, or deny (a statement, doctrine, opinion, etc.); belittle (learning); contrariand thing, contradictory matter; ~ to, object to (sth.); intr. or refl. be contradictory; (b) to oppose (sb.) in an argument, contradict; ~ ayens, argue with (a fool); (c) to persuade or convince (sb.) of the contrary.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1044 : Ne was ther wyf, ne mayde, Ne wydwe, that contraried that he sayde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.157 : I toke ful gode hede How þow contraryedest clergye with crabbed wordes.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)1.59 : Ich fond þer frerus..glosynge þe godspel as hem good lykede; For couetise of copes contrariede som doctors.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)3.22 : Mede..hath noyed me ofte..In kynges court & in comune court contrarieþ my techynge.
- c1400 Wycl.LAChurch [OD col.] (Dub 244)p.xxxii : Heretikis contraryinge þe birþe of Crist.
- (1415) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)9.301b : Yf heny of thes Persones..woldyn contrary the substaunce of that I have wretyn..I schalle be redy..to make hyt good.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.44 : And so Cristis bidding to bigge swerdis to fiȝte contrariede himsilf.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.3.7 : It semeth..to repugnen and to contrarien gretly, that God knoweth byforn alle thinges and that ther is any fredom of liberte.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)502 : Ther is no scape nowther a-voydaunce..to contrarie my sentence.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)4894 : Thogh men contrarie eek your oppynyoun, Þei may, per cas, conseile yow þe best.
- (1458) Will York in Sur.Soc.30229 : If..ther may be founden in this saide wille any contrariand thyngg or double rehersall.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)112 : The archebisshop seide he sholde be kynge..who-so-euer ther-to wolde contrarye.
- ?1536(1402) Jack Upland (Gough)195/138-9 : Minstrels been better than ye, For they contraryen not to the mirthes that they maken; but ye contraryen the gospell bothe in worde and dede.
b
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)45 : That oo pope eithir oo counseil contrarieth anothir withouten euidence of holi scripture othir of reesoun.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1497 : Yet hadde I neuere with noon of hem debat; I neuere hem contraried, trewely.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2319 : Lat vs namoore wordes her of make..I wol no lenger yow contrarie.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1800 : Who that sey nay or gruche ther-ageyn, hym to contrarye, he thoght was but veyn.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)282/30 : It is better to be stille than to argue and to contrarie a-yens a foole.
c
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ruth 1.16 : Ne contrarye thou me, that Y forsake thee and goo a wey.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)756/13 : Madame..ye may say what ye woll, I may nat contrary you; but, be my knyghthod, I knew nat my lorde sir Trystram.
5.
Of fortune: to be adverse or unfavorable.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.555 : Whil thei deden wel, Fortune was hem debonaire; And whan thei deden the contraire, Fortune was contrariende.
- a1500 Whylome I present (BodPoet e.1)p.298 : Fortune contrarythe to my device.
6.
To be the opposite of (sth.); ~ togeder, to be mutual opposites.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?c1382) Wycl.Lincoln.(Bod 647)231 : Crist and Anticrist contrarien togedir.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Gal.5.17 : Þe flesch coueytys ageyn þe spyryt, þe spyryte forsoþe ageyn þe flesch; For þise þingys to þemself togydere contra[r]yen.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)75/49 : This eyre by his hete contrarieth water that is cold.
7.
To perform (bloodletting) on the opposite side.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)154a/b : It is antispated i. contraried to opposite & long or ferre places.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)159a/a : It is seid..þat þai antispase i. contrarie it.