Middle English Dictionary Entry
contrāriǒus adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | contrāriǒus adj. Also contrarous. |
| Etymology | ML contrāriōsus & OF contrarïos, -ïeus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. contrarie.
1.
Of paired entities: opposing, opposite; as noun: the opposite.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)30b/a : Þe contrarious in hote londes, þere wymmen bereþ children þat ben blake.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)104b/a : Þe world is made of many þinges..contrariouse, as ȝit in it silf it is one.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)53 : Lat hem ete al þat euere þei wil, for sumtyme þe contrarious þing turneþ hem to good.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.m.8.3 : That the contrarious qualites of elementz holden among hemself allyaunce perdurable.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.12.33 : This world..of so manye and diverse and contraryous parties ne myghte nevere han ben assembled in o forme, but yif [etc.].
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)21/9 : Plato..fond and compassid foure qualitees and humoures contrarious.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)24253 : I am of custom called Age, Contrarious..to hir that is ycalled Youth.
2.
(a) Different; ful ~, entirely different; ~ to, different from; (b) ~ to, contrary to, at variance with, repugnant to.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.698 : The children of Mercurie and Venus Been in hir wirkyng ful contrarius; Mercurie loueth wysdam..Venus loueth riot.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)319a/b : Cow mylk is contrarious to Camel mylk.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1591 : Yhit has þe world..Ma other contrarius maneres; For now es vertow turned to vyce, And play and bourd untyll malice.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)28/29 : Þis zenne..ys contrarious to þe holy goste..huo þet zeneȝeþ aye þane holy gost, he ne ssel neure habbe merci.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2311 : Thre thynges that been contrariouse to good conseil..ire, coueitise, and hastynesse.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1722 : Cursede þinges supersticious..to kynde contrarious.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1111 : Þe world es Goddes enmy by skille, Þat contrarius es to Goddes wille.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)42/25 : Yf he dede, he wer contraryows to hys owyn self.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)537 : Vnaccording and contrariose to her religiose vertuose lyuyng.
- a1450 Pore of spirit (Dgb 102)12 : Þat man cursed is, Þat lyueþ contrarious þat vertue.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)186/14 : The synne of ydolatry es so mych contrariouse to god and despisable.
3.
Adverse, unfavorable; ~ fortune, ~ planete, ~ wind; harmful; ~ companie, bad company.
Associated quotations
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)306/8 : Þis is contrarious, & falliþ greet agreuaunce þerof.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1798 : Contrarious wynde so a-geyn him stood Þat he was drive [etc.].
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1182 : Contrariouse drink, contrarius mete.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.8.13 : I deme that contrarious Fortune profiteth more to men than Fortune debonayre.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)160/16 : Ony contrarious thing þat scholde ben preiudice or greuance to the Emperour.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)9 : There were prudence is despisyd, all cont[r]arius thynges hath domynacyon.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)2 : He must eschew all contraryus companye.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.611 : To princis whiche clymbe soo hye on lofte A soden falle is most contrarious.
- c1490(?a1449) ?Lydg.De SMCP (Chet 6709)16 : O gloryous Sterre, do not now disdeyne Contraryous planetis to Appeese & Represse.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)6/37 : How shulde I..endure in this contrarious prison?
4.
(a) Of persons: antagonistic, hostile, rebellious; ~ to, ~ til, ~ ayen(s; as noun: an enemy; (b) hostile, refractory, unruly (intention, behavior, etc.); (c) unruly (hair).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)181 : Seint Fraunceys..was of-drad, laste þe pope were Contrarious a-ȝein is Ordre.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)34.22 : Ne gladen hij nouȝt vp me, þat ben contrarious oȝains me.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Wisd.2.18 : He is verre sone of God..and delyuere hym fro the hondis of the contrariose [WB(2): hem that ben contrarie].
- c1390 11 Pains(3) (Vrn)184 : Euer he was Couetous, Proud of herte and contrarius.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2249 : If the wyf haue maistrie, she is contrarious to hir housbonde.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.780 : They been so wikked and contrarious, They haten that hir housbondes loueth ay.
- a1400 Wycl.MPl.(Add 24202)44 : The voyce of Crist and the voyce of the fleysh ben of two contrarious lordis.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)472 : In hert he was..Contrarious, Ful of despyt [etc.].
- a1422 Gild St.Geo.Nrw.(Rwl D.913)451 : Qwat broþer..is founde rebelle and contrarious ageyn this ordenauns, he schal pay xl s.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)4117 : He sal til Criste contrarius be And til alle his lyms.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)181 : Zif ony of hem ben rebelle and contraryous to his soverayn..thanne his soverayn may put hym off.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)43/9 : God & þe Deuyl ben euyrmor contraryows.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.403 : Ech to other contrarious & odible.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Look TM (Hrl 2255)77 : Som folk pesible, som contrarious.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)178/23 : I wol loue that ye loue..and I wol in noo wise be contrarious to yow.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)99/43 : He mevyd man to be so contraryous.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)17 : William the Rous..was a contraryous man, bothe to God and to Holy Chirche.
b
- a1425(a1349) Rolle MPass.(2) (Upps C.494)36/22 : Þan þou praide..for vs..þat hauen contrarious wil to þe fadir of heuene.
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds 26.9 : To do many contraryouse þinges agayne þo name of Iesu of Nazarene.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.492 : Thou..Hast writt vngoodli a contrarious fable..geyn me thou wer vengable.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.325 : Ȝiffenge not contrarious wordes and answeres to their betters.
c
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)5 marg. : For contrarius hare.
5.
(a) Opposite (arm); (b) turned in the opposite direction; (c) astrol. located in a position opposed to that of greatest influence.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)12/17 : Lete him blood of þe contrarious arme.
b
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.235 : That ymage..movenge egally with the son..hade the face of hit contrarious alleweyes to the body of the sonne.
c
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)393 : They founde..The same hour whan this chyld was born, Venus deiecte and Contrarious, And depressed in Mercuryes hous.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.46ra (2.6) : Riȝt os alle oþer sterres haue on certeyn, riȝt, and euen course, and þe planetz haue 1 maner of course þat is contrarious and errond and wandrawnt and vnstedfast, riȝt so al oþer febres haue certeyn course..but the febre errant kepeþ no certeyn.
Note: Additional quot.