Middle English Dictionary Entry
convēnient adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | convēnient adj. Also (error) convenience. |
| Etymology | L ppl. convenient-em |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Suitable or appropriate; convenient (under given circumstances or for a purpose); also, opportune, favorable; convenient (time).
Associated quotations
- (c1391) Gower CA Suppl.(Hnt EL 26.A.17)5.7190* : Me thoghte it was no garnement Unto the god convenient, To clothen him the somer tide.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.230 : He fynde may leyser conuenient, Vp-on his purpos platly to procede.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)144a/a : Tyme conuenient or accordyng to þis wirching is ver & autumpne.
- (c1426) Paston2.12 : Hem fayled ropes convenient to here felonowse purpos.
- (1429) Will Braybroke in Ess.AST 5300 : That my body be caried to the cherche of Poules, there to be buried..in suche place as ye Dene and myn executors thenken moost conuenient.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)33/35 : Sche prayd hym þat sche mygth..schewyn hym þe secretys of hir sowle, & he lymyt hir a tyme conuenyent þerto.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)6.23 : This mone is ek for pampinacioun Conuenient.
- (1441) Visit.Alnwick125 : Thai that shalle be in the fraytour hafe conuenyente seruauntes to wesshe and clenne thair napery and veselle.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.4.5 : Wherfore me semeth convenyent..to make of it speciall declaracioun.
- a1450 3 KCol.(1) (Roy 18.A.10)29/6 : Hit was ful conuenient þat þe scheperde[s] were wakynge þat nyȝt.
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)260 : Thus sufficientli sped of þe sightis of al þe degreis of descant, it is conuenient to declare þe 9 acordis of þe counter-tenor [etc.].
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)60 : Summe men sey it was conuenient þat þere schuld god be principaly honoured, wher he was principaly despised.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)77/18 : Sabat is..þat day whan men rest of her werkys. This day was conuenient to his deth, for þann rested he of all his labour.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)127.92 (v.2:p.328) : He shal restoryn yow through hys mercy, lyf[e] and membrys meche betyr than they be now, in conuenyence [read: conuenyent] tyme.
- (1461) Will York in Sur.Soc.30248 : Two prestes..to syng for my wife saule and myn..wher my said executours think most convenient.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)134 : It is most convenient that we nowe serch, how is hyghnes mey haue sufficiant off suche revenues.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)211/36 : It were conuenient for to halowe it in þe same day þat the victorye was hadde in.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)23/26 : Seke þe a conuenient tyme to take hede to þiself.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)12 : Therfore itt is necessary and most convenient first to speke of Troy Weght.
2.
Apt, adequate, effective; pertinent (reason); adapted or adjusted (to a function); compatible (with sth.); feasible (to know sth.).
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1982 : Trouthe..most convenient Is forto sette a king in evene, Bothe in this world and ek in hevene.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)23b/b : Þe lyme [L organum] of þe Iȝe conuenient to þing þat schal be I seen.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)32/20 : In place of þing þat is I-lore, kynde restoriþ þat þat is moost conuenient to þe place.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.7055 : O, who can write a lamentacioun Conuenient, o Troye, for þi sake!
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.11.121 : For nature yeveth to every thing that that is convenient to hym.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)115b/b : Milke..is of þe moste convenient þinges by þe whiche þe lepre is curede.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)464 : Wherfore it folewiþ herof þat þe beste and þe surest, þe trewist, þe moste conuenient exposicioun of scripture..is natural resoun.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)329/21 : I am clepede..euerlastynge wisdam, þe whiche name is most conuenient and best acordynge to myne nobleye.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)366/25 : Þere maye no tunge telle..ne mannes resone maye comprehende..oonly by feith it is conueniente to knowe þis.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.240 : To þat I beforne haue graunted now, I know it well it is conuenient.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.304 : Of þe causes full conuenient And necessarie byhoueþ vs procede, If þat we schulden in oure purpos spede.
- (1458) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2 p.57 : For conuenient reformacion thereof, Philipp Meede..put in writing..the maner of vsage.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)8/21 : Flodis of hoot bathes conuenyent to euery kynde and to euery age.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)4.32.78b : To eueri body, the propir heed is most conuenient.
3.
(a) Socially or conventionally appropriate, proper; fitting, becoming; befitting (one's social position); ~ to (sth.); (b) customary.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.421 : Swich pownsoned and dagged clothynge..is nat conuenient to were for hire estaat.
- (1415) Hoccl.Oldcastle (Hnt HM 111)229 : It is nothyng conuenient, That a man sholde goddes iuge and deeme.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6904 : It wer nat syttyng nor conuenient A kyng to graunte ȝour axyng.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)151/14 : It is conuenyent to a god to ete no mete þat is mortall.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)90/10 : It is conuenyent, þe wyf to be homly wyth hir husbond, Be he neuyr so gret a lorde & sche so powr a woman.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1259 : He wold sette hem in a lif moost conuenient On-to þe apostelis lif.
- (1449) Will Sus.in Sus.RS 43207 : My body shal be buried..with convenyent number of good prestis..and resonable lyghtys.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)47/6 : A precious cloth..is non pertinent to our profession, ne conuenient to my white herys.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)49/32 : He seid it was mor conuenient þat her childyrn schuld haue hem þan þe cherch.
- (1455) Lin.DDoc.73/20 : I wol þat a Chapell and a tombe be made for me and my wiff, conuenient for oure astatez.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)33/10 : It is conueniente to a kinge, firste to be maistir ouer himself, and aftirwarde..ouer alle othir.
- (1474) Will Chertsey in Archaeol.Cant.23296 : I will myn executors make to be leid a conuenient stone of marble with a remembrance of Imagery thereon.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)125 : Money is the most convenient rewarde to hym þat hath not longe serued.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)139/133 : It is not conuenyent a man to be þer women gon in travalynge.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)6.473 : Werynge clothes of gretter rychesse then were conveniente to a religious woman.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)614 : At that soper were thei served so well as was convenient to so myghty a prince.
b
- (?1404) LRed Bk.Bristol2.184 : That alle maner of men of the seyd Craftes atte alle tymys conuenient and necessare shalle comme to the commune somnys.
- (1453) LRed Bk.Bristol2.200 : Atte alle tymes conuenient, That is to say at Matines, Laudis, Masse [etc.].
4.
(a) Morally proper; (b) proper (reward, punishment, or penance).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)15b/b : It is couenable & conuenient þat eueriche man fonge for trespas peyne & for riȝtwisnes blisse.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.289 : It was noght convenient ne no nede to taken help of the fouleste spiritz.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)19/16 : It is nat conveniente for him that wolde haue connynge that he shulde seke it by merites ne for money, but oonly by dilectacion.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.17 : Moder, hit is not conveniente that y scholde pollute that place from whom y come.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.81 : I it cleyme duely of dette, As for guerdoun to me conuenient.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.19/7 : If he amende not with conuenient satisfaccion..lese he þe dignyte of his powre and of his worschip.
- (?1462) Paston (Gairdner)4.56 : Chargyng hem..upon a peyne convenient to appere before your Lordship in the Chauncery.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)74/9 : Þe penaunce that is worþi and conuenient for yche synne.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1278 : His tables Tolletanes forth he brought, Ful wel corrected, ne ther lakked noght, Neither his collect ne his expans yeeris..Ne hise othere geeris..As ben his centris and hise argumentz And hise proporcioneles conuenientz [vrr. proporciounnys conuenyentis; proporcionel conuenyences, proporcionell conuententes, proporcinel contentis] For his equacions in every thyng.
Note: New spelling
Note: Belongs to sense 1.--per SMK
Note: Form section: Also conveniente; pl. convenientes & (errors) conuenyences, conuententes, contentis.--per MLL