Middle English Dictionary Entry
corāǧe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | corāǧe n. Also corrage, cur(r)age, courage. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The heart as the seat of emotions, affection, attitudes, and volition; heart, spirit; disposition, temperament; (b) bold ~, brave heart; careful ~, sad heart; fre ~, a heart endowed with free will; god ~, kind heart; wikked ~, evil heart; etc.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)164/20 : Prowesse is huanne corage onworþeþ al þet ne is raȝt in his pouer; Þet is, al þet he may lyese, wylle him nolle him.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.11 : Smale foweles maken melodye..So priketh hem nature in hir corages.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.448 : Which scheweth outward a visage Of that is noght in the corage.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2937 : The king..thoghte in his corage, To gon upon a pelrinage.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2650 : His affeccioun, After the nature of his age, Was yit noght falle in his corage, The lust of wommen for to knowe.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.787 : This markys, yet his wif to tempte moore To the outreste preue of hir corage [etc.].
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.22 : Of his corage as any centre stable.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)406 : Febylnesse of corage, As yn mete or drynk..Or yn feblyng þe body with moch fastyng.
- a1400 Cato(3) (Frf 14)95,98 : Loke..þou kepe þi corage fra ille tecchis rife..if þou in alle þine age be bliþe in þi corage.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1806 : Unclannes tocleves in corage dere Of þat wynnelych Lorde þat wonyes in heven.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1222 : Ful high in his corage He troubled was be occasion.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3245 : Tresour non so nygh his herte stood, Nor was so depe graue in his corage.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.564 : Thise wordes seyde he..That..he myght hym angry maken..and his corage awaken.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.825 : Charitable, estatlich, lusty, and fre..Tendre-herted, slydynge of corage.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1614 : Heere chaungith many wight corage..For Venus sone..Hath sowen there of love the seed.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.37 : No sodeyn mutacioun ne bytideth noght withouten a manere chaungynge of corages.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.3.31 : I aske yif that..thow were nevere angwyssous ne sory in thy corage of any wrong.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.3.132 : Yif he be lyght and unstedfast of corage..he is likned to briddes.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.215 : But lat us graunten..that som man may wel demen or knowen the goode folk and the badde; may he thanne knowen and seen thilke innereste atempraunce of corages?
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.234 : What othir thing semeth maladye of corages but vices?
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.2.7 : The destinal cheyne constrenith the moevynges of the corages of men.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1451 : Jason was yong, and lusty of corage.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.582 : A soote soun, That it wolde rauysshe a corage.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6198 : His corage he kepte ferme & stable.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1625 : Be disposicioun dul of his corage.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)16 : Froward of Corage.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.16 : Þogh sche..had ben full yongly of corage, Ȝit semed sche..ouerpassid mannys aage.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)35/1 : Than it shal withdrawe the courages of hem that haue bene his true seruauntis.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)183/27 : It fell in his courage for to go and conquere alle the reames of the occidente.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)914 : Such was his corage That ther he..myȝte do eny evill dede, He wold nevir sese.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.SPuer(1) (LdMisc 683)5 : To al norture thy corage do inclyne!
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)147/32 : This vertue [Fortitudo] is callid Streynthe of corage or of herte.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)54/17 : Flesshly appetitz makes þe corages of men lyk to þe willys of bestys.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)103/29 : With-outen drede and fayntnesse of corage.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)384 : Than reioyse the corages of these yonge lusty bachelers.
- a1500 ?Ros Belle Dame (Cmb Ff.1.6)381 : He hath no corage of a man..That sechith plesaunce, worschip to despyse.
b
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.22 : Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage To Caunterbury with ful deuout corage.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1338 : And preide that..He wolde assigne him herbergage; And he so dede of good corage.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3554 : Archelaus, of proude corage.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)646 : The monster..Thus abraydyng with a fel corage.
- a1425 By a forest (Bod 596)86 : Myn eyȝen cleer, and corage bolde.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.6.54 : Maystow evere have any comaundement over a free corage?
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.4.30 : He hadde wikkid corage of a likerous schrewe.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.3.175 : In idel ben ther thanne..byhyght medes to goode folk and peynes to badde folk, syn that no meovynge of fre corage voluntarie ne hath nat disservid hem.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)289 : With a glad Corage.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)72/23 : He said that konnynge..ought aloonly to be set in pure and clene corage.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)6/21 : The subiectis ben mevid in corage forto obeye her lord.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)3777 : Hys carefull corage wexid All cold.
2.
(a) Inclination, desire; cacchen ~; setten ~ upon, to set (one's) heart upon (sth.); (b) sexual desire, lust; leued ~; fulfillen ~, satisfy (one's) lust; (c) intention.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2257 : Whan he turneth his corage to the bettre.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.314 : He ne sholde nat..haue corage to synne, but yeue..his herte to the seruyce of Iesu Crist.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2057 : Hanybal..hadde set al his corage Upon knithod.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3414 : The gret oultrage, Which the tirant in his corage Engendred hath.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1254 : Swich a greet corage Hadde this knyght to been a wedded man.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.5.2 : Whoso wol ben myghti, he moot daunten his cruel corages.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.1569 : He kauht a gret corage, In a theatre..Too wilde beestis..Of seyntis blood to make oblacioun.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)2143 : Hire curage..was goddys to serue.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1060 : He couetede neuer..To be worshepud for here heyȝe lynage..For all to mekenes was here currage.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)17/36 : Than shalle þi sugetis with gret corage done alle thi comaundementis with fre hert.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)4/14 : Her child had a grete corage to lernyng.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)189/21 : For perfite luff & curage þat I had vnto lernyng.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)563/5 : To drynke of that water I have grete currage.
b
- c1390 Vrn.Mir.Virg.(Vrn)166/9 : Fallen he was In lecheri..Þauh he hiȝed faste for his Corage, Euere he wolde grete þe ymage..of vre ladi.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.780 : This wif..may noght lette the corage Of him that wole on hire assote.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.907 : Whan the lord fulfild hadde his corage, Hym wolde thynke it were a disparage To his estat so lowe for talighte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)258a/a : Seed þerof y dronke wiþ wyn moeueþ venus and exciteþ corrage [L vrina].
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9714 : Yn drunkenes men wyl rage, And, ragyng wyl reyse korage.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)97/33 : He wolde wisshen non oþer thing but the body of þat faire lady..And the lady answerde..'I may not withdrawe ȝou fro ȝoure lewed courage.'
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.1306 : He axed was..What maner corage or temptacioun..Withynne hymsilff he hadde off louys play, Sool bi his wiff whan he a-bedde Lay.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.477 : Thou vsist many riche restoratiff, In suiche vnthrifft tencrece thi corage; Of ribaudi thou fill in such dotage.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)470 : The Pardonere wol be comyng, his hete to a-swage; Bot loke ye pay hym redelich, to kele his corage.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1778 : If that the housbande doo ony offence Beside his wyffe, of vnleefull corage.
c
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)3267 : His corage To lorde..ne page He wolde discouer.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)190 : I shall telle yow my corage, and why I have sente for to speke with yow.
3.
(a) Valor, courage; high ~; of gret ~, brave, bold; of litel ~, timorous, of little faith; cacchen ~, taken ~, to take heart; (b) fortitude; (c) ?anger, wrath.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3836 : Saue wyn and wommen, no thyng myghte aswage His hye entente in armes and labour; So was he ful of leonyn corage.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.35.4 : Ȝee of litil corage, taketh coumfort and wileth not dreden!
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.939 : Who yaf Iudith corage or hardynesse To sleen Olofernus in his tente?
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.689 : Agayns..Accidie..sholde men..manly and vertuously cacchen corage wel to doon.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3955 : Ȝif..gret hardines, Corage of wil, Meven þin herte..to darreyne here betwene vs two Þilke quarel.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3500 : Of prowesse and of hegh corage.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)479 : Sende me some corage To fight agaynes the fendes oost!
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5384 : A man he was of gret corage..þe Romayns nolde he loue ne lout.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)1075 : To oure corage and to oure enmyes drede.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1670 : And he fle, retourne him fast agayn. Thus with seueritee and good vsage Ther wil revive in theim a fyne corage.
- c1475 St.Anne(2) (Trin-C R.3.21)30 : In cowardyse..Sore I am troubled..I wyll take now to me corage.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.731 : This vertu [fortitudo] hath manye speces The firste is cleped Magnanymitee, that is to seyn greet corage.
- a1400 Cato(3) (Frf 14)28 : Loke þou make sum blis and laike a-monge trauails, þat þou mai in corage..suffre þat þe ailis.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.218 : He took onto hym vertu & corage, Vpon a poynt for tabide stable.
c
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)8 : He rose upe with a grete corage, with a violent chere and countenance, sette handes upon the Kyng.