| 释义 |
† ˈbrotel, brotle, a. Obs.
Forms: 4 brotel(l, brotil, (brutel, brutil(e), 5 brotill(e, brottyl, (brutyll), 6 brotle.
[ME. brotil, brutil, f. broten broken, pa. pple. of bréotan. In use brotel appears as one of the various forms of britil, bretil, brittle, and it may have been of later analogical formation: cf. brickle, brockle.]
1. Liable to break, easily broken; fragile, brittle.
1382Wyclif 2 Cor. iv. 7 We han this tresour in brotil [1388 britil] vesselis. c1430Lydg. Bochas v. vii. (1554) 127 a, Fortunes fauors be made..Of brotell glasse rather than of stele. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 324/4 Kepte in a fraylle and brutyll vessell.
b. Frail, perishable, easily destroyed, mortal.
1340Ayenb. 129 Ysy hou þou art fyeble and brotel. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. ix. 37 Þe Bodi þat Brutel is of kuynde. 1413Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle v. xiv. (1483) 109. 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1226/1 A brotle man lately made of earthe.
2. fig. Unstable; inconstant, fickle.
c1315Shoreham 5 Man is so brotel Ine his owene kende. c1386Chaucer Pars. T. ⁋473 The commendacion of the peple is somtyme ful fals and ful brotel [v.r. brotil, brethil, brutile, brutel]. a1420Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 3861 His welthe hathe but a brotille stablenesse.
Hence † ˈbrotelhede, frailty. Obs.
1340Ayenb. 130 Huanne þe man..knauþ his pourhede, þe vilhede, þe brotelhede of his beringe. |