| 释义 |
seely, a. Obs. (exc. dial.).|ˈsiːlɪ|
Forms: 3 seoly, 3–6 seli(e, 3–7 sely, 4 sele (celly, selli), 4–5 cely, (selly), 5 cele, 6 sealie, -y, seally(e, seilie, -ye, selle, sellie, sel(l)ye, sielie, -y, zelie, 6–7 seeley, seelye, 6–7, 9 seelie, 5– seely. See also i-seli, and the later silly a.
[Com. WGer.: OE. *sǽliᵹ (implied in the synonymous ᵹesǽliᵹ i-seli a., and in the adv. séliᵹlíce seelily) = OFris. sêlich (mod.NFris. salig, WFris. sillich), OS. sâlig, MDu. sâlech (Du. zalig), OHG. sâlig (MHG. sælic, mod.G. selig):—OTeut. type *sǣligo- f. *sǣli-z luck, happiness (Goth. sêls, OE. sǽl: see sele). In ordinary mod. English the word is represented by silly, a form which arose in the 15th c. from a shortening of the vowel, the pronunciation of which had changed from (eː) to something approaching |iː|.]
1. (Cf. sele n. 2). ? Observant of due season, punctual.
c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 13 Ðe ðridde [werke of brihtnesse] is þat man be waker and liht and snel and seli and erliche rise and ȝernliche sech chireche.
2. Happy, blissful; fortunate, lucky, well-omened, auspicious.
c1250Gen. & Ex. 31 Almiȝtin louerd,..ðu giue me seli timinge To thaunen ðis werdes biginninge. Ibid. 2546 And egipte folc adden nið, for ebris adden seli sið. a1272Luue Ron 143 in O.E. Misc. 97 Nere he mayde ful seoly þat myhte wunye myd such a knyhte. a1300Cursor M. 3362 Til his behoue haue i þe soght, In seli time. c1374Chaucer Troylus iv. 503 For sely is that deeth,..That, ofte y-cleped, cometh and endeth peyne. 1387–8T. Usk Test. Love ii. x. 108 Than, say I, thou art blisful and fortunat sely, if thou knowe thy goodes that thou hast yet beleved. c1400Melayne 392 The by-tide a cely chaunce, thi lyfe was savede this daye. 1423Jas. I Kingis Q. 185 In gude tyme and sely to begynne Thair prentissehed. c1440Promp. Parv. 452/1 Sely, or happy, felix, fortunatus. 1468Medulla in Cath. Angl. 56 Felicio, to make sely. 1483Cath. Angl. 56/1 Cele, vbi happy.
3. Spiritually blessed, enjoying the blessing of God. Said of persons, their condition or experiences.
a1225Leg. Kath. 1421 Þurh seli martirdom. a1225Ancr. R. 108, & tu seli ancre, þet ert his seli spuse, leorne hit ȝeorne of him þet [etc.]. a1240Lofsong in O.E. Hom. 205 Bisech for me þine seli sune Milce and merci and ore. c1340Abbey of Holy Ghost in Hampole's Wks. (1895) I. 326 A Jhesu, blyssede [es] þat abbaye and cely es þat religione. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xxiv. (Alexis) 74 In pathmos als þe angel brycht Schawyt hyme ful sely sycht. c1400Primer in Maskell Mon. Rit. (1846) II. 11 Resp: Cely [orig. felix] art thou, hooli virgyne marie, and worthiest al maner preisyng.
4. Pious, holy, good.
a1225Leg. Kath. 1453 Tac read, seli meiden, to þe seoluen. c1250Gen. & Ex. 1986 Ðor was in helle a sundri stede, wor ðe seli folc reste dede;..Til ihesu crist fro ðeden he nam. c1275On Serving Christ 53 in O.E. Misc. 92 Þureh his [John the Baptist's] sely sermun serewe him wes by⁓þouht. c1450Mankind 426 in Macro Plays 16 Lady, helpe! sely darlynge, vene, vene!
absol.a1225Ancr. R. 64 Þis is nu inouh of þisse witte iseid et tisse cherre, to warnie þeo selie.
Proverb.c1290Beket 216 in S. Eng. Leg. 112 Seli child is sone i-lered. c1386Chaucer Prioress' T. 60 For sely [v.r. cely] child wold alday soone lere. a1450Ratis Raving iii. 3265 For sely barnis are eith to leire.
5. Innocent, harmless. Often as an expression of compassion for persons or animals suffering undeservedly.
c1290S. Eng. Leg. 453/138 ‘Alas’, he seide, ‘þis seli best: þat no-þing ne doth a-mis!’ 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6453 To þe king of hongri þis seli children twie He sende uor to norisi þat he wardede hom wel beye. a1300Havelok 499 With⁓drow þe knif, þat was lewe Of þe seli children blod. c1386Chaucer Man of Law's T. 584 Gret was..the repentance Of hem that hadden wronge suspecioun Vpon this sely Innocent Custance. c1475Henryson Orpheus & Eurydice 336 Acab and quene iesabell, Quhilk sely nabot..For his wyne yarde wyth outyn pitee sleue. a1529Skelton Col. Cloute 578 And thus the loselles stryues, And lewdely sayes by Christ Agaynst the sely preest. 1545Joye Exp. Dan. vi. M v, Sely innocent Daniell was caste into the lyons. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utopia ii. vi. (1895) 200 To see a seely innocent hare murdered of a dogge. a1604Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1633) 114 And murther the poore and seely people, which God wot, meant no harme. [1884Symonds Shaks. Predec. iii. 135 A racy sense of what such seely shepherds may have gathered from an angel's song.]
6. Deserving of pity or sympathy; pitiable, miserable, ‘poor’; helpless, defenceless. Cf. silly a. 1, 1 b.
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 781 Þis word dude muche wo to þis seli olde king. a1300Cursor M. 13972 A seli sin-ful sco was an, And first als a comun womman. c1374Chaucer Troylus ii. 683 To helpen sely Troilus of his wo. 1423Jas. I Kingis Q. 44 Quhy lest god mak ȝou so, my derrest hert, To do a sely prisoner thus smert. c1470Henry Wallace ii. 201 Sely Scotland, that of helpe has gret neide. 1530Palsgr. 323/2 Sely or fearfull, paoureux. Sely wretched, meschant. a1542Wyatt in Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 86 At the threshold her sely fote did trippe. 1551Robinson tr. More's Utopia ii. ix. (1895) 301 But thies seilie poore wretches be presently tormented with barreyne and vnfrutefull labour. 1573–80Tusser Husb. (1878) 113 Grasse, thistle and mustard seede,..Are very ill neighbours to seely poor hop. 1590C'tess Pembroke Antonie 1466 The seelie man [Fr. le miserable]..Me battaile gaue. 1602Carew Cornwall ii. 112 The seely Gentlewomen, without regard of sexe or shame, were stripped from their apparrell to their verie smockes. 1609Bible (Douay) Isa. x. 30 Attend Laisa, seelie poore [Vulg. paupercula] Anathoth. [1858Kingsley Misc. (1859) I. 148 The famous castle of Malepartus which beheld the base murder of Lampe, the hare, and many a seely soul beside.]
b. Often of the soul, as in danger of divine judgement.
1310St. Brendan (Bälz) 584 Þe develen come blaste To lede to helle þis seli [c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. sori] gost. c1330Spec. Gy Warw. 576 Þu most..þenke þat god it þe sende, Þi seli soule to amende. 1508Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 502 My sely saull salbe saif, quhen sa bot [? read Sabaot] all iugis. 1529More Supplic. Soulys Wks. 321/2 The paynes that selye soules feele when they be departed thence.
7. Insignificant, trifling; mean, poor; feeble.
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2528 Of an holi prechors word hii nolde noȝt so ofte þenche As of þe murye word..of the seli wenche. a1300Expos. Cross 458 (Ashm.) in Leg. Rood (1871) 54 Vp an seli asse he rod. a1400Mandeville (1839) xxix. 293 And for to apparaylle with oure bodyes wee usen a sely litylle clout, for to wrappen in our careynes. 1461Paston Lett. II. 22, I se his slouthe and sely labour, which is no labour. c1540tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden) 193 Egbertus..in moste ample wise hadde enlarged the seelie littell kingdom. 1563Homilies ii. Agst. Gluttony 107 Holophernes..hadde his head strycken from his shoulders by that sely woman Iudith. 1568Jacob & Esau ii. i. C j, And not one siely bitte we got since yesterday. 1577Kendall Flowers of Epigr. 75 b, Lerned Luther..how far doth he both twayn Surmount, who with his seely pen to yeld doth both constraine. 1583Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 56 Whilst the mountains doe trauell, a seely mouse will be brought forth. 1593Shakes. Lucr. 1812 He with the Romians was esteemed so As seelie ieering idiots are with Kings, For sportiue words, and vttring foolish things. 1603Florio Montaigne ii. xv. 358 There is a Nation, where the enclosures of Gardens and Fields they intend to keep several, are made with a seely twine of cotton. 1613–16W. Browne Brit. Past. i. ii. 40 Hauing layne Her in a Boate like the Cannowes of Inde, Some seely trough of wood, or some trees rinde. 1642D. Rogers Naaman 67 Commonly the Lord effects those things which are of greatest consequence, by poore and seely meanes. [1839Kingsley Poems, In Illum. Missal 7 My love, my song, my skill, my high intent, Have I within this seely book y-pent.]
b. Frail, worn-out, crazy.
1562W. Bullein Bulwarke, Dial. Sorenes & Chir. 24 b, We see the like effecte in olde selie bodies whiche..bee continually eaten up of ulcers. 1587Turberv. Trag. T., To R. Baynes 32 The Pilot..Beset with stormes,..knowes not howe to saue His sielie barke, but lets the rudder goe. [1847Kingsley Poems, Red King 67 By Mary's grace a seely boat On Christchurch bar did lie afloat.]
8. Foolish, simple, silly.
a1529Skelton Col. Cloute 1246 Nor of theyr noddy polles, Nor of theyr sely soules. 1573–80Tusser Husb. (1878) 107 With such seelie huswiues no penie is found. 1583Babington Commandm. (1590) 265 In pride wee speake it, or at least inwardlie thinke it, wee are not as those seely Idiotes are. 1605Camden Rem., Wise Sp. 224 The fellow seemed but a seely soule, and sate still, and sayde nothing. 1622Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. 127 Holding those that deale more honestly..to be..poore seely fooles, that want wit. |