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conforter (s.xii1/3)

conforter (s.xii1/3)

comforter,  comfortere,  comfortier;  conforteir,  confortier,  confortir;  counforter;  cunforter  
  FEW:  confortare 2/ii,1044a Gdf:  conforter 2,236a GdfC:  conforter 9,154b TL: conforter 2,685 DEAF:  conforter  DMF:  conforter  TLF:  conforter  OED:  comfort v.  MED:  comforten v.  DMLBS:  confortare 436a

v.trans.

1to comfort, soothe (a pain or discomfort)
( s.xii2/4; MS: c.1200 ) Perle [...] les oilz confortet  Lapid 108.XXXVIII.16
( MS: s.xiii2 )  Icest boivere comforte l’estomac  Med Misc 49r22
( s.xiiiex; MS: 1307-15 )  flaour […] ke de par Deu vient refet e conforte plus le quer ke le nes  Ancren2 205.24
emotionto comfort, console, solace
( 1113-19; MS: s.xiiiin )  (J.C.) Un poi les esmaiat; Mais  (ms. Mes) puis les cunfortat  Comput 926
( c.1150; MS: s.xiii3/4 )  Quant li seint out od lui parlé Et dulcement Tout conforté, Ala s’en  S Nichol wace 1128
( s.xiii2/4; MS: s.xiii2 )  Bele flur ad ki ad desir De peistre povres […] E des enchartrez conforter  Mirur3 6946
emotionto ease, mitigate
( 1150-70; MS: 1225-1300 )  Acordent sei par grant amur E puis confortent lur dolur  Trist thomas2 1991
2to encourage
( s.xii1; MS: c.1145 ) Atent le Segnur! Barnill[m]ent fai, e seit confortet li tuens cuers, e sustienc le Segnur  Oxf Ps ANTS 56.26.20
( 1174-75; MS: s.xiiex )  Le cuer al plus hardi en tremble e chancele, Mes icil les cunforte ki trestoz les chaele  FANT OUP 242
( c.1334; MS: s.xivm )  aprocha le temps de sa mort, et cist conforta ses fitz a l’observance de la lei  TREVET Cron1 90.16
( 1401-02 )  […] en excitant & confortant le Roi encontre l’oppinion & appelle des ditz Seignurs  Rot Parl1 iii 242
( 1439 )  eux conselantz et confortantz de robber et despoiller les ditz communes  Rot Parl1 v 21
3also_fig.to strengthen
( s.xii1; MS: c.1145 )  Delivrat mei de mes enemis tres forz […] kar confortet sunt sur mei  Oxf Ps ANTS 51.17.20
( s.xii1; MS: 1155-60 )  (God) ad conforté (Latin: confortavit) les barres de tes portes  Camb Ps 259.CXLVII.2
( s.xiv2; MS: c.1400 )  loiez toun Dieux, qar il a conforté lez serrures de tez portez  Lichfield 61

v.absol.

emotionto comfort, solace
( s.xii1/3; MS: s.xiiex )  Jagunces sunt de treis maneres [...] Tutes confortent par vigur, Vains pensers toilent et tristur  Lapid 41.345

v.intrans.

1to be encouraged
( s.xii1; MS: 1155-60 )  Cunforterent a sei (Latin: Confortaverunt sibi) parole pesme  Camb Ps 107.LXIII.5
2to be of help (to)
( s.xiiiex; MS: 1307-15 )  […] si vus avez acun autre chose ke lur porreit conforter  Ancren2 6.27

v.refl.

1emotionto find comfort, be comforted
( s.xii1/3; MS: s.xiiex )  Qant l’aigles l’a, mult s’en cunforte: De mult lointain pais l’aporte Pur ses pulcins ke li defent  Lapid 50.541
( c.1185 )  Confortez vus, dame reine, Kar il vus aime d’amur fine  Proth ANTS 3821
( 1214; MS: 1214-16 )  (St Gregory) Ne soi conforte negune hore Fors soul quant plus por mei (=J.C.) labore  S Greg 1803
( s.xiiiex; MS: 1307-15 )  confort de autre a ki homme puet parler e sei conforter  Ancren2 19.21
2to be encouraged
( 1339 )  les notoires larons […] sei confortont et sei abaudisant […]  Rot Parl2 268
3to be strengthened
( c.1240; MS: c.1300 )  Ore manguce fein, si se conforte  Mir N-D 9.68

p.pr. as a.

1med.comforting, soothing
( 1354; MS: c.1360 )  ceste eawe de roses qe tant est confortant a malade  Sz Med1 150
2supportive, providing help
( 1324 )  requeroms qe vous vuelliez estre obeisaunz, eidaunz e confortaunz a nous e a nostr edit uncle  Reg Martival iii 144

p.pr. as adv.

med.in a soothing manner
( MS: s.xiv2 )  car cestez poudrez overent lez hemurz et les veynez et bouauz, confortant  Rom 37 511

sbst. inf.

emotioncomfort, solace
( 1121-25; MS: s.xiv1 )  De cez peres (=stones, taken by Brendan from his visit to Hell) en fai porter A enseignes de conforter  S Brend mup 1800
( s.xii3/3; MS: s.xiiim )  Si quide aver de mei confort; En mei n’est pas le conforter  S Gile1 437

See also:

reconforter 
This is an AND2 Phase 1 (A-E) entry © 2000-2006 The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. On-line entry partially revised after the print version of AND2 went to press (2007-03-22) The printed edition of AND2 A-E is published by Taylor & Francis for the MHRA, sole owners of the print-media publication rights. All other rights reserved. Digitisation funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom.
conforter