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cruel (s.xii1/4)
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cruel (s.xii1/4)

Cite this entry
crual,  crueau, 
(n.sg. crueus  S Eust guill 727 ),
(pl. crués  Ancren2 66.25,  creweauz  Ross ANTS 528,  cruews)  
  FEW:  crudelis 2/ii,1367a Gdf: ∅ GdfC:  cruel 9,258c TL: crüel 2,1106 DEAF:  crüel  DMF:  cruel  TLF:  cruel  OED:  cruel adj.  MED:  cruel adj.  DMLBS:  crudelis 523b

a.

cruel, wicked: 
( s.xii1/4; MS: c.1120 ) [...] que tu n'angendrasses scandale de crueles curages (Latin: ferocibus animis scandalum generares)  S Greg Lett 299
( 1141; MS: s.xiii4/4 )  La gent de cruel vie  Sibile 224
( 1165-80?; MS: s.xiiiin )  Cruels est e mut orguillus  ADGAR3 267.83
( c.1240; MS: c.1300 )  Kar mult avez fet ke cruel Ke le onur al porter du cel Avez vendu si vilement  Mir N-D 38.209
♦cruel, harsh: 
( c.1270; MS: s.xiii4/4 )  Par manasces ne par demustrance Ne seez pas cruel kar c’est enfance  Secr abernun 721
( 1398-99; MS: s.xv1 )  lesquelx malfaisours […] ount deserviz punissement assez cruel  Lett & Pet 12.xiv.14
♦zool.(of animals) fierce, wild: 
( s.xii1/3; MS: s.xiiex )  Beste cruel ne li poit faire Mal  Lapid 61.799
( s.xii3/4; MS: s.xiv2 )  Simple est cum colu[m]bs, cruels cum serpent  Rom Chev ANTS 2659
( MS: s.xiiiex )  sevius gallice: cruel  TLL ii 169 (D)
( s.xiiiex; MS: 1307-15 )  cruel ausi com leon  Ancren2 57.2
♦violent: 
( s.xii3/4; MS: s.xiv2 )  D’un[e] part e d’autre est cruex la melle[e]  Rom Chev ANTS 3101
( s.xii3/4; MS: s.xiv2 )  Les miers sunt cruels (var. (C: s.xiiim) Les mers sont crueles) e li rocher haut  Rom Chev ANTS 6297

s.

cruel person, tormentor: 
( 1121-25; MS: s.xiv1 )  quant vi as mains ert (=J.C.) as Judus, A ceals cruels liverez li pius  S Brend mup 1286
♦theol.the cruel one, i.e. the devil: 
( MS: s.xiii2 )  Sire, par ta passiun aiez de mei merci [...] Ke ja le cruel de moy ne soit enjoi, Mes ke jo puisse a vus venir  Rom 35 575.4

See also:

trescruel 
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.
cruel