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descomfire (s.xii1/3)
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descomfire (s.xii1/3)

Cite this entry
deconfire,  decunfire;  desconfire,  descounfire,  descumfire,  descunfire;  discomfire,  disconfire  
  FEW:  conficere 2/ii,1032b Gdf:  desconfir 2,562a / desconfire 2 2,562a GdfC: ∅ TL: desconfire 2,1517 DEAF:  confire 2 (desconfire)  DMF:  déconfire  TLF:  déconfire  OED:  discomfit v.  MED:  discomfien v.  DMLBS:  disconficere 680a

v.trans.

1mil.to defeat (in battle): 
( 1155; MS: s.xiii4/4 )  Bien tost fu as Franceis conté, [...] Que Romain erent desconfit  Brut WACE 4139
( s.xii2; MS: s.xii3/3 )  Sil descumfistrent e cil de Syrie acuillirent a fuie  Liv Reis1 163
( c.1275; MS: s.xiii4/4 )  Nostre host sera deconfist Si a ceo jur les crestiens Se assemblent a ces faus paens  S Fran ANTS 4696
( a.1382; MS: a.1382 )  les assaillerent et descomfirent et graunt noumbre d’eaux occirent  Anon Chr1 25.28
♦ to defeat, beat (in argument): 
( c.1334; MS: s.xivm )  par vive reson le descomfist en desputeison  TREVET Cron1 333.10
2to discomfit, upset: 
( s.xiiim; MS: c.1300 )  Trop penser de ceste matire Porreit le quor tost descomfire (var. descounfire)  Dial Jul 60
3to break, smash: 
( c.1150; MS: s.xiii3/4 )  Seint Nicholas [...] L’image Diane brisat Et desconfist et despesçat  S Nichol wace 362
( s.xii3/4; MS: s.xiv2 )  [...] L’escu e l’aubert li fet tuit desconfire  Rom Chev ANTS 3096
( 1212; MS: 1212-13 )  Sanz ço qu’il ne desconfisist De l’arche tote la clavure  Dial Greg SATF 2534
♦to destroy: 
( 1171-74; MS: c.1200 )  que nuls n’en puisse rire U par alcune rien s’uvraine descumfire  Becket1 8
( s.xiiiin; MS: s.xiii3/4 )  cil l’i vet mut agueitant [...] Ke sa joie peust desdire E sa emprise descunfire  Pet Plet ANTS 486
( c.1240; MS: c.1300 )  Il ensembla tut sun empire Pur crestienté tut descunfire  Mir N-D 232.24
♦to ruin: 
( s.xii2; MS: s.xii3/3 )  Si famine vient en la terre [...] e pestilence descunfise e destruie les blez [...]  Liv Reis1 131

v.refl.

to disintegrate: 
( s.xiiim; MS: c.1300 )  Le corps meismes se descomfit, Car en le cervel un crapoude nest  Dial Jul 478

p.p. as a.

1mil.beaten, defeated (in battle): 
( s.xii1/3; MS: s.xiiiex )  ki jaspe verte avrat [...] ja desconfiz (l. desconfés?) ne murrad  Lapid 266.23
( 1174-75; MS: s.xiiex )  Descunfit sunt mes enemis!  FANT OUP 203
( c.1230; MS: s.xiiim )  Mais ne demure que un petit Que ne se tiengent a descunfit  S Modw 936
♦lawdisproved, defeated: 
( 1381 )  combien qe le provour ou appellour soit descunfiit  Rot Parl1 iii 119
2ruined: 
( s.xiii2/4; MS: s.xiii2 )  Par ço fu Adam descunfit [...] Par orguil [...], Par avarice de haltesce  Mirur3 4628

sbst. inf.?

mil.discomfiture, defeat: 
( 1332; MS: s.xivex )  toutz les mescreantz [...] f[urent] si esbatez et esperduz qe se mistrent a s’escomfire (l. a descomfire?)  Charboclois 342
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.
descomfire