| 释义 |
prophetess|ˈprɒfɪtɪs|
Forms: 4 prophetes, 4–5 profetesse, 4–6 prophetissa, 4–7 -isse, -esse, 5 -yssa, -ice, -as, -ese, 6 -ise, 4– prophetess.
[ME. a. OF. prophetesse, -isse, ad. late L. prophētissa (a 200 in Itala, Luke ii. 36): see prophet n. and -ess1. (The L. form was sometimes retained in earlier English use.)]
A woman who prophesies, a female prophet; a sibyl.
In Isa. viii. 3, the meaning may be ‘a prophet's wife’.
a1300Cursor M. 11356 (Cott.) O propheci soth þis word es, For þis anna was a prophetes [Gött. -ess]. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xxiv. (Alexis) 30 Fyrst, be þat noble wyf anna, Þat callit was prophetissa. 1382Wyclif Luke ii. 36 And Anna was a prophetisse. 1388― Isa. viii. 3 Y neiȝede to the profetesse [1382 a prophetesse]; and sche conseyuede, and childide a sone. a1400–50Alexander 4412 Dame Proserpyne, a prophetese of ȝoure praysid laȝes. c1420? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 1589 The nobyll prophetyssa, Sybyll men hyr call. c1440Alphabet of Tales 369 He callid Sybilla þe prophetice vnto hym. c1540tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden No. 29) 37 Ioane the maide, the prophetisse of God, as the Common sort termed her. 1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. 201 He had..made a iourney to Delphos, when the prophetisse there saied [etc.]. 1579Fulke Heskins's Parl. 29 The prophetesses of the olde lawe. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. iv. 102 The Dolphin, with one Joane de Puzel ioyn'd, A holy Prophetesse, new risen vp. 1625K. Long tr. Barclay's Argenis i. xx. 64 When she had uttered many things in this Propheticke fury, falling to a lamentable shreiking, she resembled a true possest Prophetesse. 1763J. Brown Poetry & Mus. x. 180 Miriam, a distinguished Prophetess. 1882G. Salmon in Dict. Chr. Biog. III. 936/1 The frenzied utterances of the Montanistic prophetesses.
b. spec. A woman who foretells events.
1390Gower Conf. I. 219 For so my dowhter prophetesse Forth with hir litel houndes deth Betokneth. 1594Shakes. Rich. III, i. iii. 301 O but remember this another day:..And say (poore Margaret) was a Prophetesse. 1761Gray Descent of Odin 85 No boding Maid of skill divine Art thou, nor Prophetess of good. 1817Shelley Rev. Islam ix. xx, Cythna shall be the prophetess of love. |