† frovern.
Obsolete.
1.
a. Comfort; a means of comforting.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > state of being consoled or relieved > [noun] > act, means, or source of consolation or relief
froverOE
comfortc1386
easec1440
sport1440
consolationc1460
recreatoryc1475
balm1540
balsamumc1540
solace1597
unction1604
balsama1616
demulceation1661
demulsion1661
alleviative1672
mitigation1726
salve1736
soother1794
consolement1797
heart-balm1828
OE Beowulf 698 Him Dryhten forgeaf..frofor ond fultum.
c1000 Ælfric Homilies I. 136 He ge-andbidode ðone frofer.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 8786 Forr þatt he ȝifeþþ her hiss þeoww. Hiss frofre o seofenn wise.
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 74 Þenne schule ȝe iseon hu al þe world is naut. hu hire frofre is fals.
a1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 185 We..buggeþ worldles froure wiþ moni sori teone.
b. applied to God, the Holy Ghost.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > the Trinity > the Holy Spirit > [noun] > specific title of
Frovre Ghostc1000
frovera1225
comforter1377
paracletec1429
a1225 Juliana 11 Ȝef þu wult..leuen..i þe hali gast folkene froure.
c1250 Hymn to God 5 in Trin. Coll. Hom. App. 258 Vroure & hele folkes fader.
c1275 Laȝamon Brut 387 Fader he his on heuene and alle man his frouere.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 54 Hali froure welt oc ðat migt.
2. attributive, as Frover-Ghost [= Old High German fluobargeist] ; also in syntactical form Frovre Ghost, the Comforter, the Holy Ghost.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > deity > Christian God > the Trinity > the Holy Spirit > [noun] > specific title of
Frovre Ghostc1000
frovera1225
comforter1377
paracletec1429
c1000 West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) xiv. 26 Se haliga frofre gast.
c1000 Ælfric Homilies I. 322 Se Halga Gast..is gehaten on Greciscum gereorde, Paraclitus, ðæt is, Frofor-gast.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 97 Þe frofre gast.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 10554 Þe faderr. & te frofre gast Himm hafenn sett to demenn.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
† froverv.
Obsolete.
transitive. To comfort, console. Const. for, of.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > state of being consoled or relieved > be relieved of [verb (transitive)] > console or relieve
froverc900
hearteOE
lighteOE
onlightc1175
salvec1175
leathc1200
solace1297
stillc1315
to put in comfortc1320
easec1385
comfort1389
fordilla1400
recomforta1400
ronea1400
solancea1400
cheer?a1425
acheerc1450
consolate1477
repease1483
dilla1500
recreate?a1500
sporta1500
dulcerate?1586
comfit1598
comfortize1600
reassure1604
sweeten1647
console1693
re-establish1722
release1906
c900 tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (1890) v. v. 396 Cwæð he þæt gewune~lice word þæra frefrendra.
c1000 West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) xi. 19 Hig woldon hi frefrian for hyra broðor þingon.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 97 He ifrefrað þa droriȝan.
c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 150 Forr þatt he wollde himm frofrenn.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 119 Bidde we nu þe holigost..þat he..freure us of alle soreȝe.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 9752 Þat [ich] on þissen felde mote beon ifroured [c1300 Otho ifreuered].
c1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 465/104 Pouere Men þare-with to freueri.
c1315 Shoreham 7 Frevereth thorwe his body man.
c1320 Cast. Loue 889 Of þulke [grace] þat alle [con] frouere.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > state of being consoled or relieved > [noun] > consoling or relieving
froveringc1200
lissing1357
consolationc1374
relieving1389
assuring1530
cheering1637
balming1843
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 117 Ich wile ȝiu senden þe heuenliche frefringe wið-innen a lit daȝes.
c1300 Harrow. Hell 166 We hopeth wel thourh thy comyng Of oure sunnes haven froryng.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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n.OEv.c900