double adj.

2022-08-26 double

TR5.897 “Ănd bút ĭf Cálkăs léde ŭs wíth ămbágĕs --
TR5.898 Thăt ís tŏ séyn, wĭth dóublĕ wórdĕs slýĕ,
TR5.899 Swĭche ás mĕn clépen ă wórd wĭth twó vĭságĕs --
TR5.900 Yĕ shál wĕl knówĕn thát Ĭ náught nĕ líĕ,
TR5.901 Ănd ál thĭs thýng rĭght sén ĭt wíth yŏure ýĕ,
TR5.902 Ănd thát ănón, yĕ nýl năt trówe hŏw sónĕ;
TR5.903 Nŏw tákĕth héde, fŏr ít ĭs fór tŏ dóonĕ.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): And unless Calchas is misleading us with ambiguities—that’s to say, with sly, double words, such as are called two-faced words—you’ll certainly understand that I’m not lying, and see all this with your own eyes, and very soon at that—you won’t believe how soon. Take all this in now, because it has to happen.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): カルカス殿があいまいな表現で―すなわち、たとえば二面の顔を持つ言葉と呼ばれるような、ずるい二重の言葉でわれわれを惑わせない限り―僕が法螺を吹いていないことがいずれよく分かるでしょう。そして貴女ご自身の目でこれをすべてご覧になるでしょう、しかもすぐにです、いかに早いか信じないでしょうが。さあ注目してください、それは起こるべくして起こるのですから。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 除非卡尔卡斯用了双关的模棱语欺人，不然你将明瞭我的话不错，这一切事都还可以亲眼见到，并且不久就可实现，你猜也猜不到会那样迅速。你且留意，事实的演变必然如此。

Word Information

Etymology: OF
Addresser: Diomede
Addressee: Criseyde
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: sleigh (sly)
Counterpart in its source (Fil): 6.17
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: speech (Calchas’s words)
Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

OED: (Quoted) 2. Having a twofold relation or application; occurring or existing in two ways or respects; of two kinds; dual; sometimes = ambiguous (s.v. double, adj.1 and adv.)
MED: (Quoted) 6. (b) of actions, words, meanings: intentionally ambiguous, deceitful, deceptive (s.v. dǒuble, adj.)

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 306): double: duplicitous
Fisher (1989): N/A
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
Donaldson (1975): N/A
Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

duplicitous, ambiguous

Comments from the Editor

This is the first instance of the word “ambages” in line 897 in English. Chaucer adopts this word from his Italian source and explains it in the next line. As to Diomede’s speech in this scene, see also my comment of ‘bright’ (adj., Tr5.922).