seli adj.

2023-07-02 Uncategorized

TR1. 337 “Ĭn nóuncĕrtéyn bĕn álle yŏure óbsĕrváuncĕs,
TR1. 338 Bŭt ít ă sély̆ féwĕ póintĕs bé;
TR1. 339 Nĕ nó thĭng áskĕth só grĕt áttĕndáuncĕs
TR1. 340 Ăs dóth yŏure láy, ănd thát knŏwe állĕ yé;
TR1. 341 Bŭt thát ĭs nát thĕ wórste, ăs móte Ĭ thé!
TR1. 342 Bŭt, tólde Ĭ yów thĕ wórstĕ póint, Ĭ lévĕ,
TR1. 343 Ăl séyde Ĭ sóth, yĕ wóldĕn át mĕ grévĕ.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): All your observances are without any certainty, unless in a few insignificant details. Nothing requires dedication as great as does your devotion, and that you all know. But that’s not the worst of it, bless me! I believe that if I told you the worst thing—even though I were telling the truth—you’d be offended with me.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): そなたらが戒律をすべて守ったとて、わずかの瑣末な点を除けば、その甲斐があるとは限らない。そなたらの戒律の信仰ほど大変な献身を要求するものはないよ、それをそなたらは皆よく知っている。しかし、誓って言うが、それは最悪のことではないよ！でもね、おれがそなたらに最悪のことを語れば、まず、たとえ真実を語っているとしても、おれのことを怒るだろうね。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 听凭你们怎样遵奉范仪，但除却一些不相干的小恩小惠之外，其他都是捉摸不定的；同时你们也十分明白，任何信仰都用不着像你们在情场上那样的虔诚；不但如此，我若果真道破真情，和盘托出，不管我讲得如何真切，恐怕你们还是要责我乱说！

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Troilus
Addressee: lovers
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: Others
Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: 3. (c) worthless, trifling, insignificant; ~ feue, very few (s.v. sē̆lī, adj.)

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 18): sely: trifling
Fisher (1989: 405): But it a sely fewe poyntes be: except for a few foolish details
Benson (1987: 478): sely: insignificant
Davis et al. (1979): slight, trifling (s.v. sely, adj.)
Donaldson (1975: 722): sely: lucky
Baugh (1963: 87): sely: insignificant

Possible Definitions

slight, trifling, worthless, lucky

Comments from the Editor

See my comment on ‘conning’ (ppl. adj., Tr1.331).