gret adj. & adv. & n.

2022-09-08 gret

TR2.1226 Shĕ shétte ĭt, ánd tŏ Pándăre ín găn góon,
TR2.1227 Thĕr ás hĕ sát ănd lóked ĭntó thĕ strétĕ,
TR2.1228 Ănd dówn shĕ sétte hĭre bý hy̆m ón ă stóon
TR2.1229 Ŏf jáspre, ŭpón ă quýsshy̆n góld-y̆bétĕ,
TR2.1230 Ănd séyde, “Ăs wísly̆ hélp mĕ Gód thĕ grétĕ,
TR2.1231 Ĭ néverĕ dídĕ thíng wĭth mórĕ péynĕ
TR2.1232 Thăn wrítĕn thís, tŏ whích yĕ mé cŏnstréynĕ,”

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): She shut it, and went in to Pandarus, where he sat looking into the street, and she sat down beside him upon a gold-embroidered cushion on a stone seat made of jasper, and said: ‘May the great God surely help me, I never did anything with more difficult than write this, which you forced me to,’
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 彼女は手紙を閉じ、パンダルスのところへ行くと、パンダルスは座って通りを見つめていた。彼女は彼の傍らにある碧玉の石の椅子の金糸で刺繍されたクッションの上に腰掛けて、言った。「偉大なる神様に誓って、叔父様がわたしに無理やりさせた、この手紙を書くこと以上に苦しい日に遭ったことは、わたし、今までありませんでしたわ。」
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 她把信折起走过来，彭大瑞正在看街，她挨近坐在铺着锦绣垫子的碧石凳上，说道，“上天助我，任何事都没有写这封信难，这是你要我做的，”一面把信交给他。

Word Information

Etymology: OE
Addresser: Criseyde
Addressee: Pandarus
Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
Noun(s) (NPs) modified: supernatural beings (God)
Attributive/ Predicative: predicative

Information in Previous Studies

OED: (Quoted) 17. c. the Great used postpositively. (a) Chiefly literary. Following a name of God or a god. (s.v. great, adj., n., adv., and int.)
MED: (Quoted) 4. (a) Of persons: intrinsically important, of great gifts or attainments, famous, illustrious, noble, holy; ~ of herte, noble-hearted; ~ Parlement, the Parliament of September 1397; ~ God, God the ~, ~ Charles (Charlemeine), ~ Gregorie, etc.; (s.v. grēt, adj. & adv. & n.)

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 101): grete: great
Fisher (1989): N/A
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
Donaldson (1975): N/A
Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

of considerable importance; holy

Comments from the Editor

Criseyde emphasises again that she is forced to write the letter. See also my comment of ‘gold-bete’ (adj., Tr2.1229).