lesse adj. comp.

2023-06-24 Uncategorized

TR3.1142 Sǒone áftěr thís, thǒugh ít nǒ nédě wérě,
TR3.1143 Whǎn shé swǐche óthěs ás hǐre léste děvýsě
TR3.1144 Hǎdde óf hy̌m táke, hǐre thóughtě thó nǒ férě,
TR3.1145 Ně cáuse ěk nón tǒ bídde hy̌m thénněs rísě.
TR3.1146 Yět lássě thýng thǎn óthěs máy sǔffísě
TR3.1147 Ǐn mány ǎ cás, fǒr évery̌ wýght, Ǐ géssě,
TR3.1148 Thǎt lóvěth wél, méněth bǔt géntǐléssě.

Line Information

Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
English translations (Windeatt: 1998): Soon after this, when she had made Troilus take such oaths as she cared to devise (although there was no need for it), there did not then seem to her any reason to be frightened, nor any reason either to ask him to get up from there. Yet a lesser thing than oaths can be enough in many cases, for I imagine everyone who loves well intends only what is noble.
Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): この後すぐに、必要がなかったけれども、彼女は言ってほしいと思っていた誓いの言業を彼から受けると、そこからお立ちくださいと乞う恐れも、理由もないように思われた。だが多くの場合、誓いほど大げさなことをしなくても済むであろう。何しろ深く愛する人は皆、気高いこと以外するはずがないと、私は思うからだ。
Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 不一刻，她想既已向特罗勒斯发了许多誓，固然并无什么必要，可是此时也不用叫他起来。有时根本不必一定要立愿发誓；因为真心的爱当然是绝对高尚的。

Word Information

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

Information in Previous Studies

OED: Not quoted
MED: 6. (b) of power, actions, etc.: less active, weaker; (s.v. lē̆s(se, adj. (comparative))

Commented in other previous works:
Windeatt (2003: 170): lasse: a lesser
Fisher (1989): N/A
Benson (1987): N/A
Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
Donaldson (1975: 851): lasse: smaller
Baugh (1963): N/A

Possible Definitions

(of actions) less active, weaker

Comments from the Editor

See my comment of ‘jelous’ (adj., Tr3.1151).