blaunk adj.

  blaunk 
 TR1.911 “Hŏw óftĕn hástŏw máad thĭ nýcĕ jápĕs,
 TR1.912 Ănd séyd thăt Lóvĕs sérvăntz éverĭchónĕ
 TR1.913 Ŏf nýcĕté bĕn vérrăy Góddĕs ápĕs;
 TR1.914 Ănd sómĕ wóldĕ múcche hĭre méte ăllónĕ,
 TR1.915 Líggy̆ng ăbédde, ănd máke hĕm fór tŏ grónĕ;
 TR1.916 Ănd sóm, thŏw séydĕst, hádde ă bláunchĕ féverĕ,
 TR1.917 Ănd préydĕst Gód hĕ shóldĕ néverĕ kéverĕ.

Line Information

  • Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
  • English translation (Windeatt: 1998): How often have you made your foolish jokes, and said that out of foolishness all Love’s servants were just born fools; and how some would munch their food alone, lying in bed and groaning; and one, you said, had a love-sickness, and you prayed to God that he should never recover!
  • Japanese translation (Sasamoto: 2012): 若君は何度愚かなからかいをなさり、おっしゃったことでしょう。＜愛の神＞に仕える者どもは、誰であれ間抜けだから、忠実な神の猿どもになっていると。そしてこうもおっしゃった、ベッドに寝そべりながら、独りで食事をとってむしゃくしゃ食ってうめく者もいれば、熱を出して真っ青になる者もいると。そしてその恋の病が決して治らないようにと神に祈られた。
  • Chinese translation (Fang: 1956): 你不是时常在嘲笑他吗，说什么爱神的奴役都是造物者的呆猴儿；你说，有些人躺在床头独自咀嚼着食物，呻吟着；你说，有些人害了萎黄症，你愿上天让他们病死！

Word Information

  • Etymology: OF
  • Addresser: Pandarus
  • Addressee: Troilus
  • Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
  • Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
  • Noun(s) (NPs) modified: health and disease (fever)
  • Attributive/ Predicative: attributive

Information in Previous Studies

  • OED: (Quoted) †1. White, pale. Chiefly in specific uses, as blanch fever, blanch powder, blanch sauce. Obsolete. (s.v. blanch, adj.)
  • MED: Not quoted
  • Commented in other previous works:
  • Windeatt (2003: 42): blaunche fevere: ‘white fever’, i.e. love-sickness (which makes lovers pale)
  • Fisher (1989: 415): blaunche fevere: lovesickness (white fever or pale with love)
  • Benson (1987: 486): blaunche fevere: white fever (lovesickness, which turns lovers pale)
  • Davis et al. (1979): (Quoted) white, in ~ fevere ‘white fever’, i.e. love-sickness (s.v. blaunche, adj.)
  • Donaldson (1975: 742): blanche fevere: white fever, i.e., puppy love
  • Baugh (1963: 95): blaunche fevere: love-sickness

Possible Definitions

white, pale. Chiefly in specific uses, as blanch fever, blanch powder, blanch sauce.

Comments from the Editor

As Troilus has teased lovers, he is now teased by Pandarus in this quotation. The phrase, ‘blunche fevere’ (‘white fever’) is a common illness of lovers (see also Gower’s lover in Confessio amantis, 6.239–40). Chaucer used the phrase only once throughout his works.