frumenty, furmety
(ˈfruːməntɪ, ˈfɜːmɪtɪ)
Forms: α. 4 frumentee, 5 frumyte, 6–7 frumentie, -tye, 7 frummetry, 7, 9 fromenty, 7–9 frumet(t)y, 8 frumentary, 9 fromety, frumerty, -arty, frummaty, -ety, 5– frumenty. β. 4–5 furmente, 5, 6, 9 -ty, 6 fermeté, fer-, fir-, four-, fur-, fyrmentie, -ye, 7 fir-, formity, formety, 8–9 fu(r)metry, furmetree, -etty, 7–9 furmety, -ity.
[ME. frumentee, furmente, a. OF. frumentée, fourmentee, f. frument, fourment (mod.F. froment):—late popular L. *frŭmentum = class. L. frūmentum corn.]
1. A dish made of hulled wheat boiled in milk, and seasoned with cinnamon, sugar, etc.
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 180 Flesch fluriste of fermysone with frumentee noble. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 383 Fatt venesoun with frumenty. 1483 Cath. Angl. 144/2 Frumyte, frumenticium. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. Ee b/1 Frumentie made of sodden wheate. 1732 Acc. Workhouses 11 Dinner..Frumetty and Beer at 3 o'clock. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 68 The Squire made his supper of frumenty, a dish made of wheat cakes boiled in milk with rich spices. 1860 Geo. Eliot Mill on Fl. II. 153 Mothers..who made their butter and their fromenty well. |
| β ? c 1390 Form of Cury in Warner Antiq. Culin. 15 Make furmente as before. c 1483 Caxton Vocab. 6 b, Furmente whiche is made of whete. 1544 T. Phaer Regim. Life (1560) G v, Peasen, beanes, mylke, cheese, ryse, and firmentie. a 1616 Beaum. & Fl. Bonduca i. ii, He'll finde you out a food that needs no teeth nor stomack; a strange formity Will feed ye up as fat as hens i'th forehead. 1796 Sporting Mag. VIII. 220 John Gawston, eat such a quantity of what is called furmety..that he actually burst! 1827 Clare Sheph. Cal. 56 The high bowl..Fill'd full of furmety. 1859 Mrs. Gaskell Round the Sofa 42 We had..furmenty on Mothering Sunday. 1864 Knight Passages Wrkg. Life I. 28 On that fourth Sunday in Lent, I regularly feasted on Furmety. |
† 2. A kind of wheat or spelt.
Obs.| 1600 Surflet Country Farme v. xvii. 687 Furmentie is that which the Latines call Alica or Chondrus, and it is a kinde of wheate, whereof..is made a kinde of grosse meale, resembling oatmeale. 1601 Holland Pliny xviii. xxiii. 582 After the Frumentie or Spike corn be taken off, there be pulse sowed three times, one after another. |
3. Wheat mashed for brewing.
rare (?
nonce-use).
| 1882 tr. Thausing's Beer iv. 197 The wheat is crushed and mixed with water. This frumenty is allowed to ferment. |
4. Comb., as
frumenty- or furmety-corn,
frumenty-kettle,
frumenty-pot,
frumenty-seller. Also
frumenty sweat (see
quot. 1847).
| 1535 Coverdale 2 Sam. xvii. 19 The woman..strowed firmentye corne theron. c 1550 Wyl Bucke His Test. (Halliw.) 43, I bequeth my grece to..the fermeté potte. 1623 Massinger Bondman i. iii, Licking his lips Like a spaniel o'er a furmenty-pot. 1668 R. L'Estrange Vis. Quev. (1708) 127 Simpering like a Frumety-Kettle. 1847 Halliwell s.v., A person in a dilemma is said to be in a frumenty sweat. 1889 T. Hardy Mayor Casterbr. i, The furmity seller decided to close for the night. |