▪ I. † aˈfforce, adv. Obs.
[for of force: see force.]
Of necessity; by compulsion or constraint; perforce.
| 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeless iv. 21 No þing y-lafte but þe bare baggis, Þan ffelle it a-fforse to ffille hem aȝeyne. |
▪ II. afforce, v.
(əˈfɔəs)
Also 3–6 aforce, 4 aforse, afforse.
[a. OFr. aforce-r, in one of its senses a variant of OFr. efforce-r, earlier esforce-r, esforcie-r:—late L. exfortiā-re, f. ex out + late L. fortiā-re to make strong, f. forti-s strong; in the other perh. a distinct formation on L. ad to + fortiāre. The med.L. afforciāre seems to be formed on the Fr.]
I. To apply force (= Fr. efforcer).
† 1. To apply force to; to force, to compel. Obs.
| c 1300 K. Alis. 789 Faste he sat, and huld the reyne..And aforced hit [the colt] by streynthe. c 1330 Arth. & Merlin 3285 Arthour aforced him to deie. |
† b. To force, to ravish, to violate. Obs.
| c 1330 Arth. & Merlin 2360 He hath me of vilanie besought, Me to aforce is in his thought. |
† 2. refl. To force or strengthen oneself (to do a thing); to exert oneself, to do one's best, to try. (OFr. s'aforcer, mod. s'efforcer.) Obs.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 121 And heo a forcede hom þe more, þe heþene a way to dryue. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Treat. (1866) 8 Deuells þat afforces tham to reue fra vs þe hony of poure lyfe and of grace. c 1400 Destr. Troy i. 228 Þat wold doutles be done..wold þu afforce þe þerfore. Ibid. xxvii. 11129 Thai afforset hom felly..The vilany to venge. a 1528 Skelton Magnificence 257 Herein I wyll aforce me to show you my mynde. |
† 3. trans. To endeavour, attempt, or try. Obs.
| 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel 818 Ye must nedis afforce it by pretence of your professioun unto umanyte. a 1528 ― Bowge of Crt. 17, I was sore moued to aforce the same. |
II. To add force (? properly OFr. aforcer).
† 4. To add force to; to strengthen, fortify, reinforce. Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy xv. 6593 Then Menesteus..afforsit hys frekys to þe fight harde. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas (1554) ii. xvii. 66/1 And tafforce them, let workmen vndertake Square bastiles and bulwarkes to make. |
5. Eng. Const. Hist. To reinforce or strengthen a deliberative body by the addition of new members; as a jury by skilled assessors, or persons acquainted with the facts. [In this sense med.L. afforciāre is found in contemporary records; see Blount: ‘Afforcietur assisa, let the Witnesses be encreased,’ (rather, ‘Let the Assise or bench be reinforced or afforced’).]
| 1818 Hallam Middle Ages (1872) II. 399 It was the practice to afforce the jury. 1870 Stubbs Sel. Charters Introd. 24 The jurors are at first witnesses of the fact; as business increases they are, under Edward I, afforced by the addition of persons better acquainted with the matter; a further step separates these afforcing jurors from the original twelve. |