renable, a. Obs. exc. dial.
(ˈrɛnəb(ə)l)
Also 5 renabel, -abulle, -abyll, resnabyl, 7 rennible, 9 dial. -able, runnable.
[a. OF. renable, resnable (AF. also rednable), reis-, raisnable, etc.,:—L. ratiōnābil-em reasonable, rationable. The sense of ‘eloquent’ appears to be characteristic of AF. In later use prob. assoc. with renne run v.]
1. Of persons: Ready of speech, eloquent: speaking or reading fluently or distinctly; † esp. in phr. renable of tongue. (Cf. reasonable a. 3.)
| c 1290 Beket 1336 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 144 Non of heom þar nas, Þat he preisede muche þis heiȝe man for he so renable was. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8572 Renable nas he noȝt of tonge, ac of speche hastif. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 158 A raton of renon most renable of tonge. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 25 He was..resonabel [v.r. renable, renabel] of speche [L. eloquens], and wel i-lettred. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 209 Of tong sho was trew and renable, And of hir semblant soft and stabile. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxi. 110 Men calle hym a prophete, a lord fulle renabyll. 1781 J. Hutton Tour to Caves (ed. 2) Gloss., Renable, loquacious, and never at a stop or inconsistent in telling a story. 1868 Sedgwick Mem. Cowgill Chapel 72 (E.D.D.), Some lassie who was bright and renable was asked to read for the amusement of the party. |
b. Of speech, etc.: Ready, fluent, plain.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 11 Noble spekers, þat..faire facounde and resonable [v.r. renable] speche folowed and streynede all her lyf tyme. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 103 Þe ffyfte [virtue], þat he be curtays..and..of renable speche. a 1450 Myrc 1008 Hast þou also prowde I-be..for þow hast a renabulle tonge? 1643 Bp. Hall Devout Soul ii. (1646) 5 Not [he] that hath the most rennible tongue (for prayer is not so much a matter of the lips, as of the heart). 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 33 We choose the renablest words belonging to the former, wherewith to set forth the latter. 1895 E. Anglian Gloss., Rennable, plain, easy to be understood. |
† 2. Reasonable, moderate. Obs. rare—1.
| 1340 Ayenb. 95 Þyse þri þinges byeþ nyeduolle to alle þe þinges þet in þe erþe wexeþ. Guod molde, wocnesse norissynde, and renable hete. |