astony

English

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) astonie

Etymology

From Middle English astonien, astunien, equivalent to a- +‎ stun. See also astone, astonish.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əˈstɒni/

Verb

astony (third-person singular simple present astonies, present participle astonying, simple past and past participle astonied)

1. (archaic, transitive) To stun, paralyse, astound.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “xiiij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book I:

     thenne Brastias sawe his felawe ferd so with al / he smote the duke with a spere that hors & man fell doune / that sawe kyng Claryaunce and retorned vnto Brastias / and eyther smote other soo that hors & man wente to the erthe / and so they lay long astonyed / & their hors knees brast to the hard bone

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew:

     And it cam to passe, that when Jesus had ended these saynges, the peple were astonnied at his doctryne.

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
     , Folio Society, 2006, p.10:

     Verily the violence of a griefe, being extreme, must needs astonie the mind, and hinder the liberty of her actions.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 17::

     Upright men shall be astonied at this […]

   • 1838, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Bereavement”, in The Seraphim, and Other Poems:

     When some Beloveds, 'neath whose eye
     The sweet lids lay lights of my childhood, one by one
     Did leave me dark before the natural sun,
     And I astonied fell and could not pray […]

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