sophy

alternative sophie

1. obsoleteuncountablewisdom, knowledge, learning

   It had ben) beter to haue kepte the same sophie

   circa 1440: John Capgrave, The Life of St Katharine of Alexandria, verses 1,020–1,021 (published in 1893 by the Early English Text Society)

   2 more examples

   Turn thee to mee, in caſe Manhod ther bee ſo much left in thy hert: Coom fight with mee: that on my helmet wear Apolloes laurel, both for learnings laude, And eke for Martiall prayſe: that, in my ſhield, The ſeuenfold ſophie of Minerue contein: A match, more meet, ſir king, than any here.

   ante 1557: Nicolas Grimald, “The death of Zoroas, an Egiptian Aſtronomer, in firſt fight, that Alexander had with the Perſians” in Songes and Sonnettes, page 121

   Who knoweth not the difference betweene…semblance, and assurance; docosophy, and sophy?

   1588, John Harvey, A Discoursive Probleme Concerning Prophesies, page 10

plural sophies

1. Alternative letter-case form of Sophy (“archaic form of Safawi”).

   1 more example

   Now it is high heaking time, and bee the windes neuer so eaſterly aduerſe and the tyde fled from vs, wee must violently towe and hale in our redoubtable Sophy, of the floating kingdom of Piſces, whome ſo much as by name I ſhoulde not haue acknowledged, had it not beene that I muſed, how Yarmouth ſhould be inueſted in ſuch plenty and opulence, conſidering that in M. Hackluit’s [i.e., Richard Hakluyt’s] Engliſh diſcoueries, I haue not come in ken of one mizzen maſt of a man of warre bound for the Indies, or mediteranean ſternebearer ſente from her Zenith or Meridian; [...]

   1599, [Thomas] Nashe, Nashes Lenten Stuffe, […], London: […] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] […], →OCLC, page 20

plural sophies

1. obsoleteA wise man; a sage.

   These Sophies finde with the Babe Iesus, onely Marie.

   1596, Henoch Clapham, A Briefe of the Bibles Historie Drawne into English Poesy, volume 2, page 127

   5 more examples

   Yet notwithstanding some men in sundrie nations have mounted above the common rate, and indevored to cherish and advaunce the said Insights, and drawen some small sparkes of truth and wisedome out of them, as out of some little fire raked up under a great heape of ashes; the which they have afterward taught unto others, and for so doing have bene called Sophies and Philosophers, that is to say, Wise men and lovers of wisedome.

   1587: Philippe de Mornay (author), Sir Philip Sidney (translator), and Arthur Golding (translator), A Woorke concerning the trewneſſe of the Christian Religion, preface, page viii (2007 compilation republication)

   The Angels caroll’d loud their song of peace, The cursed oracles were strucken dumb, To see their Shepherd, the poor shepherds press, To see their King, the kingly sophies come, And them to guide unto his Master’s home, A star comes dancing up the orient, That springs for joy over the starry tent. Where gold to make their prince a crown they all present.

   1610: Giles Fletcher the Younger, Christs Victorie, and Triumph in Heaven, and Earth, over, and after Death, first canto: “Christs Victorie in Heaven”, stanza 82 (1838 republication)

   You that nothing have Like Schollars but a Beard and Gowne, for me May pass for good grand Sophies […]

   ante 1635: Thomas Randolph, Poems: with The Muses Looking-Glasse; and Amyntas, page 3 (first manuscript dated 1638; 1875 republication)

   It is no thanks then to us, that very children among us do believe and confess these high mysterious points, whereof Plato, and Aristotle, and all the other grand sophies among them were ignorant; since we owe our whole knowledge herein, not to our own natural sagacity or industry, wherein they were beyond most of us, but to divine and supernatural revelation.

   1639, July 16th: Bishop Robert Sanderson, The Ninth Sermon; delivered in Berwick, July, 16, 1639, § 12 (1841 republication)

   I, while I wiſht to bee Retir’d, Into the private room was turn’d; As if their wiſdoms had conſpir’d A Salamander ſhould bee burn’d: And like thoſe Sophies who would drown a Fiſh

   1645: James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, “The Requiem or Libertie of an Impriſoned Royaliſt”, verse 3; in The Great Aſſiſes Holden in Parnaſſus by Apollo and His Aſſeſſovrs, pages 83–84

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of sophi.

   Hange thy selfe Drusus, hast nor arms nor brain? Some Sophy say, The Gods sell all for paine.

   1598: John Marston, The Scourge of Villanie, Three Books of Satyres, volume 2, chapter 5, page 194 (1966 republication)

plural sophies

1. Any one of the various fields of study whose names end in -sophy.

   The various sophy’s — cosmosophy, kerdosophy.

   ante 1843: Robert Southey, Common-place Book, volume 4, page 578 (1851 publication)

   1 more example

   Francis Moyen was, as here described, an interesting character in his way; a sparkling, talented, thoughtless Parisian, full of adventure and, with his beloved violin in his baggage, ever on the wing. Voltaire and Boileau were winning the world in those days. Moyen, like every young man of the period, had read them, could quote them, and would sometimes utter himself in their particular sophy; half scoffing, and half religious, and half philosophical by turns, a thorough Frenchman, carelessly throwing off his first thoughts whatever they were and whoever was near.

   1869, Contemporary Review, volume 11, page 456

1. A diminutive of the female given name Sophia.

   I knew Sophy was a good girl, and would not fall in love to make me angry.

   1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones

plural Sophies · alternative Sofee · alternative Soffi · alternative Sofi · alternative Sophi · alternative Sophia · alternative Sophie · alternative sophy

1. archaicArchaic form of Safawi (“a member of the Safavid dynasty”).First known use 16th c.

   The great tent on the lawn, wherein presently we are to sup,—blue and yellow without, and within all braveries of tapestry and of table service,—suggests a state pavilion of the Sophy camped for glittering war.

   1899, Richard Whiteing, No. 5 John street, New York: Century, →OCLC, page 281