Obs. Also 5–6 cor(r)age. [f. COURAGE sb.: perh. partly aphetic (in Eng. or AF.) for acorage, OF. acorager: see ACCOURAGE (the Eng. examples of which are however late).] trans. = ENCOURAGE. (Very common in 16th c.)
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VII. xv. Ye must courage yourself or els ye ben al shente.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 11 b. And corage them the more to lerne.
1535. Coverdale, Hos. iv. 5. They … corage them in their wickednesse.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & F., lxxviii. 9. He coraged them to stand.
1614. T. Adams, Devil’s Banquet, 242. Consecrate and courage your hands and voyces to the vastation of Jericho-walls.
Hence Couraging vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1545. Brinklow, Compl., viii. (1874), 22. It is a great coragyng to hym to troble his neyhbor.
1570. Ascham, Scholem. (Arb.), 36. He lacketh teaching, he lacketh coraging.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Knt. Burn. Pestle, Ind. (1613), B 2. A couraging part.
