a. Obs. Also 4 -abul, 5 -abil(l. [a. AF. and OF. covenable, cuvenable, early var. of convenable (cf. CON- prefix), f. co(n)ven-ir, co(n)ven-ant, to agree:—L. convenīre to agree, come together: see CONVENE. In Eng. covenable was further reduced to cov’nable, whence corruptly comnable, comunable, COMENABLE, and CONABLE. (Cf. the forms of COVENANT.) Ultimately the full form convenable was exclusively used in French and adopted also in Eng.: see CONVENABLE.]
1. Agreeing with circumstances; appropriate, becoming, meet, fit, suitable.
[1292. Britton, V. iii. § 1. Lour covenable susteinaunce.]
c. 1340. Cursor M., 10122 (Trin.). Charite is so couenabul [v.r. comunable, comunabil].
1382. Wyclif, Ex. xv. 23. A couenable name [Vulg. congruum nomen] he putte to the place, clepynge it Mara.
1395. E. E. Wills (1882), 6. A bed couenable for a gentel womman.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7951. Withouten couenable cause.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 89. He is happy that usith his dayes in doyng couenable thinges.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), H ij. Wise … as it is couenable for a curiouse prynce to be.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 383 b. All the Sacramentes … we doe observe in due and covenable order.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 82 a. Hee shall haue time and space to tender to him couenable mariage.
2. Agreeing with each other; consistent.
1382. Wyclif, Mark xiv. 56. Sothli manye seiden fals witnessinge aȝens him, and the witnessingis weren not couenable [Vulg. convenientia].
3. Suitable for a purpose, or to the needs or wishes of any one; convenient.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 388. Whan a covenable day fell.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 339. The wind was covenable.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xxiii. 136. Engyns couenable to drawe out of the shippes the timber, the stones, the pipes and other thinges.
1569. Stocker, trans. Diod. Sic., III. xviii. 135. Sending them into places couenable to winter.
1643. Prynne, Sov. Power Parl., II. 70. To obyent the malice of such felons, and to see a covenable remedy.
4. Of persons: Of becoming appearance or behavior; seemly, comely; accomplished. Cf: proper (man, child, etc.) in obs. and dial. use.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 4089. A ful loueli lady lettered at þe best, corteys & couenabul.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. x. (1495), 311. The sygne that hyght Gemini … makyth a man fayr, couenable, and of meane stature.
c. 1400. Beryn, 244. Ful abill To armes, & to travaill, & persone couenabill.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccclxxix. 635. A sonne called Philip, a right couenable and gracious man.
