Forms: 4 famularite, -iarite, familarite, 5–7 familiarite(e, -ie, -iarte, (5 -yaryte), famyliarite, (6 -tie, 7 -ty, 5 -tye, 6 -yaryte), 6– familiarity. [a. F. familiarité, ad. L. familiāritāt-em, f. familiāris: see FAMILIAR and -ITY.] The quality or state of being familiar.
† 1. The quality proper to the head of a household, hospitality. Obs. rare.
a. 1483. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord., 18. Domus Regis Hardeknoute, may be called a fader noreshoure of familiaritie, which vsed for his own table, never to be served with ony like metes of one meale in another.
† 2. The quality proper to a member of the family; hence, behaviour due from a retainer or a familiar friend, devotion, fidelity. Obs.
c. 1440. Secrees, Largesse engendrys ffamiliarite, þat ys trew seruice.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 17 b. All this he dyd to gyue us an occasyon of reuerent familiarite.
1548. Hall, Chron., 172. The duke of Yorke ledde the Quene with great familiaritie to all mens sightes.
1576. A. Fleming, A Panoplie of Epistles, 116. A man ful of familiarit[i]e and courteous acquaintance.
† 3. Suitableness, fitness (of food, etc.). Obs.
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. (1568), M vj a. A certayne familiaritie that is betwene their natures.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xxi. 159. There is … required in the aliment a familiarity of matter.
4. The state of being very friendly or intimate, friendly intercourse; intimacy with (a person).
c. 1450. trans. T. à Kempis’ Imit., III. xlii. Þese folke comeþ not to very liberte of herte, ner to þe grace of my iocunde familiarite.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, I. (1822), 87. Nocht alanerlie had he familiarite with the saidis princes of Latinis.
1588. J. Udall, Demonstr. Discip. (Arb.), 27. That which hindreth the louing familiarity that shoulde be betwixt the minister and his people, that same is vnlawfull.
1664. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 174. According to the old familiarity and kindness betwixt the two Kings of England and Denmark.
1717. De Foe, A System of Magic, I. iv. (1840), 111. When this familiarity is once obtained with the evil spirit, and they begin to act by his instruction, the first thing they do is, to put a fraud upon mankind, and make the world believe that all they did was from heaven.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., II. xxvii. 127. [He] resolved to introduce Wolsey to the young prince’s familiarity.
1880. L. Stephen, Pope, iii. 61–2. Pope was not disinclined to pride himself upon his familiarity with the great, though boasting at the same time of his independence.
b. Undue intimacy.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 163. He [Edward] … his owne moder for suspecte famuliarite and homlynes deprived of al hire goodes.
1600. J. Pory, trans. Leo’s Africa, II. 206. If any of them offer to have familiaritie with their wiues, they punish him most seuerely.
† c. concr. A familiar person or persons. Also collect. A circle of intimate friends or connexions.
a. 1635. Naunton, Fragmenta Regalia (Arb.), 43. Married a Lady of great honour, of the Kings familiarity, which are presumptions of some implication.
1643. Milton, Divorce, Wks. 1738, I. 201. Ev’n to the leaving of Parents, or other familiarity whatsoever.
1665. J. Webb, Stone-Heng (1725), 125. Such frivolous Reasons … as unto all judicious Men, even those of his own Familiarity, are ridiculous.
5. Close or habitual acquaintance with (a thing); constant practical knowledge, habituation.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well that ends Well, V. ii. 3. I haue ere now sir beene better knowne to you, when I haue held familiaritie with fresher cloathes.
1708. Atterbury, Serm. (1740) II. vi. 187. We … contract at last such an Intimacy and Familiarity with them [the things of this world], as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our Minds to a better Employment.
1841. Elphinstone, Hist. Ind., I. 305. The familiarity occasioned by the daily sight of its ceremonies.
1854. Brewster, More Worlds, xvii. 256. Our daily familiarity with the ordinary phenomena of life.
6. Absence of ceremony, free or unrestrained intercourse, esp. with inferiors. Proverb, Familiarity breeds, † brings, † creates contempt.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880). 44. Haue þei so muche famularite or homlynesse.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 40. Hyt behoueth a kyng to … be conuersant amongis them [his people] without ouermoche famylyarite.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. John, 34 a. A Prophete is nowhere contemned but in hys owne countrey and emong his owne kinsfolkes. For such are the affeccions of men, that familiaritie bringeth contempte.
1599. Minsheu, Pleasant and Delightfull Dialogues in Spanish and English (1623), 65/2. Much familiaritie oftentimes breedes contempt.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. (1843), 15/1. Olivarez had been heard to censure very severely the duke’s familiarity … towards the prince.
1667. Evelyn, Publ. Employment, in Misc. Wks. (1835), 535. Familiarity creates contempt.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, vii. To allow him an unusual degree of familiarity in conversation.
1876. Miss Braddon, J. Haggard’s Dau., II. iv. 102. Jim greeted his stepmother with frank familiarity, and offered to take her for a nutting expedition in the woods after dinner.
b. An instance of familiar behaviour in action, speech, or expression; something allowed or justified only on the ground of intimacy. Usually in pl.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., III. 180. Any other noble, and lawfull familiarities of intimacie, and deerenesse.
1697. Collier, Ess. Mor. Subj., I. (1709), 33. If you Confound these two Relations [of Master and Servant] by lavish and indiscreet Familiarities, you destroy the respect, and by degrees the very notion of Superiority.
1821. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I., New Year’s Eve. Misbecoming familiarities inscribed upon your ordinary tombstones.
1875. Mrs. Randolph, W. Hyacinth, I. 10. His awe of you would always be far too great to allow of his being guilty of a familiarity.
7. Astrol. (see quot.)
1819. J. Wilson, Dict. Astrol., 99. Familiarities, called also configurations or aspects.
