[f. prec. sb.]
† 1. trans. To unite in fellowship; to connect or associate (a person or thing) with or to another; refl. to enter into companionship. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. vi. 53. Contrarious þinges ne ben not wont to ben yfelawshiped togidres.
1382. Wyclif, Gen. xxvi. 7. She was to hym felowshipte thurȝ mariage.
c. 1440. Secrees, 182. Twoo men þat felawschipped hem to gedre in a way.
1491. Caxton, Vitas Patr. (W. de W., 1495), I. xlix. 98 a/1. They can not be compatyble ne, felyshypped wyth the other.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer, Yy iv b. To felowship him self … with men of the best sort.
† 2. To accompany. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., IV. iii. 121. Grete peyne felawshipeþ and folweþ hem.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 405/1. I shal yet felawshyp the vnto the gate of the paleys.
3. To admit to fellowship, enter into fellowship with. Now only in religious use.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxxiv. 135 (Harl. MS.). Then pes seynge hir sistris alle in acorde, and Echon of hem havinge hir purpose, she turnid ayene; For whenne contencions & stryf wer cessid, then pes was felashipid among hem.
1846. Eclectic Rev., XX., Dec., 760. How Dr. Candlish could reconcile it with consistency to refuse to invite those whom he had openly fellowshipped in Edinburgh, and whom he had represented as ‘standing in a position, in some respects, of high superiority,’ even to the Free Church, we cannot so easily understand.
1882. A. Mahan, Autobiog., xi. 242. A charity which fellowshipped anything.
4. intr. To join in fellowship; to associate with. Now only in religious use, and chiefly U.S.
c. 1410. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., lvi. (Gibbs MS.). Oure lorde Jesu came … and felischippede with hem.
1472. in Surtees Misc. (1890), 26. Derrick his lepere, & his not abyll to felychep emange the pepell.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer, A iij b. Like maye fellowship and get estimation with his like.
1883–4. J. G. Butler, Bible-Work, II. 109. He [Peter] fellowshipped freely with Gentile believers.
1886. Chr. Life, 1 May. He never fellowshipped with any of our churches.
Hence Fellowshipping vbl. sb., the action of forming a fellowship; in quot. concr. as the alleged proper term for a company of yeomen.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, F vj a. A ffelishippyng of yomen.
