Froward

a., adv., prep. Forms: α. 2–5 fraward, 3 Orm. frawarrd, 4–5 frawarde, -werd, frauward, 5–6 Sc. frawart, 6 frauwerde; β. 2– froward, 4–5 frowerd, 4–6 frowarde. [Early ME. f. fra, FRO + -WARD. Cf. FROMWARD.]

  A.  adj. (Not now in colloquial use.)

  1.  Disposed to go counter to what is demanded or what is reasonable; perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please; refractory, ungovernable; † also, in a wider sense, bad, evilly disposed, ‘naughty.’ (The opposite of toward.)

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 7302. ‘Parfai,’ þan answard samuel, ‘Yee ar to fraward [Trin. frowarde] wit to dele.’

1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 5854. If man be til God frawarde.

1382.  Wyclif, Deut. xxi. 18. If a man gete a rebel sone, and a fraward.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 319. To chaste froward men and sturne men.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems, 141. How may this be that thou art froward To hooly chirche to pay thy dewtee.

14[?].  Why I can’t be a Nun, 317, in E. E. P. (1862), 146. For sum bene devowte, holy, and towarde … And sum bene feble, lewde, and frowarde.

1548.  Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Matt. vi. 13. Ye shall be safe … agaynste the frowarde temptour.

1577.  B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. (1586), 167 b. The Cocke of this kinde, is a frowarde and mischievous Birde.

1585.  Abp. Sandys, Serm., ii. 28. Samuel, reiected … by this froward & rebellious people.

1625.  Bacon, Ess., Innovations (Arb.), 527. A Froward Retention of Custome, is as turbulent a Thing, as an Innouation.

1689–90.  Temple, Ess., Poetry, Wks. 1731, I. 249. When all is done, Human Life is, at the greatest and the best, but like a froward Child, that must be play’d with and humour’d a little to keep it quiet till it falls asleep.

1703.  Clarendon’s Hist. Reb., II. Ded. 5. That this Remark may not look froward or angry.

a. 1716.  Blackall, Wks. (1723), I. 45. Such froward and touchy People as these.

1775.  Johnson, 14 April, in Boswell. A judge may become froward from age.

1820.  Hazlitt, Lect. Dram. Lit., 270. In the infancy of taste, the froward pupils of art took nature to pieces, as spoiled children do a watch.

1848.  Lytton, Harold, V. vii. ‘Speak on’ said Hilda, calmly as a nurse to a froward child.

1855.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. xix. (1858), 291. Russell had always been froward, arrogant, and mutinous.

  absol.  1535.  Coverdale, Ps. xvii[i]. 26. With the frowarde thou shalt be frowarde.

1661.  Bramhall, Just Vind., iii. 47. They may remove the froward from their offices.

1842.  J. H. Newman, Par. Serm., VI. 346. If you bear with the froward.

  2.  Of things: † a. Adverse, unfavorable, untoward; difficult to deal with, refractory. Of shape (cf. B. 2): Ill-formed, ugly (obs.). b. In later use only as fig. of sense 1 (said, e.g., of fortune): Perverse, ill-humored.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 8104. Bi-halden vs inogh has þou Vr fraward scapp al ses þou hov.

13[?].  The Seuyn Sages (W.), 2622. The weder was cold & froward.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems, 103. By froward chaunce my hood was gone.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, III. ii. 149. Syryus, the frawart star.

1523.  Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 1450. This delycate dasy, With frowarde frostis, alas was all to-fret.

1541.  R. Copland, Galyen’s Terapeutyke, 2 D iij. After this excellent and synguler curacyon of frowarde and rebel vlceres.

1576.  A. Fleming, A Panoplie of Epistles, 120. Hee exhorteth Ligarius, to take his froward fortune & vntoward luck with moderation and patience.

1756.  C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 213. It has been my froward fate to have too much of a kind of political knight-errandry interwoven with my frame.

1793.  Smeaton, Edystone L., § 270. During this month of froward weather.

1805.  Wordsw., Prelude, V. 346.

1880.  Miss Broughton, Sec. Th., II. vii. The froward May month.

  † 3.  quasi-sb. A froward person or thing. Obs.

a. 1529.  Skelton, P. Sparowe, 779. Our language is so rusty, So cankered, and so full Of frowardes.

1581.  J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 266 b. Through the cankerd peevishnes of wayward frowardes the most sacred word of God be euill spoken of amongest the Paganes, and Infidelles.

  † B.  adv. Obs.

  1.  In a direction that leads away from the person or thing under consideration; = FROMWARD.

O. E. Chron., an. 1127. Eall þæt þa beon draȝen toward swa frett þa drane & draȝað fraward.

1426.  Audelay, Poems, 68. Ȝif thou to the cherche go, Toward, froward, or ellis cum fro.

1494.  Fabyan, Chron., V. cxxvii. 108. He myghte goo or ryde frowarde or sydewarde, but towarde the chapell myght he in no wyse atteygne.

1540–54.  J. Croke, Psalm XIII. (Percy Society), 34.

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., VI. x. 24. And eeke them selves so in their daunce they bore, That two of them still froward seem’d to bee, But one still towards shew’d her selfe afore.

  2.  fig. Untowardly; perversely. Froward shapen = misshapen (cf. FROM-SHAPEN).

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 8075.

1580.  Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 465. Thou knowest howe frowarde matters went, when thou tookest shippe.

  † C.  prep. (In a direction) away from; = FROMWARD. Also in form frowards. Obs. (or arch.)

c. 1200.  Ormin, 4672. Þa turrnesst tu þe frawarrd Godd, & towarrd eorþlic ahhte.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 3322. At euen cam a fuȝel-fliȝt, fro-ward arabie to hem riȝt.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. viii. (1495), 36. The angels slake neuer … nother tornyth theyr entent frowarde god.

c. 1400.  Melayne, 1312.

c. 1470.  Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, V. 786. Frawart the south thaim thocht it best to draw.

1470–85.  Malory, Arthur, X. xxx. And euer sire Tristram tracyd and trauercyd and wente froward hym here and there.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, I. i. 57. Scho thame fordrivis, and causis oft ga will Frawart Latium. Ibid., IV. Prol. 130. Thy self or thame thou frawartis God remouis.

a. 1850.  Rossetti, Dante & Circ., I. (1874), 106. He only is a pilgrim who goeth towards or frowards the House of St. James.

  b.  with tmesis fro … ward.

c. 1220.  Bestiary, 719. And wende we neure fro him-ward.