Forms: α. 4 frumentee, 5 frumyte, 6–7 frumentie, -tye, 7 frummetry, 7, 9 fromenty, 7–9 frumet(t)y, 8 frumentary, 9 fromety, frumerty, -arty, frummaty, -ety, 5– frumenty. β. 4–5 furmente, 5, 6, 9 -ty, 6 fermeté, fer-, fir-, four-, fur-, fyrmentie, -ye, 7 fir-, formity, formety, 8–9 fu(r)metry, furmetree, -etty, 7–9 furmety, -ity. [ME. frumentee, furmente, a. OF. frumentée, fourmentee, f. frument, fourment (mod.F. froment):—late popular L. frŭmentum = class. L. frūmentum corn.]
1. A dish made of hulled wheat boiled in milk, and seasoned with cinnamon, sugar, etc.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 180. Flesch fluriste of fermysone with frumentee noble.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 383. Fatt venesoun with frumenty hit is a gay plesewre.
1483. Cath. Angl., 144/2. Frumyte, frumenticium.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. Ee b/1. Frumentie made of sodden wheate.
1732. Acc. Workhouses, 11. Dinner … Frumetty and Beer at 3 o’clock.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 68. The table was abundantly spread with substantial fare; but the Squire made his supper of frumenty, a dish made of wheat cakes boiled in milk with rich spices, being a standing dish in old times for Christmas eve.
1860. Geo. Eliot, Mill on Fl., II. 153. Mothers … who made their butter and their fromenty well.
β. c. 1300[?]. Form of Cury, in Warner, Antiq. Culin., 15. Make furmente as before.
c. 1483. Caxton, Vocab., 6 b.
| Furmente whiche is made of whete | |
| Caudell for the seke, | |
| Growell and wortes. |
1544. Phaer, Regim. Life (1560), G v. Peasen, beanes, mylke, cheese, ryse, and firmentie.
a. 1616. Beaum. & Fl., Bonduca, I. ii. He’ll finde you out a food that needs no teeth nor stomack; a strange formity Will feed ye up as fat as hens i’th forehead.
1796. Sporting Mag., VIII. 220. John Gawston, eat such a quantity of what is called furmety … that he actually burst!
1827. Clare, The Shepherd’s Calendar, June, 56.
| How the high bowl was in the middle set | |
| At breakfast time, when clippers yearly met, | |
| Fill’d full of furmety, where dainty swum | |
| The streaking sugar and the spotting plum. |
1859. Mrs. Gaskell, Round the Sofa, 42. We had … furmenty on Mothering Sunday.
1864. C. Knight, Passages of a Working Life, I. 28. On that fourth Sunday in Lent, I regularly feasted on Furmety, with a lady who was carefully observant of ancient usages.
† 2. A kind of wheat or spelt. Obs.
1600. Surflet, Countrie Farme, V. xvii. 687. Furmentie is that which the Latines call Alica or Chondrus, and it is a kinde of Wheate, whereof … is made a kinde of grosse meale, resembling oatmeale.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XVIII. xxiii. 582. After the Frumentie or Spike corn be taken off, there be pulse sowed three times, one after another.
3. Wheat mashed for brewing. rare (? nonce -use).
1882. trans. Thausing’s Beer, iv. 197. The wheat is crushed and mixed with water. This frumenty is allowed to ferment.
4. Comb., as frumenty- or furmety-corn, -kettle, -pot, -seller. Also frumenty sweat (see quot. 1847).
1535. Coverdale, 2 Sam. xvii. 19. The woman … strowed firmentye come theron.
c. 1550. Wyl Bucke His Test. (Halliw.), 43. I bequeth my grece to … the fermeté potte.
1623. Massinger, Bondman, I. iii. Licking his lips Like a spaniel o’er a furmenty-pot.
1668. R. L’Estrange, Vis. Quev., 156. This sets the Widdow a Pinking, and Simpering like a Frumety-Kettle.
1847. Halliwell, s.v., A person in a dilemma is said to be in a frumenty sweat.
1889. T. Hardy, Mayor of Casterbridge, i. The furmity seller decided to close for the night.
