v. Also 6 qualyfy, -fie, (6–7 qualle-, qualli-, quale-, -fye, -fie), 6–8 qualifie. [a. F. qualifi-er (15th c.), or ad. med.L. quālificāre to attribute a quality to, f. quālis of such a kind + -ficāre: see -FY.]
I. To invest with a quality or qualities.
1. trans. To attribute a certain quality or qualities to. a. To describe or designate in a particular way; to characterize, entitle, name. († Const. with.)
1549. Latimer, 4th Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 107. S. Paule in hys epistle qualifyeth a bishop, and saith that he must be … apte to teache and to confute all maner of false doctryne.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xii. 37. I will favor thee as a Vassal, and not as a Brother, as thou qualifiest thy self.
1684. J. Peter, Siege Vienna, 21. Two of the Eldest Colonels were qualified with a Title between a Major General and a Colonel.
1823. Byron, Juan, X. lxxxi. The ‘Devil’s drawing-room,’ As some have qualified that wondrous place.
1826. Blackw. Mag., XX. 77. The propositions referred to the theologians have been qualified as heretical.
1873. Browning, Red Cott. Nt.-cap, 253. Madame Muhlhausen,—whom good taste forbids We qualify as do these documents.
b. Gram. Of an adj.: To express some quality belonging to (a noun). Of an adv.: To modify.
[1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, III. xvii. (Arb.), 193. Sometimes wordes suffered to go single, do giue greater sence and grace then words quallified by attributions do.]
1837. M. Green, Engl. Gramm., 14. [Adjectives] are added to nouns to define, qualify, describe, or limit the signification of the noun.
1887. Roget, Introd. Old French, 176. [The Adjective] qualifying two or more Substantives.
1888. H. A. Strong, trans. Paul’s Princ. Hist. Lang., 424. [The adjective] bears the same relation to the substantive as an adverb to the adjective which it qualifies.
† 2. To impart a certain quality to (a thing); to make (a thing) what it is. Obs.
1592. Greene, Upst. Courtier, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), II. 221. Is … not rather true nobility a mind excellently qualified with rare vertues?
1609. Bible (Douay), Gen., Comm., Then shal the bodies be qualified according to the state of the soules, happie or miserable for ever.
1645. Quarles, Sol. Recant., III. 71. But thou hast tainted that immortall breath, Which qualifi’d thy life, and made thee free Of heav’n and earth.
a. 1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., IV. vi. 344. The Divine Will, determined or qualified (if we may use that improper word) with the highest … Wisdom and Power.
† b. absol. To bring it about that. Obs.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1692), 60. It qualified also, that no detection could be made … that he bought this Greatness.
3. To invest (a person) with proper or essential qualities or accomplishments (for being something). Also refl.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xxxvi. (1887), 134. Set to schoole, to qualifie themselues, to learne how to be religious.
1683. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., Printing, i. A Typographer ought to be equally quallified with all the Sciences that becomes an Architect.
1711. W. Sutherland, Ship-build. Assist., 22. Those Properties … will qualify a Man for a compleat Architect.
1782[?]. Cowper, Parrot, 11. To qualify him more at large, And make him quite a wit.
b. To make fit or competent for doing (or to do) something, or for some sphere of action, existence, etc. Chiefly refl.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl., VI. iv. (1848), 353. He whose parts are too mean to qualifie him to govern others.
1712. Spect., No. 524, ¶ 5. To refresh and otherwise qualify themselves for their journey.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, VI. iii. Moderation … can qualify us to taste many pleasures.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy, xii. Qualifying myself for my new calling.
1852. Dickens, Bleak Ho., xxxviii. I am qualifying myself to give lessons.
1873. Hamerton, Intell. Life, III. i. (1875), 77. Men are qualified for their work by knowledge.
absol. 1742. Young, Nt. Th., IX. 575. That strength, Which best may qualify for final joy.
4. To make legally capable; to endow with legal power or capacity; to give a recognized status to (a person).
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 113. Would God all Ecclesiastical persons … would nowe … quallifie themselues, shewe obedience to Princes lawes.
1667. Pepys, Diary (1879), IV. 350. Is made one of the Duke’s Chaplains, which qualities him for two livings.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 418. These game laws … do indeed qualify nobody, except in the instance of a gamekeeper, to kill game.
1862. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), IV. xxxvii. 291. He qualified others, by adding to their fortunes from his own bounty.
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., 27 June, 3/1. A Royal Charter enabling it to ‘qualify’ nurses as doctors are ‘qualified.’
b. spec. by the administration of an oath. U.S.
[1723. Act of Pennsylvania, Every brewer … shall be qualified by oath … that he will not use any molasses, [etc.].]
1798. in Dallas, Amer. Law Rep., II. 100. The court said they would order the jury to be qualified.
1800. M. Cutler, in Life, etc. (1888), II. 37. He [the Governor of Mass.] met the two Houses at 12, and was qualified.
5. intr. (for refl.) To make oneself competent for something, or capable of holding some office, exercising some function, etc., by fulfilling some necessary condition; spec. by taking an oath, and hence U.S.: To make oath, to swear to something (Bartlett, 1848).
a. 1588. Tarlton, Jests (1844), p. xxv. Presently he can Qualifie for a mule or a mare, Or for an Alderman.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., Wks. V. 384. All the ministers of state must qualify, and take this test.
1825. C. R. H., in Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 1334. His lordship goes to church to qualify.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 27. He could not legally continue to employ officers who refused to qualify.
1891. Law Reports, Weekly Notes 118/1. It was his duty to qualify for the office of director by taking forty shares.
† 6. trans. Sc. Law. To establish by evidence. Obs.
a. 1639. Spottiswood, Hist. Ch. Scot., VI. (1677), 333. Hay compeired, and nothing being qualified against him, was upon suspicion confined.
a. 1670. Spalding, Troub. (1850), I. 358. The vther half [of the forfeited goods] to be givin to him who dilates the recepteris, and qualefeis the samen.
1776. Ld. Thurlow, in Boswell’s Johnson (1848), App. 817/2. If the individual could qualify a wrong, and a damage arising from it.
II. To modify in some respect.
7. To modify (a statement, opinion, etc.) by any limitation or reservation; to make less strong or positive.
1533. More, Apol., xxvii. Wks. 893/2. He hathe circumspectly … qualyfyed and modered hys tale wyth thys woord (all).
1551. Princess Mary, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. II. 177. The promise made … by your Majesties counsell … although they seeme now to quallefye and deny the thing.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 8. Whilst a prince he was undutiful to his father; or to qualify the matter, over dutiful to his mother, whose domestic quarrels he always espoused.
1708. Atterbury, 14 Serm., Pref. p. xliv. (J.). I have affirm’d, in my Second Proposition; except only, that I have qualify’d it with the Word, often; thereby making allowance [etc.].
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., Wks. V. 296. To observe whether … I might not find reasons to change or to qualify some of my first sentiments.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. viii. (1857), 146. Elizabeth received the offer of Philip’s hand, qualified as it was, in the most gracious manner.
1883. F. Leifchild, in Contemp. Rev., XLIII. 49. An avowal, which he qualifies by a subtle after-thought.
absol. 1838. Lytton, Alice, XI. v. The surgeon … began to apologize—to qualify.
8. To moderate or mitigate, so as to reduce to a more satisfactory or normal condition; esp. to render less violent, severe or unpleasant; to lessen the force or effect of (something disagreeable).
Extremely common in the 16–17th c., with a great variety of objects; now somewhat rare in comparison with 12 b.
1543–4. Act 35 Hen. VIII., c. 5. The greate peril and dangier of the kynges maiesties subiectes, if the same statute shulde not … be tempered qualified or refourmed.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, § 170. Qualyfie the heate of the Lyuer … with the confection of Acetose.
1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 229. Our men stoode in great perill,… if this warre and mutinie had not soone bene qualified.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 688. The incense was … burned … to qualifie the smell … from the sacrifices of flesh.
1648. Markham, Housew. Gard., III. viii. (1668), 68. Camomile … is sweet smelling, qualifying head-ach.
1664. H. Power, Exp. Philos., III. 188. Something … that will abate and qualifie the rigour of this Conception.
1702. W. J., trans. Bruyn’s Voy. Levant, xi. 51. This Civility of the Turks does in some measure qualify the Hardship of those who are confin’d Prisoners in that Castle.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 147. Though they still are held at the will of the lord,… yet that will is qualified, restrained, and limited.
1827. Scott, Highl. Widow, v. A voice in which the authority of the mother was qualified by her tenderness.
1839. Bailey, Festus, v. (1848), 45. Qualifying every line which vice Writes bluntly on the brow.
1856. R. A. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. V. i. 116. His sincere piety, his large heart,… always qualify, and seem sometimes to redeem, his errors.
† b. To make less wrong or reprehensible. Obs.
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XIII. xii. The frame of her mind was too delicate to bear the thought of having been guilty of a falsehood, however qualified by circumstances.
1776. Paine, Com. Sense, 76. It is … the invasion of our country … which conscientiously qualifies the use of arms.
† c. To make proportionate to; to reduce to. Obs. rare.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Luke i. (R.). The Highest … tempering and qualifying his infinite power and vertue to the measure and capacitie of mannes nature.
1604. Nottingham Rec., IV. 272. 20 li. fyne was ymposed … which fyne was afterwardes … qualefied to iiij li.
1641. Milton, Reform., ii. 43. How to qualifie, and mould the sufferance and subjection of the people to the length of that foot that is to tread on their necks.
† 9. To appease, calm, pacify (a person). Obs.
c. 1540. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden, No. 29), 210. Withowt much adoe they began to mollyfy hir … Whan the quene was thus qualyfyed [etc.].
1579–80. North, Plutarch (1595), 624. Sertorius … did qualifie him the best he could, and made him more milde and tractable.
1617. Middleton & Rowley, Fair Quarrel, IV. i. When you haue left him in a chafe, then Ile qualifie the Rascall.
1679. Trials Green, Berry, &c. 16. You being a Justice of the Peace may qualifie them [two men fighting].
† 10. To bring into, or keep in, a proper condition; to control, regulate, modulate. Obs.
1579. Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 624. The decoction of the roots … doth qualifie the Liuer.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., II. ii. 118. Is your blood So madly hot, that no discourse of reason … Can qualifie the same?
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. xvi. (1739), 30. This Election was qualified under a stipulation or covenant.
1688. Penton, Guardian’s Instruct. (1897), 15. The practice of these Rules will help qualifie a Life of Action such as yours must be.
11. To modify the strength or flavor of (a liquid).
1591. Nashe, Prognostication, Wks. 1883–4, II. 152. A Cuppe of Sack,… so qualified with Suger, that they proue not rewmatick.
1633. T. Adams, Exp. 2 Peter ii. 13. Poison may be qualified, and become medicinal.
1671. trans. Frejus’ Voy. Mauritania, 43. Having tasted the water,… we mixed it with a little Aqua vitæ, which we had brought with us instead of Wine, to qualifie it.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., lvi. The Squire … called for his tea, which he drank … qualified with brandy.
1821. Byron, Juan, IV. liii. Tea and coffee leave us much more serious, Unless when qualified with thee, Cogniac!
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xlv. [He] qualified his mug of water with a plentiful infusion of the liquor.
fig. 1697. Dryden, Ess. Georgics, in Virgil (1721), I. 199. Greek … rightly mixt and qualified with the Doric Dialect.
12. † a. To affect (a person or thing) injuriously. Const. with. Obs. b. To abate or diminish (something good); to make less perfect or complete.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., III. xv. (1886), 50. Foure old witches, who with their charms so qualified the Danes as they were thereby disabled.
1602. Shaks., Ham., IV. vii. 114. Loue is begun by Time: And … Time qualifies the sparke and fire of it.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. xvii. (1840), 72. To qualify the Christians’ joy for this good success, Joceline … was conquered and taken prisoner.
1644. Bulwer, Chiron., 52. The standers by heartily wish their Hands qualified with some Chiragracall prohibition.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xxvii. 209. Thoughts which tended to qualify the pleasure.
1870. Dickens, E. Drood, viii. We had better not qualify our good understanding.
† 13. intr. To qualify on, to submit quietly to. To qualify with, to come to terms with. Obs.
1754. Richardson, Grandison, I. xxxiii. 230. What a slave had I been in spirit, could I have qualified on such villainous treatment.
1797–1805. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., V. 494. He … qualifies with any passion which it is vicious to indulge.
