Forms: 4 congeye, 5–6 coungy, 5–7 congye, -ie, 6–7 congy, -ey, conge, (conjur-e), 7 conje, coniaye, 6–9 congee, 8–9 congé.
[ME. congye, congie, -eye, a. 12–14th c. OF. cungied, -et, conget, nom. congiez, congeé, 15th c. congié, mod.F. congé, Pr. comjat, conjat, Cat. comiat, (It. from OF., congedo):—L. commeāt-us ‘passage, leave to pass,’ hence ‘leave of absence, furlough,’ f. commeāre to go and come, pass, f. com- together + meāre to go, pass. From the 15th to 17th c. the word was completely naturalized, and bade fair to descend into modern Eng. as congy; but since the Restoration, old senses have become obsolete, and there has been a growing tendency to treat the word as French, either in the naturalized form congee (cf. grandee), or, more recently, in the alien form congé (now alone used in senses 4 and 6).]
I. † 1. Authoritative or formal leave or licence to depart, granted by one in authority; passport.
1475. Bk. Noblesse, 30. And takethe theire congie and licence of theire prince, if they can have licence, or ellis they departethe bethout licence.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 99. We praye the that thou gyue vs lycence and congie for to departe.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, III. (1822), 240. Ceso wes with thame … but ony congey or pasport to departe at the day assignit.
1584. W. Hareborne, in Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 178. In case of their denial … we are to demand our Congie.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 445. Congees, safe-conducts, pasports, sea-briefes.
1702. Vanbrugh, False Friend, I. i. I immediately got my congé and embark’d at Dunkirk.
1789. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), III. 17. I have not yet received my congé, though I hope to receive it soon.
fig. 1631. Massinger, Beleeve as you list, Epil. The end of epilogues is to inquire The conjure of the play, or to desire Pardon for what’s amisse.
† 2. Ceremonious dismissal and leave-taking.
1637. Heywood, Royal King, IV. Wks. 1874, VI. 60. No congie then, your Lordship must be gon.
1684. Scanderbeg Rediv., v. 130. On the 13th of November had his Audience of Congee of their Majesties, in Order to his Return home.
1797. Mrs. A. M. Bennett, Beggar Girl (1813), III. 157. When the dear man made his congee, he took with him the better half of the widow’s soul.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., IV. i. (1849), 145. Having made my congés to him for the night.
† b. To take congee: to take leave (to go), take leave of. Also to give congee: to bid farewell. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIII. 202. Clergye to conscience no congeye wolde take.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clx. [They] toke coungy of father & mother, and retornyd agayne into Italy.
1599. Marston, Sco. Villanie, III. xi. 234. I take a solemne congee of this fustie world.
1639. G. Daniel, Ecclus. xxxii. 41. Rise, and take Civill Congee, not the last.
1647. W. Browne, Polex., II. 113. Zabaim and Almanzaira … presently withdrew, giving congey to Polexander.
1831. Sir J. Sinclair, Corr., II. 359. When you leave any town, send cards, p. p. Congé, to every body, as a proper mark of attention to those you have been obliged to.
† c. fig. A dismissal, or farewell to an affair. Obs.
1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 45. A Conge to all kinde of Playes.
a. 1734. North, Exam., III. vii. § 85 (1740), 570. Here we take our Congee, as to all Affairs in Parliament.
† d. Sc. Applied to a benefaction asked at departure, by mendicants; something given ‘to get quit of’ them. Obs.
1609. in Burt, Lett. N. Scot. (1818), II. App. 243. Whatsoever person … be found … craving meat drink or other geir from the tenants … by way of Congie as they term it.
3. A bow; originally at taking one’s leave; afterwards also in salutation, at meeting, etc. arch.
1586. J. Hooker, Girald. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 100/2. There with a solemn congée she would bid her lord [‘the old Earle of Kildare’] good night.
1590. Marlowe, Edw. II., V. iv. With a lowly conge to the ground, The prowdest lords salute me as I passe.
1591. Horsey, Trav. (Hakluyt Soc.), 241. He made a slight conjur, and so turnd awaie.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. ii. IV. i. (1651), 524. Kiss it, and with a low congy deliver it unto me.
a. 1631. Drayton, Triumph David. With coniayes all salute him.
1679. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. (ed. 3; Hanserd-Kn. 120). As they came up with him, he [Mr. By-ends] made them a very low Conje [ed. 9, 1684 Congee], and they also gave him a Complement.
a. 1713. Ellwood, Autobiog., 34. When they saw me … not moving my Cap, nor bowing my Knee in way of Congee to them; they were amazed.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), II. lxxi. 258. Saluting him with divers fashionable congees.
1842. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Auto-da-Fé. Here the noble Grandee made that sort of congee.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, I. xiv. ‘It is an honour for me,’ says my lord, with a profound congee.
1880. W. Cornw. Gloss., ‘Make your congees’ [con-geés: i.e., at parting].
fig. a. 1593. H. Smith, Serm., Acts xxvi. 27. First, with a reverent title … Secondly, with a profitable question … Thirdly, with a favourable prevention … With these three congees he closes so with King Agrippa.
4. Dismissal without ceremony. [From mod.F., and often humorous.]
1847. Ld. G. Bentinck, in Croker Papers (1884), III. 157. I get my congé from the whipper-in.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair (1867), II. xiii. 145. Should she pay off old Briggs, and give her her congé?
1880. Mrs. Forrester, Roy & V., I. 51. This is my congé, I suppose.
II. 5. Leave or permission (for any act).
1475. Caxton, Jason, 1 b. I intende by hys licence and congye … to presente thys sayde boke unto … my … yong lorde.
1550. J. Coke, Eng. & Fr. Herald., iv. (1877), 58. Yet muse I why you requyred no conge.
1682. Warburton, Hist. Guernsey (1822), 106. Obtain a conge or leave to do so from the lord of the fief.
6. Congé d’élire [AF. conge de eslire]: royal permission to a monastic body or cathedral chapter, to fill up a vacant see or abbacy by election.
Henry VIII. assumed by statute the right of adding thereto ‘Letters Missive,’ nominating the person to be elected. In ordinary parlance the Congé d’élire has been taken, but incorrectly, to include the nomination.
[1351. Act 25 Edw. III., 4. A demander du Roi conge de eslir, & puis apres la eleccion daver son assent roial.
1534. Act 25 Hen. VIII., c. 20. The kynge our soveran Lorde … may graunt unto … the Deane and Chapytour … a lycence … to procede to eleccion of an Archibishop or Bishop of the See soo beyng voyde, with a letter myssyve conteynyng the name of the persone whiche they shall electe and chose.]
1614. Selden, Titles Hon., 201.
1642. R. Brooke, Eng. Episc., 11.
a. 1695. Wood, Life (1848), 200. Conge des Lire went to Canterbury to elect Dr. Sancroft archbishop.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 64. Making an election, like the king by a congé d’elire, in virtue of its royal prerogative.
1848. Chr. Remembrancer, XV. 233. To put the Congé d’élire, whose very essence is freedom of Election, and the Letters Missive, the only notion of which is direct immediate nomination, into the same official envelope.
transf. 1712. Addison, Spect., No. 475, ¶ 1. When she has made her own Choice [of a husband], for Form’s sake she sends a Congé d’Elire to her Friends.
