Forms: α. 3 iuperti, 4 ieupartie, -tye, 4–5 iupartie, -tye, 5 ieperte, ioparte, -perte, 5–6 iupertie, ioperty, -partie, 6 iuberte, ioberty. β. 4 ieupardye, 4–6 iuperdy(e, 5 iupurdy, iepardye, ieberde, 5–6 iupardy(e, iubardie, -berdy, iopardie, -perdye, 6 ioberdie, ieoperde, -pardie, -berdye, -bardie, 7 jobardy, 7– jeopardy. [ME. iuparti, etc., a. OF. iu parti, later ieu (geu) parti, lit. ‘divided play or game, even game,’ hence ‘uncertain chance, uncertainty,’ orig. a term of chess and similar games, in med.L. jocus partitus, Cat. joch partit, Sp. juego de partido. It has been suggested that the Eng. change of -parti to -pardy was partly influenced by association with F. perdre to lose, but it was evidently mainly phonetic, like the occasional change of p to b in jubertie, joberdie, jeobardie, etc.
Johnson says erroneously ‘a word not now in use’; it was in continuous use during the 18th c.]
† 1. Chess, etc. A problem. Obs.
The regular name for this down to 1500.
[12[?]. MS. Cott. Cleop. B. IX. lf. 4. Les gius partiz numeement ke me vnt apris diuerse gent.
12[?]. MS. Royal 13 A xviij lf. 161. Icy comencent les iu partiez des Eschez.]
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 666. But god wolde I had ones or twyes Y-kond [Skeat y-koud] and knowe the Ieupardyes That kowde the Greke Pictagoras, I shulde haue pleyde the bet at ches.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, II. xi. (MS. Digby 230), lf. 58 b/1. Of þe chesse þe pleie moste glorious,… þouȝ a man studied al his liue He shal ay finde diuerse fantasies Of wardes makinge and newe Iuparties.
a. 1500. MS. Ashmole 344 (Bodl.), lf. 18 b. Thys ys a Iupertie to do a man mate the. Ibid., 19 a. At v. draughtis shall this Iupertie be plaiede.
† b. A device, trick, stratagem. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIV. 421. He thoucht than on a Iuperdy, And girt his menȝhe halely Dicht thame in the presoners dray.
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 789. Thus iowkit with iuperdyss the iangland Ia.
c. 1480. Henryson, Mor. Fab. (Maitl. Cl.), 16. In his minde hee kest The juperties, the wayis and the wile, By what meanes hee might this Cocke beguyle.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot., IV. xii. Be quhais wisdome and ilhand ieoperdis the Romanis wer stoppit … fra ony forthir conques on the Scottis.
† 2. A position in a game, undertaking, etc., in which the chances of winning and losing hang in the balance; an even chance; an undecided state of affairs; uncertainty; chance.
[c. 1250. Bracton, IV. i. § 32. Nec potest [ballivus] transigere, nec pascisci, nec jocum partitum facere.
1292. Britton, II. xvii. § 8. Mes ne mie en jeupartie de perdre ou de gayner, tut le voillent les parties.]
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 416 (465). For myn estat now lyth in Iupartye And eek myn emes lyf lyth in balaunce.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 200. Pompeie … A werre had in ieupartie Ayein the king of Ermenie.
c. 1450. Lydg., Secrees, 305. A twix two [I] stood in Iupartye To what party my penne I shulde applye.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 173. He wist nocht weill giff thai war tayne or slayne Or chapyt haile be ony ieperte.
c. 1475[?]. Sqr. lowe Degre, 83. And [it] were put in ieoperde, What man shoulde wynne that lady fre.
1597. Bacon, Coulers Good & Evill, v. Ess. (Arb.), 146. By imputing to all excellencie in compositions … a casualty or ieopardy.
3. Risk of loss, harm or death; peril, danger.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 916. For Troye is brought in swich a Iupartye That it to save is now no remedye.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 92. For which he schal in that degree Stonde of his lif in jeupartie.
1471. Marg. Paston, in P. Lett., III. 30. I schuld send ȝow mony therefore, but I dar not put yt in joperte, ther be so many theves stereng.
1472. Presentm. Juries, in Surtees Misc. (1888), 25. In payn of the jeberde þt may fall thar off.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. iii. 162. Thair lyfe is now in iuperty, thai rave.
1526. Tindale, 1 Cor. xv. 30. Why stonde we in ieoperdy every houre?
1537. Nottingham Rec., III. 375. He puttes the towne in grete danger and juberte.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & F., i. 60. The more he wrange, the faster was he wrapt And all to thencrease of his ieoberdee.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 696. If any yet be so fool-hardy, T’expose themselves to vain Jeopardy.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. xxii. 326. Under a tyrannical sway trade must be continually in jeopardy.
1805. Wordsw., Waggoner, I. 131. As chance would have it, passing by I saw you in that jeopardy.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. vii. 439. I think … that if the colonists had been defeated, our liberties would have been for a time in considerable jeopardy.
† b. A deed involving peril; a daring exploit.
a. 1300. Siriz, 276, in Wright, Anecd. Lit. (1844), 9. For I shal don a juperti, And a ferli maistri.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 145. Interludys, and iuperdyss That men assayit on mony viss.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot., IV. xvi. Maist forsy and strang beistis be thair awin ieoperdyis, ar oft slane.
1816. Scott, Ballad, in Antiq., xl. Now here a knight that’s stout and good May prove a jeopardie.
