a. (sb.) Also 5–7 -all, 6 -al(l)e. [a. OF. supernal (12th c., later supernel) = It. supernale, Pg. supernal, or ad. med.L. *supernālis, f. supernus SUPERN: see -AL.]
A. adj. 1. That is above or on high; existing or dwelling in the heavens.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., II. 422. The hye god supernall.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxx. 9. O hie supernale Father of sapience.
1566. Gascoigne & Kinwelmershe, Jocasta, I. i. 38. Desirous still to searche The hidden secrets of supernall powers.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 48. Thee do I craue, Priamus, by Gods almightye supernal.
c. 1592. Breton, C’tess Pembroke’s Passion, lxxxv. He … sits on the supernall throne.
1595. Shaks., John, II. i. 112. That supernal Iudge that stirs good thoughts.
1634. Bp. Hall, Contempl., N. T., IV. xxi. Many degrees there are of celestial happiness…. Those supernal mansions are not all of a height.
1649. Ogilby, trans. Virg. Georg., IV. (1684), 125, note. To the Infernal Deities they offer’d Black Beasts, to the Celestial, White; Because (saith Arnobius…) to Supernal Gods,… the more joyful Colour is acceptable.
1840. K. H. Digby, Mores Cath., X. Epil. (1847), III. 809/1. May the King of Angels lead us to the society of the supernal citizens.
1866. Neale, Sequences & Hymns, 71. Laud to Him, to Whom Supernal Thrones and Virtues bend the knee.
1869. Gladstone, Juv. Mundi, vii. (1870), 199. Not even those deities, who are omnipresent upon earth … are precisely informed as to what takes place in the supernal region.
1908. Athenæum, 30 May, 662/2. The supernal gods, representing the growing powers of law and order, determine to make an end of the turbulent and disorderly forces which are opposed to their rule.
2. Belonging to the realm or state above this world or this present life; pertaining to a higher world or state of existence; coming from above.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 303/1. He had mekenes in conuersacion, supernal doctryne in predicacion.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 1092. Our lorde hath shewed secretes mystycall To his electe persones by grace supernall. Ibid., 3215. The lockes and the barres … Fell downe … by power supernall.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 212. The three-fold plenitude of his [sc. the pope’s] supernall, terrestriall, and infernall power.
c. 1610. Women Saints, 70. The supernall pietie of god.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 573. God … Thither will send his winged Messengers On errands of supernal Grace.
1685. Evelyn, Mrs. Godolphin (1888), 219. To possess those Divine and supernall pleasures of doeing good.
1794. Coleridge, Religious Musings, 92. By supernal grace Enrobed with Light, and naturalised in Heaven.
1850. W. Irving, Mahomet, xxxviii. (1853), 189. He had made choice of supernal existence.
1903. F. W. H. Myers, Human Pers., I. 5. Supposed communications with a supernal world.
3. a. Situated in, or belonging to, the sky or upper regions; celestial, heavenly. Obs. or arch.
1503. Hawes, Examp. Virt., I. 6. With Saturne and Mercury that wer supernall. Ibid. (1509), Past. Pleas., xxv. title, Of the hye influences of the supernall bodies.
1603. Daniel, Epistles, Wks. (1717), 360. Like to those Supernal Bodies set Within their Orbs.
a. 1797. Mason, Dufresnoy’s Art of Painting, 16. High o’er the stars you take your soaring flight, And rove the regions of supernal light.
c. 1870. Longf., Dante’s Paradiso, XXIII. 30. Above the myriads of lamps, A Sun that one and all of them enkindled, E’en as our own doth the supernal sights.
b. Situated above or at the top, upper; above ground; high up, lofty in position. rare.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 132/2. Adde … a qu. of an ownce of redd Roses, of the supernalle summityes therof.
1806. T. Maurice, Indian Antiq., I. 106. The great similarity which prevails in the architecture, supernal and subterraneous.
1816. T. L. Peacock, Headlong Hall, ii. Picking off the supernal fragments of an egg he had just cracked.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), II. I. i. 6. The mountain summits, grand, supernal.
4. High in rank or dignity, elevated, exalted.
1549–62. Sternhold & H., Magnificat. He hath put downe the mightie ones From their supernall seate.
1616. R. C., Times’ Whistle, etc. (1871), 125. Then downe she [sc. Fortune] thrustes from their supernall seat Princes & kings.
1845. Carlyle, Cromwell, IV. I. 402. Dread Phantoms, glaring supernal on you.
5. Supremely great or excellent, ‘divine.’
1818. Dwight, Theol. (1830), I. ix. 188. Leaves and blossoms of supernal beauty.
1847. Longf., Ev., I. iii. 5. Glasses … Sat astride on his nose, with a look of wisdom supernal.
1899. E. Markham, Man with the Hoe, etc. 123. I know, Supernal Woman, Thou dost seek No song of man.
1907. Westm. Gaz., 19 July, 2/1. A lordly and supernal cake.
B. sb. A supernal being. rare.
1755. T. Amory, Mem. (1769), I. 230. Every grove had its deity, or supernal who delighted in it. Ibid., 263. St. Nicholas is their third grand supernal.
1861. I. Taylor, Spir. Hebrew Poetry, 340. If among the supernals [of Milton] the true sublime is attained, it is in hell, not in heaven.
Hence (nonce-wds.) Supernalist, one who believes in the existence of supernal beings (in quot. attrib. or as adj.); Supernality, the quality of being supernal; in quot. with possessive, as a humorous title for a celestial being.
1892. Athenæum, 25 June, 829/2. The conception of nature as inclusive of beings of a superhuman character, or the *Supernalist conception.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, G 4. Whereof their *supernalities … seemed to be something sorie.
