v. Obs. Pa. t. 4 -fanged, -id, -fonged. [UNDER-1 8 a + FANG v.1 Cf. UNDERFO v. and MDu. and Du. ondervangen, MLG. undervangen, G. unterfangen.]
1. trans. = UNDERFO v. 1.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 51. Hwenne þu scrift underuongest of þe sunnen þe þu idon hauest.
c. 1200. Ormin, 11112. Fort tunnderrfanngenn Crisstenndom & fulluhht unnderr Criste.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 345 (Harl. MS.). Shame þe mote by shoure, Ant euel hap to vnderfonge.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 5259. To vnder-fonge in fee al þat faire reaume.
c. 1400. St. Alexius (Trin.), 44. Þo þis child to cherche com, To vnderfonge cristendom.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 3075. At the last we shal vndirfong For oure reward grete maugre.
1553. Becon, Reliques of Rome (1563), 253. Al yt … giuen or vnderfongen in way of simonie.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Nov., 22. If thou … lust light virelayes, And looser songs of loue to vnderfong.
b. = UNDERFO v. 1 b.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 38. Swete lefdi seinte Marie,… vnderuong mine gretunge mid ten ilke Aue.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A), 1015. Ich vnder-fong þis present, & þonke hir þat it hider sent; Hir druerie ich vnder-fong.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 208. Þe pope and his prelates presentes vnderfongen.
c. 1400. Prymer, in Maskell, Mon. Rit. (1846), II. 107. God, to whom it is propre to be merciful,… vndirfonge oure preieris.
c. To comprehend: to conceive.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1542. For-þi lete god þam lijf sua lang þat þai moght seke and vnderfang þe kynd o thinges þat þan were dern. Ibid., 10354. A maiden child noght þar-to lang O þe þi wijf sal vnder-fang.
2. = UNDERFO v. 3.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 239. Þer beoð anu ȝeredie þe wereȝede gastes, þe hine uniredlice underfangeð mid stiarne swupen.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 190. Nedlunge ȝe moten underuongen me … Hwose underuongeð me gledliche, & makeð me ueire chere [etc.].
13[?]. Coer de L., 743. The kyng comaunded … In strong presoun they schuld be done. His jayler hem gan underfong, And took Kyng Rychard be the hond.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 2793 (Dublin MS.). And erls of our empire … Karyn þaim to sir Alexander,… And he þaim fair vnderfongez & feffys þaim in Landes.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., I. 226 (Harl. MS.). Be thow tornid to me, thow synfulle soule, and I shalle vnderfonge the.
1553. Becon, Reliques of Rome (1563), 253. That no man vndirfong or take any folke into his house.
3. = UNDERFO v. 2.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 1255. Yif thou this bataile vnderfong, Thou schalt haue an euentour strong.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5710. He vndirfongith a gret peyne That vndirtakith to drynke vp seyne.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, Prol. 35. To underfong this labour they him prey.
a. 1500. Medwall, Nature (Brandl), II. 32. Hard yt wyll be for vs … Agayn them warre or batayll to vnderfong.
1525[?]. La Conusaunce Damours (Pynson), c j. Our ornate Chaucer other bokes amonge In his lyfe dayes dyd vnderfonge To translate … the sayd story.
4. = UNDERFO v. 4. rare–1.
1382. Wyclif, Rev., Prol. What sche [sc. the church] schal suffre in this present tyme, and what sche schal vndurfonge in tyme to come.
5. To seduce, entrap, overcome.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., June, 103. Thou … that by trecheree Didst vnderfong my lasse, to wexe so light. Ibid. (1596), F. Q., V. ii. 7. With his powre he … makes them subiect to his mighty wrong; And some by sleight he eke doth vnderfong.
1614. J. Davies (Heref.), Eclogue, 117. For, time will underfong vs; and our voice Woll woxon weake.
6. To surround, enclose. rare–1.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 14. They haue towres vpon them sixteene: mounts vnderfonging and enflancking them.
Hence † Underfonging vbl. sb. Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 37. Þe ontrewe reuen … þet … rekeneþ more ine dedes and ine spendinge an lesse ine onderuonginge and ine rentes.
c. 1400. Love, Bonavent. Mirr. (1908), xiv. 90. His souereyn mekenes in the vnderfongynge of his baptisme.
