fervent

adj

Etymology: From Middle English fervent, from Old French fervent (modern French fervent), from Latin ferventem, the accusative masculine or feminine singular form of fervēns (“burning, fiery; hot; zealous; etc.”), the present active participle of ferveō (“to burn; to be hot; (figurative) to be agitated, fired up, or inflamed; etc.”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”).

1. Very hot; burning, scorching; also, glowing with heat.

   “Lo here hath euery fayth[f]ull man a ſure promiſe, yͭ in the feruent heate of tentacion or tribulacion […] God gyueth the faythful man yͭ hopeth in him, yͭ ſhadow of hys holy ſhoulders, which are brode ⁊ large, ſufficient to refrigerate ⁊ refreſhe the man in that heate, and in euerye trybulacion he putteth hys ſhoulders for a defence betwene.”

   “But the day of the Lord wil come as a thiefe in the night; in the which the heauens ſhall paſſe away with a great noiſe, and the Elements ſhall melt with feruent heate, the earth alſo and the works that are therin ſhalbe burnt vp.”

2. Of cold: intense, severe.

   “[A] feruent colde countrey, vnder whiche a colde ſeaſon ſhulde be comprehended, whiche alſo letteth bloud lettyng: for in a countrey and ſeaſon very colde, the blud is cloſed in the depeſt partis of the body, and the bloud that tarieth in the vtter partis, the colde makethe thycke, whiche to voide is no wyſedome.”

3. Of a drug: having an abundance of heat as one of the four qualities believed to be characteristic of all things; hot rather than cold, dry, or moist.

   “The common Camomill is of complexion hoate and dry, and not ſo feruent as the Romaine Camomill, but more pleaſant and gentill.”

4. Of a person, or their actions, interests, or nature: exhibiting persistent belief or conviction, and/or enthusiasm or zeal; ardent, earnest, passionate.

   “Butt above all thyngꝭ [thynges, i.e., things] have fervent love a monge you. For love covereth the multitude of ſines.”

   “Two thinges haue mooued me (moſt noble Princeſſe) hauing newly tranſlated into Engliſh this Herball or Hiſtorie of Plantes […] The other was, that earneſt zeale, and feruent deſire that I haue, and a long time haue had, to ſhewe my ſelfe (by yeelding ſome fruite of paineful diligēce [diligence]) a thankeful ſubiect to ſo vertuous a Soueraigne, ⁊ a fruitful member of ſo good a cõmon [common] Weale.”

5. Of a thing such as a battle, unrest, etc.: intense, severe; also, of a wild animal: fierce.

   “When the battel is hotteſt ⁊ in al places moſt fierce ⁊ feruent, a bende of choſen and picked yong men, which be ſworne to liue ⁊ dye togethers, take vpon them to deſtroye theire aduerſaries capitaine, hym they inuade now with preuy wyeles, now by opē [open] ſtrength.”

   “[T]here appeared vnto th^ẽ [them] a bore of a monſtrous ſhape, vvonderfull fat, vvith horrible haire, a skin ſet vvith ſtanding briſtles, rough vpon the back, & his mouth continually foaming out aboundance of froath, & the ſound of his gnaſhing teeth ringing like the ratling of armor; hauing fire-burning eies, a deſpitefull looke, a violent force, and euery vvay feruent: […]”