fer ling no blet let (ferlingno"bl)

The quarter noble, noble, an English gold gold coin. See quarter - noble. (fer'li, fär'li), a. and n. [Also As ferly, farly (fer'li, fär the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat form: "A certain character, P, if po e ed by any one of a linear series of subjects, is nece arily po e ed by the next following subject: now, the character P is po e ed by the first subject of the series: ergo, it is po e ed by all the subjects." The discovery of this form of reasoning by Fermat opened the theory of numbers to the researches of mathematicians. It holds good even if the series is infinite, so long as it contains no member which cannot be reached by proceeding by succe ive with the entire cla of finite positive integer numbers. steps from the first member, as is the case, for example, In this particular Ferm at i an reasoning is contrasted, for example, syllogism of transposed quantity, which holds only for finite cla es. On the other hand, the Ferm at i an inference fails in such a case as the following: If written ferlie, farlie; disastrous, = Dan. Sw. farlig, w. rible. A ferly strife fel them betwene, As they went bi the way. Robin Hood and the Monk (Child's Ballads, V. 3). 2. Unexpected; sudden.-3. Singular; wonderful; extraordinary. Tho seide Petyr, "a ferli thinge I was fer hens atte my prechinge." King Horn (E. E. T. S.), p. 84. Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, 1. 253. Wha herkned ever swilk a ferly thing? All the folk that with him ware War ful faine of this ferly fare. Holy Rood (E. E. T. S.), p. 129. [Obsolete or prov. Eng. and Scotch in all senses.] then he will still be behind it when he reaches the point where the tortoise now is; but he is behind it at first; therefore, he will always be behind it. The following is equally absurd: If any whole number is finite, the next greater whole number is finite; but 1 is finite; hence, all whole numbers are finite.