An Attempt to Date
the Prodigal Son
August 21, 2015
G.D.O'Bradovich III
citations
We reference the Oxford English Dictionary to determine when England knew the famous parable of the Prodigal Son. Citations after the year 1800 have been omitted.
Forms:
15 prodygal, 15 prodygall, 15–17 prodigall, 15– prodigal, 17 proddigal, 17 prodigale;Sc. pre-17 portugall (perh. transmission error), pre-17 prodigall, pre-17 prothocall, pre-17prothogall, pre-17 17– prodigal.
Etymology:
Apparently either
< Middle French, French prodigal lavish, liberal, generous, recklessly extravagant (1412–13, but apparently rare before 16th cent.; French †prodigal ), or independently
< Middle French prodigue or its etymon classical Latin prōdigus prodig adj. + -alsuffix1, after prodigality n.
Compare post-classical Latin prodigalis lavish (c1540 in a British source; also prodigaliter , adverb (4th cent.)), Spanish prodigal (c1400; rare). Compare earlierprodigality n.
With prodigal son (also daughter, child) at sense A. 2 compare Middle French, French enfant prodigue (1560), post-classical Latin filius prodigus (1523 or earlier in marginal note to Vulgate Luke 15).
A. adj. 1 a. Extravagant; recklessly wasteful of one's property or means. Also in extended use.
c1485 (▸1456) G. Hay Bk. Gouernaunce of Princis (1993) i. 61
Ffor jt is lesse maistry tobe wrechit gredy and fast haldand, or tobe fule large and prodigal—na tobe wis liberale and large.
▸?a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) 88
Gif I be nobill, gentill and fre, A prodigall man I am so prysit.
a1538 T. Starkey Dial. Pole & Lupset (1989) 72
Yf the sone be prodygal & gyven to al vyce & foly.
1601 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Travellers Breviat (1603) 136
The nobility is very gallant, prodigall in expenses, spending more than their reuenues in diet and apparell.
1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper ii. 95
The elder and thrifty brother [represents] the Jew; the younger and prodigall, the Gentile.
a1716 R. South Serm. (1727) IV. x. 428
It is hard, if not impossible, for a prodigal person to be guilty of no other Vice, but Prodigality.
1747 S. Richardson Clarissa (1792) I. 215
Who, think you, does most injustice, a prodigal man, or a saving man?
The single citation before the 16th century was found in 1993 and the earliest citation from the 16th century was discovered in 1998. The remaining citations are recorded after the publication of the Lutheran Bible.
b. Wasteful of a resource, possession, asset, etc. Cf. sense A. 4b.
1570 R. Sempill Regentis Trag. vi. l. 46/1
Cut of that Papist Prothogall of partis.
1582 G. Whetstone Heptameron Ciuill Disc. iii. sig. I.iijv,
Samocratius was in youthe, so prodigall of his Loue.
1665 T. Manley tr. H. Grotius De Rebus Belgicis 149
Too late they pleased to be prodigal, both of Wealth and Life.
1702 Eng. Theophrastus 185
No men are so strict exacters of modesty in a servant as those that are most prodigal of their own.
1751 B. Franklin Poor Richard's Almanack 1262
And he that is prodigal of his Hours, is, in Effect, a Squanderer of Money.
1773 Observ. State Poor 134
Perhaps no nation on earth is so prodigal of life as the English.
After the publication of the Bible, prodigal enters the language as "wasteful".
2. Of a person: that has lived a reckless or extravagant life away from home, but subsequently made a repentant return. Also more generally and fig.: that has gone astray; errant, wayward; wandering. Freq. in prodigal son (also daughter, child) , with allusion to Luke 15:11–32 (cf. sense B. 2).
Also in extended use. See also prodigate adj., perh. an error for prodigale.
1508 J. Fisher Treat. Penyt. Psalmes sig. &&.iiijv,
The comyng agayne of this prodygal chylde whiche hath spent his substaunce.
1551 Bible (Matthew's) Luke xv. (heading)
The parables of the loste shepe, of the groat that was loste, and of the prodigall sonne.
a1616 Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iv. iii. 96
Then hee compast a Motion of the Prodigall sonne, and married a Tinkers wife.
1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors 16
A Clock, on which was represented, in painting, the Parable of the Prodigal Child.
1757 N. Owen Jrnl. 16 Aug. in E. Martin Jrnl. of Slave-Dealer (1930) 77,
I say that these things will not keep him from the charectar of a proddigal sun, who hae spent his time idely abroad.
1796 J. Austen Let. 18 Sept. (1995) 12
My Father will be so good as to fetch home his prodigal Daughter from Town.
3. Of a thing, event, action, etc.: wastefully lavish; characterized by or suggestive of reckless extravagance.N.E.D. states that in Shakespeare the adjective is ‘sometimes by a kind of hypallage attributed to another noun in the sentence’: see quots. 1598 and a1616.
▸?a1513 W. Dunbar Tabill of Confessioun in Poems (1998) 271
Prodigall spending, but reuth of pure folkis neding.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 361
Some by fyre, some by prodigall expences.
1598 Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost v. ii. 64
How I would make him..spend his prodigall wittes in booteles rimes.
a1616 Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) ii. ii. 162
How many prodigall bits haue Slaues and Pezants This night englutted.
1673 W. Cave Primitive Christianity ii. iv. 78
Our little suppers they traduce as prodigal.
a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1683 (1955) IV. 343
This woman's Appartment, now twice or thrice, puld downe, & rebuilt, to satisfie her prodigal & expensive pleasures.
1766 T. Amory Life John Buncle II. xiii. 500
How many upstarts crept from low Condition, vast possessions show? Whose estate's audit so immense Exceeds all prodigal expence.
1792 T. Paine Rights of Man: Pt. Second v. 122
The profligate and prodigal times of Charles the Second.
4 a. That has, gives, or yields something on a lavish scale; generous, copious, abundant.
1595 S. Daniel First Fowre Bks. Ciuile Warres i. xxv. sig. C,
Too prodigall was nature thus to doe, To spend in one age, what should serue for two.
1623 Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII v. iv. 12
My Noble Gossips, y'haue beene too Prodigall; I thanke ye heartily.
1652–62 P. Heylyn Cosmogr. (1682) iii. 18
Inriched with prodigal veins of Gold and Silver.
b. Having or providing a lavish amount of a resource or quality; generously or abundantly supplied with. Also: extravagant or unrestrained in the provision of something, the performance of an action, etc.
1598 Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost ii. i. 9
Be now as prodigall of all Deare grace, As Nature was in making Graces deare.
1681 H. Neville Plato Redivivus 25
Of these things I shall be very prodigal in my discourse.
1706 Duke of Marlborough Let. 5 Aug. in H. L. Snyder Marlborough–Godolphin Corr. (1975) III. 633,
I am taking what care I can to persuaide 328 (Elector of Bavaria) to come into our intirest, but I find 20 (France) has since the battaile been very prodigale in their promises.
1745 in New Jersey Archives XII. 275
Run away..a Servant Man,..appears a weildy young Man, prodigal in his Walk, and much so in his Speech.
1786 H. More Florio 24
When blushing Spring leads on the hours, And May is prodigal of flow'rs.
5. Eng. regional and Welsh English (Pembrokeshire). Proud.
1736 S. Pegge Alphabet of Kenticisms in W. W. Skeat Original Glossaries (1876) III. 41
Prodigal, proud.
c1750 W. Cuming MS Coll. Dorset Words in Eng. Dial. Dict. (1903) IV. 626/2
Prodigall.
B. n. 1 a. A person who spends money extravagantly and wastefully; a spendthrift. Now rare.
1547 J. Wilkinson tr. Aristotle Ethiques sig. Civ,
The prodigall is lesse in receuing, then he is in geuing, and the couetous contrarie, but the man that is liberal kepeth the meane betwene these two extremities.
1600 Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. i. 41
A bankrout, a prodigall, who dare scarce shewe his head on the Ryalto.
1642 Sir T. Browne Religio Medici (new ed.) 104
The Philosopher that threw his money into the Sea to avoid avarice, was a notorious prodigall.
1776 A. Smith Inq. Wealth of Nations I. ii. iv. 435
The greater part of the money..would be lent to prodigals and projectors.
b. A person who is wasteful of money, a resource, possession, asset, etc. Also fig. Now rare and poet.
1609 S. Rowlands Famous Hist. Guy Earle of Warwick (front matter)
He was a prodigal of life and lim, And bade all welcome, came to fight with him.
1642 Milton Apol. Smectymnuus xii,
I should be sorry to have been such a prodigal of my time..If ye provoke me..I will in three months be an expert councilist.
1655 T. Fuller Hist. Univ. Cambr. v. 85 in Church-hist. Brit.
No wonder for those..which were prodigals of their own persons.
1767 E. Lloyd Conversation 46
Else should the Muse, a Prodigal of Thought, Bestow her Verse upon a Thing of Nought.
2. A person who has lived a reckless or extravagant life away from home, but subsequently made a repentant return. Also more generally: a reckless or wayward person; a returned wanderer. Cf. sense A. 2.
1600 Shakespeare Merchant of Venice ii. vi. 14
How like a younger or a prodigall..how like the prodigall doth she returne.
1601 B. Jonson Every Man in his Humor v. i. sig. L4,
Where is he?..the picture of the prodigal, go to ile haue the calfe drest for you at my charges.
1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 8,
I would, like a true repenting Prodigal, go home to my Father.
1751 Transl. & Paraphr. Church Scotl. xl. v,
The grieving prodigal bewail'd the follies he had done.
†C. adv. Prodigally, lavishly. Obs. rare.
1603 Shakespeare Hamlet i. iii. 116
Do not I know when the blood burne, How prodigall the tongue lends the heart vowes.
Phrases -to play the prodigal : to be recklessly wasteful or lavish; to act like a prodigal (sense B. 2).
1602 J. Marston Hist. Antonio & Mellida i. sig. B3v,
Let vollies of the great Artillery From of our gallies banks play prodigall.
1620 T. Granger Syntagma Logicum 171
To play the dingthrift, or prodigall.
1711 E. Settle City-Ramble iv. 53,
I have not such an extraordinary Stock of Wits, to play the Prodigal and lose 'em at that Rate.
Forms:
15 prodygal, 15 prodygall, 15–17 prodigall, 15– prodigal, 17 proddigal, 17 prodigale;Sc. pre-17 portugall (perh. transmission error), pre-17 prodigall, pre-17 prothocall, pre-17prothogall, pre-17 17– prodigal.
Etymology:
Apparently either
< Middle French, French prodigal lavish, liberal, generous, recklessly extravagant (1412–13, but apparently rare before 16th cent.; French †prodigal ), or independently
< Middle French prodigue or its etymon classical Latin prōdigus prodig adj. + -alsuffix1, after prodigality n.
Compare post-classical Latin prodigalis lavish (c1540 in a British source; also prodigaliter , adverb (4th cent.)), Spanish prodigal (c1400; rare). Compare earlierprodigality n.
With prodigal son (also daughter, child) at sense A. 2 compare Middle French, French enfant prodigue (1560), post-classical Latin filius prodigus (1523 or earlier in marginal note to Vulgate Luke 15).
A. adj. 1 a. Extravagant; recklessly wasteful of one's property or means. Also in extended use.
c1485 (▸1456) G. Hay Bk. Gouernaunce of Princis (1993) i. 61
Ffor jt is lesse maistry tobe wrechit gredy and fast haldand, or tobe fule large and prodigal—na tobe wis liberale and large.
▸?a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) 88
Gif I be nobill, gentill and fre, A prodigall man I am so prysit.
a1538 T. Starkey Dial. Pole & Lupset (1989) 72
Yf the sone be prodygal & gyven to al vyce & foly.
1601 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Travellers Breviat (1603) 136
The nobility is very gallant, prodigall in expenses, spending more than their reuenues in diet and apparell.
1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper ii. 95
The elder and thrifty brother [represents] the Jew; the younger and prodigall, the Gentile.
a1716 R. South Serm. (1727) IV. x. 428
It is hard, if not impossible, for a prodigal person to be guilty of no other Vice, but Prodigality.
1747 S. Richardson Clarissa (1792) I. 215
Who, think you, does most injustice, a prodigal man, or a saving man?
The single citation before the 16th century was found in 1993 and the earliest citation from the 16th century was discovered in 1998. The remaining citations are recorded after the publication of the Lutheran Bible.
b. Wasteful of a resource, possession, asset, etc. Cf. sense A. 4b.
1570 R. Sempill Regentis Trag. vi. l. 46/1
Cut of that Papist Prothogall of partis.
1582 G. Whetstone Heptameron Ciuill Disc. iii. sig. I.iijv,
Samocratius was in youthe, so prodigall of his Loue.
1665 T. Manley tr. H. Grotius De Rebus Belgicis 149
Too late they pleased to be prodigal, both of Wealth and Life.
1702 Eng. Theophrastus 185
No men are so strict exacters of modesty in a servant as those that are most prodigal of their own.
1751 B. Franklin Poor Richard's Almanack 1262
And he that is prodigal of his Hours, is, in Effect, a Squanderer of Money.
1773 Observ. State Poor 134
Perhaps no nation on earth is so prodigal of life as the English.
After the publication of the Bible, prodigal enters the language as "wasteful".
2. Of a person: that has lived a reckless or extravagant life away from home, but subsequently made a repentant return. Also more generally and fig.: that has gone astray; errant, wayward; wandering. Freq. in prodigal son (also daughter, child) , with allusion to Luke 15:11–32 (cf. sense B. 2).
Also in extended use. See also prodigate adj., perh. an error for prodigale.
1508 J. Fisher Treat. Penyt. Psalmes sig. &&.iiijv,
The comyng agayne of this prodygal chylde whiche hath spent his substaunce.
1551 Bible (Matthew's) Luke xv. (heading)
The parables of the loste shepe, of the groat that was loste, and of the prodigall sonne.
a1616 Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) iv. iii. 96
Then hee compast a Motion of the Prodigall sonne, and married a Tinkers wife.
1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors 16
A Clock, on which was represented, in painting, the Parable of the Prodigal Child.
1757 N. Owen Jrnl. 16 Aug. in E. Martin Jrnl. of Slave-Dealer (1930) 77,
I say that these things will not keep him from the charectar of a proddigal sun, who hae spent his time idely abroad.
1796 J. Austen Let. 18 Sept. (1995) 12
My Father will be so good as to fetch home his prodigal Daughter from Town.
3. Of a thing, event, action, etc.: wastefully lavish; characterized by or suggestive of reckless extravagance.N.E.D. states that in Shakespeare the adjective is ‘sometimes by a kind of hypallage attributed to another noun in the sentence’: see quots. 1598 and a1616.
▸?a1513 W. Dunbar Tabill of Confessioun in Poems (1998) 271
Prodigall spending, but reuth of pure folkis neding.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 361
Some by fyre, some by prodigall expences.
1598 Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost v. ii. 64
How I would make him..spend his prodigall wittes in booteles rimes.
a1616 Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) ii. ii. 162
How many prodigall bits haue Slaues and Pezants This night englutted.
1673 W. Cave Primitive Christianity ii. iv. 78
Our little suppers they traduce as prodigal.
a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1683 (1955) IV. 343
This woman's Appartment, now twice or thrice, puld downe, & rebuilt, to satisfie her prodigal & expensive pleasures.
1766 T. Amory Life John Buncle II. xiii. 500
How many upstarts crept from low Condition, vast possessions show? Whose estate's audit so immense Exceeds all prodigal expence.
1792 T. Paine Rights of Man: Pt. Second v. 122
The profligate and prodigal times of Charles the Second.
4 a. That has, gives, or yields something on a lavish scale; generous, copious, abundant.
1595 S. Daniel First Fowre Bks. Ciuile Warres i. xxv. sig. C,
Too prodigall was nature thus to doe, To spend in one age, what should serue for two.
1623 Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Henry VIII v. iv. 12
My Noble Gossips, y'haue beene too Prodigall; I thanke ye heartily.
1652–62 P. Heylyn Cosmogr. (1682) iii. 18
Inriched with prodigal veins of Gold and Silver.
b. Having or providing a lavish amount of a resource or quality; generously or abundantly supplied with. Also: extravagant or unrestrained in the provision of something, the performance of an action, etc.
1598 Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost ii. i. 9
Be now as prodigall of all Deare grace, As Nature was in making Graces deare.
1681 H. Neville Plato Redivivus 25
Of these things I shall be very prodigal in my discourse.
1706 Duke of Marlborough Let. 5 Aug. in H. L. Snyder Marlborough–Godolphin Corr. (1975) III. 633,
I am taking what care I can to persuaide 328 (Elector of Bavaria) to come into our intirest, but I find 20 (France) has since the battaile been very prodigale in their promises.
1745 in New Jersey Archives XII. 275
Run away..a Servant Man,..appears a weildy young Man, prodigal in his Walk, and much so in his Speech.
1786 H. More Florio 24
When blushing Spring leads on the hours, And May is prodigal of flow'rs.
5. Eng. regional and Welsh English (Pembrokeshire). Proud.
1736 S. Pegge Alphabet of Kenticisms in W. W. Skeat Original Glossaries (1876) III. 41
Prodigal, proud.
c1750 W. Cuming MS Coll. Dorset Words in Eng. Dial. Dict. (1903) IV. 626/2
Prodigall.
B. n. 1 a. A person who spends money extravagantly and wastefully; a spendthrift. Now rare.
1547 J. Wilkinson tr. Aristotle Ethiques sig. Civ,
The prodigall is lesse in receuing, then he is in geuing, and the couetous contrarie, but the man that is liberal kepeth the meane betwene these two extremities.
1600 Shakespeare Merchant of Venice iii. i. 41
A bankrout, a prodigall, who dare scarce shewe his head on the Ryalto.
1642 Sir T. Browne Religio Medici (new ed.) 104
The Philosopher that threw his money into the Sea to avoid avarice, was a notorious prodigall.
1776 A. Smith Inq. Wealth of Nations I. ii. iv. 435
The greater part of the money..would be lent to prodigals and projectors.
b. A person who is wasteful of money, a resource, possession, asset, etc. Also fig. Now rare and poet.
1609 S. Rowlands Famous Hist. Guy Earle of Warwick (front matter)
He was a prodigal of life and lim, And bade all welcome, came to fight with him.
1642 Milton Apol. Smectymnuus xii,
I should be sorry to have been such a prodigal of my time..If ye provoke me..I will in three months be an expert councilist.
1655 T. Fuller Hist. Univ. Cambr. v. 85 in Church-hist. Brit.
No wonder for those..which were prodigals of their own persons.
1767 E. Lloyd Conversation 46
Else should the Muse, a Prodigal of Thought, Bestow her Verse upon a Thing of Nought.
2. A person who has lived a reckless or extravagant life away from home, but subsequently made a repentant return. Also more generally: a reckless or wayward person; a returned wanderer. Cf. sense A. 2.
1600 Shakespeare Merchant of Venice ii. vi. 14
How like a younger or a prodigall..how like the prodigall doth she returne.
1601 B. Jonson Every Man in his Humor v. i. sig. L4,
Where is he?..the picture of the prodigal, go to ile haue the calfe drest for you at my charges.
1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 8,
I would, like a true repenting Prodigal, go home to my Father.
1751 Transl. & Paraphr. Church Scotl. xl. v,
The grieving prodigal bewail'd the follies he had done.
†C. adv. Prodigally, lavishly. Obs. rare.
1603 Shakespeare Hamlet i. iii. 116
Do not I know when the blood burne, How prodigall the tongue lends the heart vowes.
Phrases -to play the prodigal : to be recklessly wasteful or lavish; to act like a prodigal (sense B. 2).
1602 J. Marston Hist. Antonio & Mellida i. sig. B3v,
Let vollies of the great Artillery From of our gallies banks play prodigall.
1620 T. Granger Syntagma Logicum 171
To play the dingthrift, or prodigall.
1711 E. Settle City-Ramble iv. 53,
I have not such an extraordinary Stock of Wits, to play the Prodigal and lose 'em at that Rate.
citations in chronological order
The above citations in chronological order.
1485c (▸1456) (1993)1 ... or tobe fule large and prodigal...
1508 The comyng agayne of this prodygal chylde whiche...
1513▸?a (1998) Gif I be nobill, gentill and fre, A prodigall man I am so prysit.
1513▸?a (1998) Prodigall spending, but reuth of pure ...
1530 Some by fyre, some by prodigall expences.
1538a (1989) Yf the sone be prodygal & gyven to al vyce & foly.
1547 The prodigall is lesse in receuing, then he is in geuing,...
1551 The parables of ... the prodigall sonne.
1570 Cut of that Papist Prothogall of partis.
1582 Samocratius was in youthe, so prodigall of ...
1595 Too prodigall was nature thus to doe, To ...
1598 Be now as prodigall of all Deare grace, As Nature was...
1598 How I would make him..spend his prodigall wittes ...
1600 How like a younger or a prodigall... the prodigall doth ...
1600 A bankrout, a prodigall, who dare scarce shewe his ...
1601 Where is he?..the picture of the prodigal, go to ...
1601 (1603) The nobility is very gallant, prodigall ...
1602 , ... From of our gallies banks play prodigall.
1603 Do not I know when the blood burne, How prodigall the tongue...
1609 He was a prodigal of life and lim,...
1616a (1623) How many prodigall bits haue Slaues and ...
1616a (1623) Then hee compast a Motion of the Prodigall sonne,...
1620 To play the dingthrift, or prodigall.
1623 My Noble Gossips, y'haue beene too Prodigall;...
1641 ... the younger and prodigall, the Gentile.
1642 I should be sorry to have been such a prodigal of my time...
1642 The Philosopher ... was a notorious prodigall.
1652–62 (1682) Inriched with prodigal veins of Gold and Silver.
1655 in Church-hist. Brit. No wonder for those..which were prodigals ...
1662 A Clock,...the Parable of the Prodigal Child.
1665 Too late they pleased to be prodigal, both of ...
1673 Our little suppers they traduce as prodigal.
1681 Of these things I shall be very prodigal in my discourse.
1684a (1955) ... puld downe, & rebuilt, to satisfie her prodigal ...
1702 ... in a servant as those that are most prodigal of their own.
1706 (1975) , ... very prodigale in their promises.
1711 I have not such an extraordinary Stock of Wits, to play the Prodigal...
1716a (1727) .. for a prodigal person to be guilty of no other Vice, but Prodigality.
1719 , I would, like a true repenting Prodigal, go home to my Father.
1736 (1876) Prodigal, proud.
1745 Run away..a Servant Man,..appears a weildy young Man, prodigal ...
1747 (1792) Who, think you, does most injustice, a prodigal man, or a ...
1750c (1903) Prodigall.
1751 And he that is prodigal of his Hours, is, in ...
1751 The grieving prodigal bewail'd the follies he had done.
1757 (1930) ... charectar of a proddigal sun...
1766 ... Exceeds all prodigal expence.
1767 Else should the Muse, a Prodigal of Thought, Bestow her Verse upon ...
1773 Perhaps no nation on earth is so prodigal of life as the English.
1776 ... be lent to prodigals and projectors.
1786 When blushing Spring leads on the hours, And May is prodigal of flow'rs.
1792 The profligate and prodigal times of Charles the Second.
1796 (1995)... to fetch home his prodigal Daughter from Town.
1485c (▸1456) (1993)1 ... or tobe fule large and prodigal...
1508 The comyng agayne of this prodygal chylde whiche...
1513▸?a (1998) Gif I be nobill, gentill and fre, A prodigall man I am so prysit.
1513▸?a (1998) Prodigall spending, but reuth of pure ...
1530 Some by fyre, some by prodigall expences.
1538a (1989) Yf the sone be prodygal & gyven to al vyce & foly.
1547 The prodigall is lesse in receuing, then he is in geuing,...
1551 The parables of ... the prodigall sonne.
1570 Cut of that Papist Prothogall of partis.
1582 Samocratius was in youthe, so prodigall of ...
1595 Too prodigall was nature thus to doe, To ...
1598 Be now as prodigall of all Deare grace, As Nature was...
1598 How I would make him..spend his prodigall wittes ...
1600 How like a younger or a prodigall... the prodigall doth ...
1600 A bankrout, a prodigall, who dare scarce shewe his ...
1601 Where is he?..the picture of the prodigal, go to ...
1601 (1603) The nobility is very gallant, prodigall ...
1602 , ... From of our gallies banks play prodigall.
1603 Do not I know when the blood burne, How prodigall the tongue...
1609 He was a prodigal of life and lim,...
1616a (1623) How many prodigall bits haue Slaues and ...
1616a (1623) Then hee compast a Motion of the Prodigall sonne,...
1620 To play the dingthrift, or prodigall.
1623 My Noble Gossips, y'haue beene too Prodigall;...
1641 ... the younger and prodigall, the Gentile.
1642 I should be sorry to have been such a prodigal of my time...
1642 The Philosopher ... was a notorious prodigall.
1652–62 (1682) Inriched with prodigal veins of Gold and Silver.
1655 in Church-hist. Brit. No wonder for those..which were prodigals ...
1662 A Clock,...the Parable of the Prodigal Child.
1665 Too late they pleased to be prodigal, both of ...
1673 Our little suppers they traduce as prodigal.
1681 Of these things I shall be very prodigal in my discourse.
1684a (1955) ... puld downe, & rebuilt, to satisfie her prodigal ...
1702 ... in a servant as those that are most prodigal of their own.
1706 (1975) , ... very prodigale in their promises.
1711 I have not such an extraordinary Stock of Wits, to play the Prodigal...
1716a (1727) .. for a prodigal person to be guilty of no other Vice, but Prodigality.
1719 , I would, like a true repenting Prodigal, go home to my Father.
1736 (1876) Prodigal, proud.
1745 Run away..a Servant Man,..appears a weildy young Man, prodigal ...
1747 (1792) Who, think you, does most injustice, a prodigal man, or a ...
1750c (1903) Prodigall.
1751 And he that is prodigal of his Hours, is, in ...
1751 The grieving prodigal bewail'd the follies he had done.
1757 (1930) ... charectar of a proddigal sun...
1766 ... Exceeds all prodigal expence.
1767 Else should the Muse, a Prodigal of Thought, Bestow her Verse upon ...
1773 Perhaps no nation on earth is so prodigal of life as the English.
1776 ... be lent to prodigals and projectors.
1786 When blushing Spring leads on the hours, And May is prodigal of flow'rs.
1792 The profligate and prodigal times of Charles the Second.
1796 (1995)... to fetch home his prodigal Daughter from Town.
conclusion
The parable of the prodigal son and the word "prodigal" are unknown in the English language until the publication of the Bible, that is, after the year 1520.