blood-wite
(ˈblʌdwaɪt)
Also (incorrectly) -wit.
[OE. blódw{iacu}te, f. blód blood + w{iacu}te punishment, penalty, fine.]
1. A penalty for bloodshed: a. in O.E. Law, A fine for shedding blood, to be paid to the aldorman or king, in addition to the weregild, or legal value of the life destroyed, paid to the family of the person killed.
| [a 1000 Lamb. Ps. xv. 4 (Bosw.) Of blodum oððe of blod⁓witum.] 1228 Mem. Ripon (1882) I. 52 Blodewyt. c 1250 Gloss. Law Terms in Rel. Ant. I. 33 Blodwite, quite de sanc espondu. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 67 Bludeweit hes na place within burgh. 1614 Selden Titles Hon. 263 Wite..is a Punishment or Mulct, as in our words occurring in old monuments, Blodwite, Frithwite, and the like. 1754 Erskine Princ. Sc. Law (1809) 45 He might, by our later practice, have judged..in riots and bloodwits. 1814 Scott Wav. xlviii, The bloodwit was made up to your ain satisfaction by assythment. 1876 Green Short Hist. i. 2 The blood-wite or compensation in money for personal wrong. |
b. generally. A penalty for murder.
| 1881 Clouston Arab. Poetry Introd. 27 In the Sunnat..the amount of the bloodwit was increased to one hundred camels. 1882 J. Payne 1001 Nights II. 202 That my son's head be paid with the bloodwit of Sherkan's head only. |
2. contextually. a. The right of levying the foregoing fine. b. The privilege of exemption from it.
| a 1067 Chart. Eadweard in Cod. Dipl. IV. 216 Ic an heom ðerofer sace and socne..and blodwite and werdwite. 1641 Termes de la Ley 42 Bloodwit, that is, to bee quit of amerciaments for blood-shedding. |