† ˈcherte, -tee Obs.
Forms: 3–5 cherte, 4–5 cheerte, chierte, -tee, 5 cheertee, chierete, chyerete, cheretie, -te, charte, 6 cheritie, (7 arch. chiertee).
[a. OF. chierte, later and AF. cherté dearness (in ONF. kerté, querté, Pr. cartat):—L. cāritāt-em dearness, f. cār-us dear. The OF. inherited form of the word which was subsequently taken anew into popular use in the form charité charity. In Eng. the two were not always kept distinct; hence the forms cherete, cheritie.]
1. Dearness, tenderness, fondness, affection; esp. in phr. to have (or hold) in chertee.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 408 Cherite, þet is cherte of leoue þinge. c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 396 He Wende þat I hadde of hym so greet chiertee [v.r. chierte, cherte]. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode (1869) 37 Charitee holt in cheertee that that oothere holden in vilitee. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 141/2 He was grete with hym and had in grete chyerete. 1613 W. Browne Sheph. Pipe Wks. (1772) 11 Sonnes three, Which he had in great chiertee and great prise. |
2. Dearness in price; dearth.
| a 1420 Hoccleve Poems, Au Roy iv. 7 Gold hath us in swich hate, That of his love and cheertee the scantnesse Wole arte us three to trotte un to Newgate. 1481 Caxton Myrr. iii. viii. 147 Ther is plente and good chepe in one yere, In another yere it is had in grete chierte. |
3. [Connected with cheer.] Cheerfulness.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xx. 121 Men and wommen myȝte lyue..in lasse iolite and cherte of herte. Ibid. ii. xx. 274 The sunne passith in cleernes, cheerte, and coumfort the moone. c 1505 Dunbar Sanct Saluator i, It grevis me both evin and morrow, Chasing fra me all cheritie. |