† maythe(s Obs.
Forms: α. 1 maᵹoþe, -eþe, -aþe, maᵹþa, 5 mawth. β. 1 mæᵹeþe, mæᵹþa, 4, 6 mathe, 4, 8 maithe, 4–7 maythe, 5 mathge (?), 6–7 mayth.
[OE. maᵹoþe wk. fem., mæᵹþa wk. masc., of obscure origin; some have suggested connexion with OE. mæᵹeð maiden.]
1. Stinking Camomile, Anthemis Cotula. Applied also to various other composite plants resembling this, as Anthemis nobilis, Matricaria Chamomilla, M. inodora, Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, Pyrethrum Parthenium.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 120 Ðas wyrte þe man camemelon & oðrum naman maᵹeþe nemneð. Ibid. II. 140 Þa readan maᵹoþan. Ibid. 206 Wermod & wildre maᵹþan wyrttruman. c 1050 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 296/29 Beneolentem, maᵹaðe, uel camemelon. Ibid. 297/3 Bucstalmum [read Buoftalmum], hwit mæᵹeðe. Ibid., Obtalmon, maᵹeðe. a 1387 Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.) 10/2 Amarusca, maythe. Ibid. 16/2 Cocula fetida, maythes. 14.. Sloane MS. 5 in Promp. Parv. 321 note, Amarusca calida, Gall. ameroche, Ang. maithe. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 563/23 Amarusa, a mathge. c 1450 Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.) 45/2 Consolida media,..whit-bothel uel seynt Mary maythe. 14.. in Archæologia XXX. 410 Mawth. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §20 Doggefenell and mathes is bothe one. 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. xxx. 186, I haue Englished it Unsauerie Camomill, foolish Mathes, and white Cotula without sauour. 1597 Gerarde Herbal Table Eng. Names, Stinking Mayth, that is Maie weed. 1614 Markham Cheap Husb. i. Table of Hard Words, Maythe, is a weede that growes amongst corne, and is called of some Hogs-Fennell. |
2. red maythe(s: Red or Purple Camomile, Adonis autumnalis.
| 1548, 1551 [see maidweed]. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. lxxiv. 310 Adonis flower is called in Latine Flos Adonis..in English we may call it red Maythes. 1713 Petiver Catal. Ray's Eng. Herbal §v. Pl. xxxix. 8 Red Maithes. |