aby, abye, v. arch.
(əˈbaɪ)
Forms: inf. 1 abycg-an, abicg-an; 2 abug-en, 2–4 abuggen, abigg-en; 3–4 abugg-e, abigg-e; 4 abegg-e, abedge; abey-e(n, abei-e, abé; aby-en, abi-en; 4–5 abaye, abaie; 4–6 abie; 5 (abyche); 6 (abygge), 4–9 aby, abye. pa. tense 1–3 abohte; 3–4 aboȝte, abouȝte; 4–5 aboughte; 5– abought. pa. pple. 1–3 aboht; 3–4 aboȝt, abouȝt; 4– abought. Abugge (ü) was s.w.; abegge, abedge s.e.; abeye, abye, abie mdld. and nor.
[f. a- prefix 1 away, out, back + buy, OE. bycgan; cogn. w. Goth. usbugjan to redeem: see buy.]
† 1. trans. To buy, purchase, pay for. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 185 Nis nan blisse soþes in an þing þet is utewið · þet ne beo to bitter aboht. c 1200 Moral Ode in Trin. Coll. Hom. 224 Swines brade is wel swete..Ac al to diere he hit abuið þe ȝiefð þar-fore his swiere. c 1300 in Wright Lyr. Poetry xxxvii. 103 A thyng that is ful precious, ful duere hit ys aboht. c 1374 Chaucer Compl. Mars & Venus 334 Thus dere abought is Love in yevynge. 1503 Stat. 19 Hen. VII, vi. §1 Theves..bryng such stolen vessell unto theym..to sell..and abought they bryng it to pryve places..and ther sell much part of hit to straungers. |
2. trans. To pay the penalty for (an offence), to redeem, atone for, suffer for, make amends for, expiate: commonly with sore, dearly, etc. arch.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 35 Þa wrecche saule hit scal abuggen. 1205 Layamon 8158 Þu me smite bi þon rugge, Ah sare þu hit salt abuggen. c 1230 Ancren Riwle 306 Bute ȝif he abugge þe sunne þet he wrouhte. c 1270 King Horn 110 Wiþ swerd oþer wiþ kniue, We scholden alle deie And þi fader deþ abeie. c 1314 Guy Warw. (1840) 49 His deth thou schalt wel sore abigge. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 2848 Abigge þow schalt þis wronge{revsc} þat þov ous hast y-don. Ibid. 3404 Þilke companye þo ful dere aboȝte{revsc} þat þay come þare. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xi. 233 Here abouȝte þe barn · hus belsires gultes. 1393 Gower Conf. I. 261 Thy false body shall abie And suffre, that it hath deserved. Ibid. II. 386 He wolde done his sacrilegge That many a man shulde it abegge [some edd. abedge]. c 1400 Gamelyn 810 He schal it abegge that broughte him thertoo. c 1430 Hymns to Virg. 118 Now lete my flesche my synnis abie! 1560 Thersites (Hazl. Dodsl. I. 406) They shall aby bitterly the coming of such a guest. 1613 Beaum. & Fl. Knt. of Burning Pestle iii. iv. 26 Foolhardy knight, full soon thou shalt aby This fond reproach, thy body will I bang. 1815 Scott Ld. of Isles v. xxvii. By Heaven, they lead the page to die..They shall abye it! 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. V. ix. 432 Dearly did the Cherokees aby their rising. |
3. trans. To pay (as a penalty); suffer, endure. arch.
| 1374 Chaucer Boeth. 39 Þou quod she abaist þus þe tourment of þi fals[e] opinioun. c 1386 ― Knt.'s T. 1445 Keep me fro the vengans of thilk yre, That Atheon aboughte trewely. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iii. iv. 38 Who dyes, the utmost dolor doth abye; But who that lives, is lefte to waile his losse. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. III. iv. 339 Certes thou wouldst abye A heavy fate if thou shouldst lie herein. |
† 4. absol. To pay the penalty, to make restitution, to atone, to suffer. Obs.
| c 1300 Vox & Wolf 208 Ȝe, quad the vox, al thou most sugge, Other elles-wer thou most abugge. c 1386 Chaucer Doctor's T. 100 For I dar wel seye, If that thay doon, ye schul ful sore abeye. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 448 Ac for þe lesynge þat þow, lucifer · lowe til eue, Þow shalt abygge bitere. 1400 Pol. Rel. & Love Poems (1866) 256 I am gylty & þou abeyst. c 1449 Pecock Repr. iii. viii. 331 Lete it Abie which is gilti. 1548 Udall etc. Erasm. Par. Luke xii. 47 He shall abye with many a sore strype. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iii. vi. 24 If I catch him in this company..he dearly shall abye: Ile clip his wanton wings that he no more shall flye. |
† 5. absol. To endure, remain; or trans. to endure, experience. In this sense aby came to be identical with senses of abide, and was formally confused with it: see Note ¶ under abide. Obs.
| 1450 Past. Lett. 134 I. 179 Knowlage of myche more thyng than he myth have..because of short abyng. 1591 Spenser Ruines of Time 101 For warlike power, and peoples store, In Britannie was none to match with mee, That manie often did abie full sore. 1596 ― F.Q. iii. vii. 3 But nought that wanteth rest can long aby. |