▪ I. † i-wite, ywite, v.1 Obs.
(ɪ-)
Also 4 ywyte. pa. tense iwiste, iwuste. pa. pple. iwist, iwust, iwiten.
[OE. ᵹewit-an, pa. tense -wiste, pa. pple. witen, f. ᵹe-, i-1 + wit-an to know, to wit.]
1. trans. To understand, know, get to know, learn.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. vi. [viii.] (1890) 174 Heo..woldon ᵹewitan hwæt þæt wære. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. x. 26 Nowiht [is]..ᵹehyded þæt ne se ᵹewitten. Ibid. John ii. 9 Ða embehtmenn ᵹeuiston ða ðe birladon þæt uæter. c 1000 Apollonius (Th.) 13 Ga and ᵹewite hwæt se iunga man sy. a 1200 Moral Ode 382 (Lamb. MS.) Þo scullen more of him..iwiten his mihte & his ore. Ibid. 17 (Trin. MS.) Elde me is bistolen on ar ich hit iwiste. a 1225 Ancr. R. 64 Iwiteð et ower meiden hwo hit beo þæt is icumen. c 1275 Passion our Lord 262 in O.E. Misc. 44 Iwyte at heom þat hit iherde, and nouht ne axe me. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 224 Wane he wolde iwite Ȝwat man þe child ssolde be. 1340 Ayenb. 29 Þou sselt ywyte þet þer byeþ zix zennes. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 76 Let nat þy lyft half..Ywite what þow delest with þy ryht syde. c 1460 Launfal 866 Ye schull y wyte, seyde the mayde, For sche cometh ryde. |
2. To watch, guard, preserve.
| c 1205 Lay. 13570 We habbeoð ibeon..iwurðed þurh þinne stiwærd, þe haueð iwiten al þis ærd. a 1240 Sawles Warde in Cott. Hom. 247 Ne bið neauer his hus for þeos hinen wel iwist. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 5540 In þe kinges tresorie þat suerd iwust ys. 1340 Ayenb. 212 Sire, ywyte ous, uor we spilleþ. |
▪ II. † i-wite, v.2 Obs.
(iː-)
Also 3 i-whiten, -wihten. pa. tense iwat, pa. pple. iwiten.
[OE. ᵹew{iacu}tan, to look at; to turn one's eyes towards a place with the intention of going thither; to depart, go away; to die, f. ᵹe-, i-1 + w{iacu}tan to see: see wite v.1]
intr. To go away, depart; to decease, die.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 233 Gif we ᵹewitaþ fram þe, þonne beo we fremde from eallum þæm godum þe þu us ᵹeᵹearwodest. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 64 Nacode we wæron acennede and nacode we ᵹewitaþ. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 93 Þa feol heo þer adun and iwat. c 1205 Lay. 13244 Wes i þere ilke wike þe ærchebiscop forð iwiten. Ibid. 17235 He sæt stille alse þeh he wolde of worlden iwiten. Ibid. 21311 Þe wulf heom to iwiteð and alle heom abiteð. Ibid. 25616 Þene beore he ismat þat he to þere eorþe iwhat. |
▪ III. i-wite(n
ME. pa. pple. of wite v., to blame.