▪ I. sith, adv., prep., and conj. Now dial. or arch.
Forms: α. 1 siðða, 2–3 siððe, 3–5 siþþe, 4 sitthe, 5 sythþe; 4–5 siþe, 4–7 sithe, 4 syðe, 5–6 sythe; 4 siþ, 4– sith (6 sigh), 5 syghth (syght), 5–6 syth. β. 1 soðða, soða, 3 soþþe; 2 seodðe, 3 seoððe, seoþþe; 2–5 seþþe (4 zeþþe), 4 setthe, 4–6 sethe (9 dial. zeeth), 5 seþ, 5–7 seth. γ. 2 sydðe, syððe, 3–5 suþþe, 5 suthþe, 4 sutþe, sutthe, 5 sutth, suþ.
[Reduced form of OE. siððan, etc., sithen.]
A. adv.
† 1. Then, thereupon; afterwards, subsequently.
| α a 1000 Lindisf. Gosp. John, Postscr., [John] in foresaᵹa siðða..ᵹisprunt word miððy god ᵹisalde. c 1150 Ags. Gosp. (Royal MS.) John xix. 12 And siððe sohte pilatus hwu he hine for-lete. c 1275 Lay. 3060 Þus seide þat maide Gordoille, and siþþe sat stille. a 1300 Havelok 1814 Þe rith eye..made he fleye, And siþe clapte him on þe crune. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 215 The pith Pike out,..ek do in sith Donge & cucumber seed. c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn v. 22 He stode styl,..and syth demaunded hym of the causes of his..sorowe. c 1500 Robin Hood iv. 118 To bydde a man to dyner And syth hym bete & bynde. 1512 Helyas in Thoms Prose Rom. (1828) III. 18 Matrabrune murmured alway..bi wicked detraccion, which she put sith in effect. |
| β c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John xi. 7 Soðða vel ðona æfter ðas [he] cuoeð to his ðeᵹnum. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 49 Þet..he hine icnawe and seodðe hine for-hoȝie. c 1205 Lay. 29537 Þa iwende seint Austin..suð and norð, and seoððe þurh ut Englelond. c 1275 Passion our Lord 149 in O.E. Misc. 41 Vre louerd myd heom iwende... Seþþe he to heom seyde [etc.]. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2997 Whan þei samen hade souped & seþþe whasche after. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 13 So she shroue her and was sethe of holy lyff. |
| γ c 1275 Lay. 28736 Suþþe he nam þane way. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1855 Þow scholdest hem ȝelde aȝeyn; And suþþe to him amendes make. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xii. 171 In a myrour..hue made me to loke, And sutthe seide to me [etc.]. c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. 113 Boille hem in water, & suththe roste hem on a gridel. |
† b. Next in succession, order, or place.
Obs.| c 1275 Passion our Lord 47 in O.E. Misc. 38 Alle men he tauhte to holde treowe luue, Erest to god almyhti,..Seþþe to luuye his euenyng. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 63 Saturnus is þe hiȝeste planete, siþ Jubiter, and siþ Mars. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 228 (Fairf.), First sat the god of love, and syth his quene. |
† 2. Continuously or ever from or since that time (
cf. since adv. 2, and
sithen adv. 2). Freq. with
ever or
alway.
Obs.| c 1205 Lay. 25511 Þat heo..[were] æuer seoððe laðen in auer ælche londe. c 1350 Will. Palerne 902 For so hard hacches haue hold me seþþe, þat i not in þe world what is me to rede. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 31 For alway siththe more and more The world empeireth every day. a 1547 Surrey æneid ii. 120 Ulysses ever sithe With new found crimes began me to affray. 1621 N. Riding Rec. (1894) 183 And ever seth the woddes hath beyne kept as they ought to be. |
† 3. At some or any time(s) since;
= since adv. 3.
| c 1300 Harrowing Hell 49 Ich haue seþþe þoled..hot, cold, honger ant þurst. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 441 The kyndenesse þat myne euene-cristene kidde me fernyere, Sixty sythes I sleuthe haue forȝete it sith. c 1400 Beryn 3287, I also Have enquerid sith..to knowen of his ende. a 1533 Ld. Berners Golden Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) B ij, Bycause they erred, wee haue founde sithe the waie. 1549 Latimer 7 Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 120 marg., The byshoppes be stirred theym so then, that some of theim were neuer so diligent sythe. |
† 4. Ago; before now;
= since adv. 4.
sith ago, long ago; long since.
Obs.| c 1350 Will. Palerne 1647 Elles had i deide for duel many dai seþþe. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 104 And [it] fell bot siththe awhile,..That my Stepmoder..Forschop me. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas iii. xxvi. (Bodl. MS.), The deth contagiousli conspired Of Artaxerses sithe go ful yore. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour 62 As y herde an holy man preche, and not longe sythe. 1545 T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde Prol. C viij, It hath ben long sith tought to speke dutche,..spanish, and dyuers other langages. |
B. prep. † 1. Continuously or ever from (a specified time, etc.) till now;
= since prep. 1.
Obs.| βγa 1325 tr. Stat. Westm. 1 c. 38 (MS. Rawl. B. 520) lf. 7 b, That the writ[s]..habben the terme suþþe þe furste passage of þe King Henri in to Gascoine. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. Prol. 81 Parisch prestes playneþ..Þat heore Parisch haþ ben pore seþþe þe Pestilence tyme. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VI. 161 To þat tyme þe archebisshoppis were of Rome, and seþþe þat tyme þe archebisshoppes were of Engelond. 1442 Rolls of Parlt. V. 56/1 Seth which tyme..the seide Statute hath nat at all tymes be putte in due execution. 1462 Paston Lett. II. 90, I have ben so sekelew sethe Crystmasse. |
| α 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 186 Sith whanne was þe way ouer mennes hedes? c 1400 Mandeville (1839) vi. 68 Thei seye that it hathe ben there sithe the beginnynge of the World. 1460 Paston Lett. I. 536 In dayly experiens sithe bifore the Parlement of Bury. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 59 His Feuer tercian, of the whiche he had languished sore, sithe his voyage royall into Fraunce. |
† 2. During the period, at some or any time(s), since (a specified time);
= since prep. 2.
Obs.| c 1275 Lay. 4154 Soch nas neuere..suþþe þe ilke time þat Brutus com her liþe. c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 158 Swich a bild bold..Say i nouȝt in certeine siþþe a longe tyme. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 21803 A place Wych, syth tyme that I was born, I hadde neuere seyn toforn. 1495 Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 57 §2 Your lettres patentes made sith the same iiij{supt}{suph} daie. 1535 Starkey Let. in England p. xiii, Syth our fyrst acquyntance..many letturys ther hath byn at sundry tymys betwyx vs wryten. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, ii. i. 106, I come to tell you things sith then befalne. |
† b. sith late, recently.
Obs.| 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour d vj b, How syth late a hooly man dyd preche therof. 1484 ― Fables of æsop v. v, Of thy thowsand wyles that syth late thow coudest doo, lete me now see..one of them. |
C. conj. † 1. From, subsequent to, or since the time that. Also rarely with
that.
Obs.| α c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke vii. 45 Ðios uutedlice of ðon vel siðða in ic foerde ne blann cossetunges foeta mine. 12.. Prayer our Lady 30 in O.E. Misc. 193 Ich habbe isuneȝet..mid alle mine lime siððe ich sunehi cuðe. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. Prol. 64 For sith charite haþ be chapman..Many ferlis han fallen. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) i. ii. (1859) 3 So hast thou done alwey syth thou began. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 110 b/2 It is longe sith that I knewe that thou dwelledest in this region. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. 360, I sawe not you syth I was in your bedde. 1581 Rich Farew. Milit. Prof. C c iv, It is long agoe sithe I haue bothe forgiuen and forgotten these causes. |
| β c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke xiii. 7 Ᵹero ðrio sint of ðon vel soðða ic cuom. c 1160 Hatton Gosp. Luke vii. 45 Seððe ich inn eode. c 1275 Serving Christ 52 in O.E. Misc. 92 Seynt iohan is þe beste þat euer wes iwrouht Seoþþe god makede Middelerd. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 117 Seþþe þat þe see was first i-ordeyned..hit chaungeþ neuere his place. 1490 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 100, I had no word seth I parted from Plompton. |
| γ c 1160 Hatton Gosp. Mark i. 14 Sydðe [v.r. syððe] iohannes ᵹeseald wæs com se hælend on galileam. c 1250 Moral Ode 59 in E.E.P. (1862) 26 Eal þat eure ilc man haued i-do sutþe he com to manne. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4778 Among þe brutons..was euere cristendom Suþþe it verst..hider com. |
† b. During which; that.
Obs.—1| a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) T viij, It is nowe three score and two yeres sith the earth hath susteigned and fedde the earth of my bodie. |
2. Seeing that;
= since conj. 4. Now
arch. or
poet. Very common from
c 1520 to
c 1670, being
freq. used to express cause, while
since was restricted to time. After 1700
app. obsolete, but revived by early 19th
cent. writers.
| α c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 339 Siþ þei alle been deed in bodi, Cristis wordis may be taken of hem. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 874 For sith the day is come þat I shal dye, I make pleynly my confession. c 1400 Beryn 159 Sith yee be in company of honest men & good, Worchith somwhat aftir. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 1744 But sythe it is so,..What were now thy beste consayle? 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §157 Nowe sythe helle is derer than heuen, I aduyse the specyally to bye heuen. 1592 Timme Ten Eng. Lepers C iv b, It was a shame the sonne shoulde have a beard, sith the father had none. 1640 Fuller Joseph's Coat (1867) 237 And yet why so? sith since I call to mind, Than the Clementes none were more unkind, Than Innocents more nocent none I find. 1680 H. More Apocal. Apoc. 185 The usual Traffick in the Church of Rome..now ceaseth, sith she herself ceaseth. [1751 Lloyd Progr. Envy Poems (1762) 206 Ah me! unhappy state of mortal wight, Sith Envy's sure attendant upon fame.] 1814 Cary Dante, Inf. ii. 22 It seems..well deserv'd: Sith he of Rome..In heaven's empyreal height was chosen sire. a 1850 Rossetti Dante & Circle i. (1874) 38 Weep, Lovers, sith Love's very self doth weep, And sith the cause for weeping is so great. 1872 Blackie Lays of Highl. 43 Sith I am the man I am. |
| βγ 1340 Ayenb. 47 Hue is hit uoul dede zeþþe hit is kendelich? a 1375 Minor Poems Vernon MS. 500/274 Seþþe hit is vnknowe to vs, We schul preye for alle Fidelibus. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xx. 33 What neodeþ hit þanne a newe lawe to brynge, Sutthe þe furste suffisede. c 1450 Merlin x. 143 Seth it is so, we shall delyuer yow the rynge. 1502 W. Atkynson tr. De Imitatione iii. xxxi. (1893) 222 Seth..worldlye thynges..doth nat helpe mannes soule. |
† b. So
sith that.
Obs.| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 223 Þat is no body, seþþe þat þe liknesse..is no body. Ibid. VI. 101 Siþþe þat ȝe telleþ [etc.]. c 1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 8452 Sith that ye haue him forlore, Ye shal haue a richer husbond. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon vi. 140 Sith that he is not deed, it oughte to suffyse you. 1559 Mirr. Mag. (1563) X ij, And in her wealth, sith that such chaunge is wrought, Hope not to much. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. v. 43 Sith that heauens king From hope of heauen hath thee excluded quight, Why fearest thou? 1651 H. More Second Lash in Enthus. Tri., etc. (1656) 228 Sith that the Extent of heaven is not acknowledged any higher then the clouds. 1678 Gale Crt. Gent. iv. iii. 2 And indeed no wonder, sithat corrupt Nature..has..been ever aspiring after an Equality to the Deitie. |
▪ II. sith obs. form of
scythe n.,
sight n.1