▪ I. † thede Obs.
Forms: 1 þiod, 1–3 þeod, 2 þiode, 2–4 þeode, þede, 4–5 thede, (4 þedd, 5 Sc. theid).
[OE. þ{iacu}od, þéod = OS. thioda, thiod, OFris. thiade, OHG. diota, MHG. diet, ON. þióð, Goth. þiuda:—OTeut. *þeuđô, by Verner's Law:—Indo-Eur. *teut{amacacu}- fem.; cf. Lith. tautà, OIr. t{uacu}ath, Osc. touto, Sabine touta people.]
1. A people, race, nation.
| 855 O.E. Chron. an. 627 Her Edwine kyning wæs ᵹefulwad mid his þeode on Eastron. a 1000 Hymns viii. 9 (Gr.) We þe..þanciað, þioda waldend. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xxi. 10 Þeod arist aᵹen þeode. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 237 Þurh false godes þe ælc þiode ham selfe macede. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 115 Wa þere þeode þer þe king bið child. c 1200 Ormin 3438 Tatt þeod wass hæþene þeod. Ibid. 16057 To spekenn wel Wiþþ alle þede spæchess. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2302 Quene he comen in vnkinde ðeden. a 1300 Cursor M. 4177 (Cott.) Marchands of an vncuth thede. c 1400 Melayne 1008 The chefe of hethyn thede. |
b. pl. (biblical.) The nations, the Gentiles.
| c 975 Rushw. Gosp. Matt. x. 18 To kyningum & ᵹeroefum ᵹe bioþ ᵹelædde..in cyþnisse [h]eora & þeodum. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 96 Se þeoda lareow Paulus. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 241 Ur hlaford sanctes paulus þe is þeoden lareaw. |
2. The district occupied by a people; a country.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxv. §7 An hearpere wæs on ðære ðiode ðæt Ðracia hatte. a 1300 Cursor M. 5792 (Cott.), I sal þam bring..In-till a land, a wonsun thede. 13.. K. Alis. (Bodl. MS.) 7947 Þou shalt haue Perce, & Mede, And Babiloyne, þis riche þede. a 1400–50 Alexander 1803 In thorps & in many thede þar ȝe þurȝe ride. c 1470 Golagros & Gaw. 174 All the wyis and welth he weildis in theid. |
3. Comb., as thede-folk (OE. *þéod-folc), people of a country, natives. (The OE. combinations and derivatives were very numerous.)
| c 725 Charter of Nunna in Birch Cart. Sax. I. 211 On ðeodweᵹ norð ofer þone weᵹ. a 1000 Boeth. Metr. xxix. 92 Þæt hi þiowien swilcum þiodfruman. c 1205 Lay. 26494 Þusende of þan þeod-folke. |
▪ II. thede
obs. form of thead.