▪ I. † whate, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 pl. hwata, 3 hwat, 3–4 quate, 3–5 wat(e, what(e, 5 qwate.
[OE. pl. hwata, *hwatan (gen. hwatena), related to hwata augur, hwatung divination.]
1. Divination, augury; ? foreboding.
| c 1000 ælfric Lev. xix. 26 Ne eton ᵹe blod, ne ne ᵹimon hwata ne swefna! c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 11 Warienge, and handselne, and time, and hwate, and fele swilche deueles craftes. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1054 Ȝet sat loth at ðe burȝes gate, After sum geste stod him quake [read quate]. c 1375 Cursor M. 19567 (Fairf.) Of wate he [sc. Simon Magus] was ful wonder wise. |
2. Fortune, destiny, fate, luck.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 105 Þe unbileffulle..Werpeð þat gilt..uppen hwate, and seið, nahte ich no betere wate. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 802 Alas alas þou luþer wate [MS. δ fortune], þat vilest me þus one. Ibid. 8519 Vor gode wate afterward he nadde in none dede. 13.. St. Gregory (Vernon MS.) 294 Þis is a child of goode whate. c 1400 Destr. Troy 13681 Þen fortune his fall felli aspies, Vnqwemys his qwate, & þe qwele turnys. 14.. MS. Cantab. Ff. v. 48, lf. 94 (Halliw.) To bilde he hade gode quate. |
b. ? Good fortune, luck.
| c 1330 Florice & Bl. (1857) 14 And be hit erli and be hit late To thi wille thou schalt haue whate. |
▪ II. † whate, adv. Obs.
[f. what a.2]
Quickly.
The identity of the word in the phr. alse (h)wat se (= as soon as) is uncertain.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 79 Al se hwat se he forgulte wes..þet him er luuede ho him for wundeden. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 71 Alse wat swo þe man his sinne sore bimurneð, ure drihten leðeð þe sinne bendes. 13.. K. Alis. 2639 (Laud MS.) To Tebes ward hij wendeþ whate, Hij sheteþ aȝeins hym þe gate. a 1400 Lybeaus Disc. 1741 Lambard ladde hym forth well whate. |
▪ III. whate
obs. north. f. wot.