caitiff, n. and a.
(ˈkeɪtɪf)
Forms: α. 4 caitef, -teff, -tyf, -tyue, kaitif, kaytefe, 4–5 caytef, -tif, -tyf, -tyue, kaytiff, (4–6 pl. kaytyves), 4–7 caitife, -tive, caytife, -tive, 4–8 caitif, 5 kaytif(f)e, catyffe, (caistiff), Sc. catif, (pl. keyteyues, caytyveys, catyves), 5–6 kaytyf, 5–7 caytiffe, 6 caytyfe, -ttiue, -tief(e, catif, Sc. catife, -tive, tyue, (pl. Sc. catevis), 6–7 caitiffe, catiffe, (pl. catives), 7 catife, 7– caitiff. β. 4 chaytif, cheitefe, chaitif, 5 chaytyf.
[a. ONF. caitif, caitive, captive, weak, miserable (= Pr. caitiu, captiu, -iva, OCat. captiu, -iva, Sp. cautivo, OSp. captivo, Pg. cativo captive, It. cattivo captive, lewd, bad):—L. captīv-um captive. The central OF. form chaitif (whence mod.F. chétif, -ive, of little value, wretched, sorry, miserable) gave the Eng. variant chaitif, frequent in 14–15th c., but did not displace the earlier Norman form. The transition of meaning has taken place more or less in most of the Romanic langs.]
A. n.
† 1. Originally: A captive, a prisoner. Obs.
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 172 Galwes do ȝe reise, and hyng þis cheitefe. a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxxxvi. 3 The deuyl & his aungels led vs caitifs in synne. 1382 Wyclif Rom. xvi. 7 Andronyk and Iuliane..myn euene caytifs, or prisoneris. 1449 Pecock Repr. 479 Thei..that..leden Wommen Caitifis. 1502 Arnolde Chron. 161 In whoos power he is kepte as a kaytyf in myserable seruitude. 1533 Bellenden Livy ii. (1822) 164 Thay have led you this day as vincust catives in triumphe. 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 14 As catiues and slaues bend the will to such inhumane crueltie. |
† 2. Expressing commiseration: A wretched miserable person, a poor wretch, one in a piteous case. Obs.
| c 1325 Metr. Hom. 31 Hou sal it far of us kaytefes, That in sin and foli lyes. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 859 Tuo woful wrecches been we, and kaytyves. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. v. (1520) 56/1 Alas sayd he, to us wretches and catyves is sorowe for our greate synnes. a 1547 Surrey æneid ii. 977 From me catif alas bereued was Creusa then. 1604 Shakes. Oth. iv. i. 109 Alas poore Caitiffe. 1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 46 The carcase of the poore caitiffe. 1678 Butler Hud. ii. i. 344, I pity'd the sad Punishment The wretched Caitiff underwent. |
3. Expressing contempt, and often involving strong moral disapprobation: A base, mean, despicable ‘wretch’, a villain. In early use often not separable from sense 2 (esp. when applied by any one to himself): ‘it often implies a mixture of wickedness and misery’ J.: cf. wretch.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 11815 Þat caitif [Herod] vn-meth and vn-meke Nu bigines he to seke. c 1330 Amis & Amil. 1564 His wiif..With wordes hard and kene..seyd to him ‘Thou wreche chaitif’. c 1400 Destr. Troy 10352 As a caiteff, a coward, no knighthode at all. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 96 He is a foule vylaynous kaytyt. 1509 Barclay Ship of Fooles (1570) 173 Another caytife or mischieuous vilayne. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. v. i. 53 The wickedst caitiffe on the ground. 1632 G. Fletcher Christs Vict. i. xvii, That wretch, beast, caytive, monster Man. 1713 Swift Frenzy of J. Dennis Wks. 1755 III. i. 144 Caitiffs, stand off, unhand me, miscreants! 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) I. v. 274 Two caitiffs whose names are handed down to infamy. |
¶ Rarely as an error for caitifte: see caitifty. Obs.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xiii. 11 Lord has turned away þe caitife of his folke. c 1340 Cursor M. 7353 (Trin.) Wiþ caitif [Cott. caitiuete] and care. |
B. adj.
† 1. Captive. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Isa. v. 13 Therfor lad caitif is my puple. ― Ephes. iv. 8 He..ledde caitifte caytif, or prysonynge prisoned. |
† 2. Wretched, miserable. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 9086 Yee helpe me in þis caitiue cas. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xv. 90 Noþer in cote noþer in caytyf hous was crist y-bore. Ibid. xxiii. 236 Þei chosen chile and chaytif pouerte. c 1400 Rom. Rose 211 Ful sade and caytif was she eek. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 58 Catyffe, calamitosus, dolorosus. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 35 Wee caytiefe Troians, with storms ventositye mangled. |
3. Vile, base, mean, basely wicked; worthless, ‘wretched’, ‘miserable’.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 16517 Ded es caitiue iudas nu. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1426 A caytif counsayl he caȝt bi hym seluen. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour A vij, When the chaytyf body hath synned by his fals delytes. 1597 Bp. Hall Sat. iv. ii. 120 When Lolioes caytive name is quite defast. 1626 T. H. Caussin's Holy Crt. 130 An age so caytiffe, where braue, and courageous magistrates are wanting. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles vi. xxxi, [He] cursed their caitiff fears. 1859 Tennyson Enid 35 Bandit earls, and caitiff knights. 1871 Browning Balaust. 1804 This or the other caitiff quality. |