▪ I. † wite, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 wita, wiota, weota, wuta, 3 weote, wite, 4 wete; 8 pl. (Hist.) wites.
[OE. wita wk. masc. (also ᵹewita witness) = OFris. wita, OS. gi-wito (MLG. wete) witness, OHG. wiȥo (giwiȥo witness), Goth. -wita (in fullawita, unwita):—OTeut. *witon-: see wit v.1]
1. A wise man, sage; a councillor; spec. one of the witan, q.v.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. xix. (1890) 454 To freondscipe..Bonefatius archidiacones, se wæs eac swylce wita & ᵹe⁓þeahtere þæs apostolican papan. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke vii. 30 Legis periti, æs wuto. c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xiii. 131 Ne bið se na wita þe unwisliche leofað. c 1200 Ormin 8762 All bilammp þatt widdwe þa swa summ þe wite seȝȝde. c 1315 Shoreham i. 631 Wet hys mystyke ne mey non wete Be no þynge a-founde. |
| 1701 Cowel's Interpr., Wites, Witen, the Title among our Saxon Ancestors for their chief Lords or Thanes, their wise and their noble Men. 1762 Hume Hist. Eng., Jul. C. to Hen. VII, I. App. i. 144 Besides the prelates and aldermen, there is also mention of the wites or wise men. |
2. A witness.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. Pref., Nalæs mid anes mannes ᵹe⁓þeahte ac mid ᵹesæᵹene unrim ᵹeleaffulra witena. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 60 Lycce witnesa vel wutu. c 1225 Ancr. R. 204 Beon waite [v.r. weote] & witnesse þerof. |
▪ II. wite, wyte, n.2 Obs. exc. Hist. and dial.
(waɪt)
Forms: 1– wite; also 3, 5 wijt, 4–6 witte, 4, 6–7 wyt, 3–4, 6, 8 wit (4 wyȝte, witt, wijtte, 5 wijte, wytte, 5–6 wyght, 6 wyit, wycht, wight, quhyt, 7 weit, wayt, waite, 7–8 white), 4– wyte.
[OE. w{iacu}te = OFris. wîte, OS. wîti (MLG. wîte, Du. wijte), OHG. wîȥi (MHG. wîȥe), ON. v{iacu}ti: see wite v.1]
† 1. a. Punishment; penalty; pain inflicted in punishment or torture, esp. the torments of hell. (Cf. OE. helle-w{iacu}te, etc.) Obs.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter xxxviii. 11 Awend from me witu ðin. c 888 ælfred Boeth. xxxvii. §3 Ne þearf nænne wisne mon tweoᵹan þæt ða yflan næbben eac ecu edlean hiora yfles; þæt bið ece wite. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2542 Þa ic sendan ᵹefræᵹn..sweartne liᵹ werum to wite, weallende fyr. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 219 Þa wile ȝearcode se almihti sceappende him and his iferen helle wite. c 1200 Ormin 3295 Swa þatt he ȝæn þe Kaserrking ne felle nohht i wite. a 1225 Ancr. R. 202 Þe Vox of ȝiscunge haueð þeos hweolpes: Tricherie & Gile, þeofðe, Reflac, Wite, & Herrure strencðe. a 1300 Cursor M. 6714 Þis beists lauerd þan sal bi quit Of alkin oncall, and oþer wijt. Ibid. 15802 He þat smitand es wit suerd, O suerd sal ha þe wite. |
b. In Anglo-Saxon law, a fine imposed for certain offences or privileges; often as second element in compounds, as bloodwite, ferdwite (see ferd n.1 4), fyhtwite (see fight n. 7), lairwite. Now Hist.
| c 890 Laws ælfred ix, Sie þæt wite lx scill. c 1205 Lay. 5118 Þat al comen to Lundene uppe wite of feowerti punden. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 95 Fightynge wyte, amersement for fightynge. ? 1473 Stonor Papers (Camden) I. 130 That they schol noȝt pay no ale wytys to me. |
| 1614 Selden Titles Hon. 262. 1628 Coke On Litt. 127. 1872 E. W. Robertson Hist. Ess. ii. vi. 64 The lesser wite or ordinary fine of the Hundred-Court. 1897 Maitland Domesday Bk. & Beyond 102 In any case their lord is to have their wites. |
2. Blame, reproach; blameworthiness, fault. Now Sc. and north. dial.
Phr. to have the wite, to put the wite in, to put (a person) in wite, to give (one) the wite (of), to lay the wite on.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 4 Cleane schir in wit, wiðute wite of sunne. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2035 Ðe wite is hise, ðe right is hire. a 1300 Cursor M. 5667 He said til him þat bare þe wite, ‘How dare þou sua þi broþer smite!’ c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 400 And but I do, lat me han the wite. ― Wife's Prol. 806 That I haue doon it is thy self to wyte. c 1400 Melayne 555 Þ⊇ wyte is all in the. c 1403 Lydg. Temple of Glas 166 Some also þat putten ful grete wite On double louers. c 1440 Generydes 869 What cause haue ye to putte me in this witte? c 1449 Pecock Repr. iii. xvi. 386 Sithen hise successouris ben not ȝit founde in wijte or defaute. Ibid. 515 This gouernaunce deserueth not bi hir wijt to be kut away. c 1450 Holland Howlat 68, I se be my schadowe my schape has the wyte. 1470–85 Malory Arthur ii. x. 88 Kynge Pellinore bare the wytte of the deth of kynge Lott. 1528 More Dyaloge Heresyes iv. xii. (1529) 116 b, Our mother Eue layd the wyght of her synne to the serpent. 1550 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 104 The witte salbe imputt to him as accordis. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) II. 157 They gif ȝow the haill quhyt..that they ar persewit be the quene. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis 1063 George Gipsones Iskie bae Had all the wyte he womit sae. 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. iii. 16 Sith his own thought he knew most cleare from wite. 1600 Holland Livy viii. xxxiv. 306 The posteritie hereafter should lay the waite and blame..in the Tribunes. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 409 The Bishop,..crying to the people, That he had no wyt of the matter. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 53 You lean all the white off your sell. 1722 Ramsay Twa Cut-purses 34 Ye canna lay the Wyte on me. 1787 Grose Prov. Gloss. s.v. White, You lean all the white off yourself. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxxii, This is a' your wyte, Miss Jeanie Deans. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize xli, About seven months after he left the town twa misfortunate creatures gave him the wyte of their bairns. 1886 Stevenson Kidnapped xix, But now it's done, Alan; and who's to bear the wyte of it? |
† b. The source or origin of blame; the person or thing that is to blame. Sc. Obs.
| 1513 Douglas æneid i. Prol. 366 Quhilk in sum part is the caus and the wite, Quhy that of Virgillis vers the ornate bewtie Intill our toung may nocht obseruit be. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages (Bann. Club) 75, I am the wite now of hir deid doutles. c 1560 A. Scott Poems (1902) 94 Ȝour twa fair ene is wycht of all my wo. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Sheph. iv. i, She abusing first, was a' the wyte Of what has happen'd. |
† 3. transf. Offence, trespass; wrong. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 15 Ne do he þe neure swa muchelne teone ne wite on þisse liue ne beo þu nefre ene wrað þer fore. a 1300 Cursor M. 4586 Þou sal god office haue ful tite, And all forgiuen þe þi wijtte. Ibid. 10393 Iesu crist was tan, And don on rode for our wite. 13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 304 He wald anon mine heued of smite,..for that wite. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 89 Of tomoche or of tolyte Ther is algate founde a wyte. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 2720 Þat haþ I-do þe tres-pase, or the wyte. |
4. attrib. and Comb., as (sense 1 b) wite-exacting, wite-free adjs.
| 1897 Maitland Domesday Bk. & Beyond 87 A tract over which a lord has..a *wite-exacting power. |
| 1205 Rot. Chart. (1837) 153/2 Wrecfri et *witefri et lestagefri. 1278 [see lovecop]. 1395 [see lastage n. 7]. 1672 Cowel's Interpr., Wite... Hence Wite or Witfree, one of the terms of Priviledge granted to our Portsmen. |
▪ III. wite, wyte, v.1 Obs. exc. Sc. and north. dial.
(waɪt)
Forms: 1 witan, 2–4 witen, 2–7 wite, 3–5 (6 arch.) wyten, 4–7, 8–9 Sc. wyte (3 hwite?, 4 wytte, pa. tense and pa. pple. wijt, wit(t, 4–6 wit, 4–7 white, 4–8 chiefly Sc. wyt, 5 wytt, wiyte, wijte, wyet, wyth, 6 wiht, Sc. wyit, veit, vyit, 7 Sc. pa. tense wate).
[OE. w{iacu}tan, pa. tense *wát, witon (superseded by weak inflexions in ME.), also ætw{iacu}tan (-wát, -witon, pa. pple. -witen, ME. pa. tense atwiste, pa. pple. atwist) atwite v.1, edw{iacu}tan (pa. pl. -witon, and weak -w{iacu}tte, Vesp. Ps.) edwite v.: = OS. wîtan, MLG., MD. wîten (Du. wijten), OHG. wîȥan (MHG. wîȥen, G. verweissen to reproach), Goth. -weitan in fraweitan to avenge; f. Teut. wīt-: see wit v.1 The sense-development is paralleled in L. animadvertere to observe, consider, censure, blame, punish.]
1. trans. To impute the guilt or lay the blame of (something) to or upon a person (his action, conduct, or character) or a thing, condition, or event (orig. dat., later also with to, on, upon).
| Beowulf 2741 For ðam me witan ne ðearf waldend fira morðorbealo maᵹa. c 893 ælfred Oros. vi. iv, Romane witan Claudiuse þone hunger. a 1225 Ancr. R. 304 Ȝif þu witest eni þing þine sunne bute þi suluen, þu ne schriuest þe nout. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1249 Schal he his mishap wite me? 13.. K. Alis. 1725 Thou konst no gode; Y wyt hit all thy yonge blode. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 369 Her sorwen and her care Þai witt þat frely fode. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 456 Allas Fortune..Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte. ― Miller's Prol. 32 If that I mysspeke or seye Wyte it the Ale of Southwerk. a 1400 Leg. Rood (1871) 134 His wo I wyte hit sinne. c 1400 Beryn 2016, I may wit it þe, þat I have lost my siȝte. 14.. Sir Beues (M.) 1893 Thou sholdiste on me be awreke And not wite on hym the gilte. c 1430 Hymns Virgin (1867) 35 Y wiyte my silf myne owne woo! c 1436 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 148 White thi owne falsnes alle thi myschance. 1481 Caxton Godfrey xx. 51 This felonnye that this fewe dyde was wyted alle the hoost. c 1500 Melusine 308 It shal not be wytted me to haue a brother of myn a monke. 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. xl. 9 After the miseries which he abydeth are wyted vppon his owne fault. 1587 ― De Mornay xii. (1592) 181 They..reteine the faultines of that first fault, and cannot wit it vpon any other than the first Man. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xxx. 268 He wyted it a' on the liberty and equality speerit o' the times. |
† b. To impute as guilt; also in neutral sense: To impute. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Judges iv. 9 In this while victory shal not be witid to thee [Vulg. non reputabitur tibi]. 1382 ― Rom. v. 13 Synne was not wyitid, [gloss] or rettid, whanne lawe was not. c 1460 Towneley Myst. x. 332 Wyte thou no wyrkyng of Werkys wast, She hase consauyd the holy gast. 1533 tr. Erasm. Playne Expos. Com. Crede 31 b, Vnto it is to be wihted or imputed what so euer thynge..hathe ben done..vertuosly. |
2. To impute the guilt or fault to, blame (a person).
| a 1000 ælfred's Boeth. Proem, Þæt he..him ne wite ᵹif he hit rihtlicor onᵹite þonne he mihte. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 67 He [sc. Christ] setteð þe synfulle on his lifthalf, and witeð hem þat hie bi here lif daȝes ne wolden him quemen. a 1300 Cursor M. 17445 If ani man yow witte, We sal yow saue and mak yow quite. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 619 Þe porter gan him wite And seyd:—‘Cherl! go oway’. c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 933 And though þat I be Ialous, wyte me noght. c 1400 26 Pol. Poems xvii. 119 And þou be lost, whom wiltow wyte? c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. i. 5 The errouris..bi which holding thei vniustly..wijten and blamen the clergie. 1469 Paston Lett. II. 348 And they myght pulle downe the howse on our hedys, I wyet hem not. c 1500 Melusine 310 He..blamed & wytted hym self. 1530 Palsgr. 783/1 Why wyte you me, and I am nat to blame? 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xii. 16 Scoffing at him, that did her iustly wite. 1721 Ramsay Prospect of Plenty 133 Nor can we wyt them, since they had our Vote. 1721 Kelly Sc. Prov. 357 Wite your self if your Wife be with Bairn. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxvi, It wasna my faut; he canna wyte me. 1826 Galt Last of Lairds xviii. 161 She had got an injury and wyted me. |
| absol. 1340 Ayenb. 69 Zuo hit is huanne god his..chasteþ, and maugre hy wyteþ. c 1430 Chev. Assigne 136 Moche mone was therfore but no man wyte moste. |
† b. Const. obj. and inf. (see to prep. B. 8): To blame a person for doing so-and-so. Obs.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. iv. 155 Wijting..vsers of ymagis to be gilti of vntrewe feith. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxxiv. 20 Quha sould thame wyte To serue thair beistlie lust? c 1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) xi. 51 To lufe ȝour ladeis quho can wyt ȝow? a 1585 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 759 Quhat tyme he wytit Will To be maist cause of his mischeif. |
c. Const. of, later for, with, that in respect of which blame is incurred.
| c 1290 Beket 2087 in S. Eng. Leg. 166 Non oþur gulti nis of þat ȝe witez me. a 1300 Cursor M. 17772 He o mani plight was wijt [Gött. witt]. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 501 Wyte not me for þe werk þat I hit wolde help. c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 110 Ther nas no lacke with wiche he myght her wite. 1481 Caxton Reynard viii. (Arb.) 17 None shal wyte me therof. 1533 Gau Richt Vay (S.T.S.) 90 Lat vsz noth veit the deuil..of ony aduersite quhilk cumis to vsz. 1549 Coverdale, etc. Erasm. Par. Rom. ix. 19–26 Nothyng had Pharao to wyte God withal. c 1550 Rolland Crt. Venus Prol. 197 Thay say it is fals destenie And wyitis Fortoun of thair misgouernance. 17.. Gil Morrice xxv. in Child Ballads II. 273 Neir wyte a man for violence That neir wate ye wi nane. 1816 Scott Bl. Dwarf ix, A' the wrang he can wyte me wi. |
3. To lay the fault or blame upon (a thing). † Also with const. as in 2 c.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 27769 He wites werd [MS. wend] and waris his time. c 1520 Skelton Magnyf. 2304 Alasse, my wyckydnesse, that may I wyte! 1528 Tindale Obed. Chr. Man Prol. 22 To wite Gods worde and the true preachers of all the mischeve which their lying doctrine is the very cause of. 1549 Compl. Scot. iv. 64 Allace i vyit ȝour tua fayr ene. 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. xi. 57 Albe he earst did wyte His wauering mind. a 1598 D. Ferguson Scot. Prov. (S.T.S.) 12 All thing wytes that well not faires. 1603 Philotus clxx, Wyte ignorance that I did not invent. |
4. to wite was freq. used predicatively in senses 2 and 3 = to blame, blameworthy, in fault, culpable.
| a 1300 Floris & Bl. (Camb. MS.) 723 Of al þis gilt ihc am to wite. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 76 More to wyte is her wrange, Þen any wylle gentyl. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 116 Ha fol, how thou art forto wyte. a 1425 Cursor M. 876 (Trin.) Þat þou hast þus don þis mis Þi seluen is to wite [Cott. þiself þou wite þi wa]. c 1480 Henryson Test. Cress. 134 O fals Cupide, is nane to wyte bot thow. |
Hence ˈwiter, ˈwiting vbl. n.1
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. ii. ii. 143 Alle such ouerhastie iugers and wijters God amende. Ibid. ii. iv. 155 Thilk doom and thilk wijting..is vntrewe. 1825 Jamieson, Witer, one who blames another Clydesd. |
▪ IV. † wite, v.2 Obs.
Forms: 1 witan, 2–4 wite (3 witte, imp. wit), 3–4 wyte (4 white); pres. 3rd sing. 2–3 wit; 3 wat, wot; pa. tense 2–4 wiste, 3–4 wuste (4 wist, wust, wste); pa. pple. 3–4 iwust, 4 iwist.
[OE. witan, usually in compound bewitan (pres. -wát, pa. tense -wiste) biwit v.; cf. OFris. wita, OHG. wiȥȥên in giwiȥȥên, irwiȥȥên to be observant, watch, Goth. witan (pa. tense witaida): f. Teut. wit-: see wit v.1 In ME. dialects where the inf. ending -ie(n is not preserved, this verb is indistinguishable from witie v.2 Some ME. forms point to OE. w{iacu}tan.]
1. trans. To keep, keep safe, guard, preserve, defend. Also refl.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 154 Þæt bið god swefen, wite þu þæt ᵹeorne on þinre heortan. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 79 [He] brohte him to an hors huse, and bitahte hine þe hors horde to witene. Ibid. 85 Meiden þet hire meiden-hat wit. a 1200 Moral Ode 84 in O.E. Hom. I. 165 He wit and waleð alle þing. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 29 Witte wel hwat þu hauest. Ibid. 31 Herdes..wittende here oref. Ibid. 137 To witen him of alle flesliche lustes. c 1205 Lay. 21302 Nu him is al swa þere gat þer he þene hul wat [c 1275 wot]. c 1230 Hali Meid. (1922) 16 Ȝef ha wit hire wiðute bruche. c 1275 Passion our Lord 18 in O.E. Misc. 37 Yf we vs wyteþ from heued⁓sunne. a 1300 X Commandm. 34 in E.E.P. (1862) 16 Wit þe fram licheri. a 1300 Floris & Bl. (Camb. MS.) 756 His engin whan þu hit wite, Þe betere wiþ oþere þu miȝt þe wite. c 1320 Cast. Love 168 Two lawen Adam scholde i-wis Witen and holden in paradis. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. x. 67 Bote þei witen hem from wantounesse, whil þat þei ben ȝonge. a 1400 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems 255 Ley þou þi fet to my pappe, And wite þe from þe colde. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 33 Voydyng slaundre, wyte the of gelousye. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. i. 546 This wol from the wesel wite hem well. |
Illustration of pa. tense and pple.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 43 An meiden.. þet wel wiste hire licome in alle clenesse. c 1205 Lay. 1693 Brutus..hine wel wuste. a 1225 Ancr. R. 48 Wite wel þine heorte, uor soule lif is in hire, ȝif heo is wel iwust. 13.. St. Alexius (Trin. MS.) 102 Hy þoȝte on crist day and nyȝt And wiste [Laud MS. kepte] here fro senne. a 1325 MS. Rawl. B. 520 lf. 32 That eueriche contreie..ben so i wuste þat [etc.]. c 1350 Will. Palerne 172 Ȝhe wist it as wel or bet as ȝif it were hire owne. |
2. Const. clause: To take care, see (that).
| a 1000 Sec. Laws Cnut lxxv, Wite se oðer..þæt he hit bete. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 154 Wite þæt þin ᵹeþanc ne losiᵹe. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 11 Wite ȝe þet ȝe ȝemen þenne halie sunnedei. Ibid. 53 Witeð eow þet ȝe ne beo noht þe foaȝe neddre. |
3. To see, observe. Also intr. to look on.
| c 1320 Cast. Love 1256 Hose w{supt} þe swerd smite, Two kuynden he miȝte sen and wite [rime smite]. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 15860 Þat non ne scholde hem se ne wite [rime lite]. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 2050 Þe wyȝe wynnez hym to, & wytez on his lyre. |
Hence † witing vbl. n.2, keeping, custody.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 418 Of swuche witunge is i-kumen muchel vuel. |
▪ V. † wite, v.3 Obs.
Forms: 1 witan, 2–5 wite, 4 wit(t, 4–5 wyte, 5 witte. pa. tense 3 wot, 4–5 wat; 4 wited, 5 wyted, wit. pa. pple. 3 Orm. witenn, 4 wite.
[OE. w{iacu}tan (rare), usually ᵹew{iacu}tan i-wite v.2, q.v.]
intr. To go, go away, depart; to perish, vanish away.
| a 1000 Boeth. Metr. xxiv. 52 Nylle ic æfre hionan ut witan. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 239 Witeð into ece fer. c 1200 Ormin 8222 Affterr þatt Herode king wass witenn ut off life. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 109 Abacuc, þe wunede on þis weorlde and eft þerof wot. Ibid. 123 Hider he cumeð on wowe and heðen wit on wowe. a 1300 Cursor M. 8968 Hu all þis werld sal wite awai. Ibid. 10551 Quen þis angel a-wai was wite. Ibid. 11262 Þir angels wited þam ewai. a 1340 Hampole Psalter Prol., All gladnes & delite of erth..wytes til noght. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxii. (Justin) 229 As a reke away he wat. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 708, I may noghte wit of this woo. c 1400 St. Alexius (Laud 622) 191 Þe kniȝttes waten on & on To her owen cuntre. c 1420 Prose Life Alex. 90 Bi þe son settynge þay wyted a-way in-to þe erthe agayne. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. cxii. 1187 Quhen þis wes said he wit away. c 1425 Thomas Erceld. 327 Whene a tree rote es dede The leues fadis þane & wytis a-waye. c 1480 Henryson in Poems Gray MS. vi. 65 (S.T.S.) 56 Full oft Is sene thir emotis in ane hillok ay Rinnand oute befor þin ene; with litill weit þai wit away. |
▪ VI. wite
obs. f. wight, wit v.1