▪ I. † methe, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 mǽþ, 3 maþe, mæþ, meaþ, 3–5 meþ, 4–5 methe, 5 meeþ.
[OE. mǽþ fem.:—OTeut. type *mæ̂þi-z (not found outside Eng.) = Gr. µῆτι-ς counsel, Skr. māti measure:—Indogermanic *mēti-s whence L. mētīrī to measure; f. root *mē- (Teut. *mæ̂-) to measure, whence OTeut. *mæ̂lo{supm} meal n.2]
1. Measure, proportion, fixed quantity.
| c 1000 ælfric Exod. xxii. 17 ᵹif se fæder hiᵹ him syllan nelle, ᵹilde be þære ᵹiftan mæðe. c 1205 Lay. 977 Ȝif we sceoteð to heora mæðe [c 1275 meþe] Þat bið ure imone deað. a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxix. 6 Þou salt..gif vs drink in teres in meth [Vulg. in mensura]. |
2. Moderation, temperance.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 29 Cune sume meðe þenne þu almesse makest. a 1240 Sawles Warde in Cott. Hom. 257 Mi þridde suster meað spekeð of þe middel sti bituhhe riht. c 1357 Lay Folks Catech. (MS.T.) 440 The seuent vertu and the laste is methe or methefulnesse,—Temperancia. |
3. Respect, consideration; kindness.
| c 1000 Inst. Polity c. 25 in Thorpe Laws II. 338 ælc cristen man ah mycele þearfe þæt he on þam griðe mycle mæþe wite. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2498 Alle he fellen him ðor to fot, To beðen meðe and bedden oc. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. 103 Ȝef ich the buere to muche meth, Thou wolt me bringe to helle deth. c 1320 Cast. Love 318 Heo him duden in prisun of deþ, And pynede him sore wiþ-outen meþ. 13.. Propr. Sanct. (Vernon MS.) in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LXXXI. 102/315 But þer as God, ful of meþ, ffleih to Egipte from his deþ [etc.]. a 1400–50 Alexander 816 All..on knese fallis, And in his mercy & meth mekely þaim put. |
4. Modesty, gentleness.
| c 1325 Know Thyself 35 in E.E.P. (1862) 131 With þi maistrie medel þi meþ For vche mon ouȝt hym self to knowe. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 107 And Mari ledd hir lif with methe, In a toun that hiht Nazarethe. 13.. Metr. Hom. (Vernon MS.) in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LVII. 269 But heo hedde Meth, as worschipful wyf, ffor heo nas nout to hastyf. c 1375 Cursor M. 7858 (Fairf.) Of him come Iesse meke of meth. c 1450 Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 157 Amos spak with mylde methe. |
▪ II. † methe, a. Obs.
Cf. myth a.
[? From the attrib. use of prec.]
Gentle, courteous.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 10152 Elizabeth, An hali leuedi mild and meth, Þat spused was to zachari. a 1440 St. John Evang. (Thornton MS.) 57 Thou was methe and meke as maydene for mylde. |
▪ III. † methe, v. Obs.
[OE. mǽðian, f. methe n.]
1. trans. To spare, have mercy upon. (In OE. with dative.)
| c 1000 Wulfstan Hom. 59/17 He sylð arleasnysse þæt he ne ariᵹe ne eac ne mæðiᵹe his underþeoddum ne his ᵹelicum. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1046 Quad god, ‘find ic ðor ten or mo, Ic sal meðen ðe stede for ðo’. |
2. To moderate, regulate, temper.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 13 Ðet foremeste is riht medeme mel þe man þe hit meðeð riht þe suneð aleð gestninge [etc.]. Ibid. 139 He..meðede þo his liflode swo þat he was bicumelich to swiche wike. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 13615 Ȝyf þey hem self couþe haue meþed & als þer strokes couþe haue leþed..Gret prowesse of þem had ben told. |
▪ IV. methe
variant of mathe, mead n.1