▪ I. indite, v.
(ɪnˈdaɪt)
Forms: α. 4–6 endyte, 4–9 endite, (5 enditt, 6 endight, -dyt, 6–7 erron. endict). β. 5–6 indyte, 6 indight, -dyt(t, (-ditie), 6– indite, (6–8 erron. indict). See also adyte.
[a. OF. enditer, -ditier, -ditter:—L. type *indictāre, f. in- (in-2) + dictāre to declare, dictate, compose in words, freq. of dīcĕre to say. The same word orig. as indict, but retaining the French form of the radical part.]
† 1. trans. To utter, suggest, or inspire a form of words which is to be repeated or written down; = dictate v. 1. Also absol. Obs.
| α c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. i. met. i. 1 (Camb. MS.) Rendynge Muses of poetes enditen to me thinges to ben writen and drery vers. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 16 The holy gost endited the rewle hymselfe by his holy mouthe to saynt Birgit. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 267/1 As he endyted the lettre..and another monk wrote hit. 1600 Holland Livy xxxi. ix. (1609) 778 The Consull pronounced the vow according to the very same forme of words (as the high priest endited and spake before him). 1639 Fuller Holy War v. ii. (1647) 231 In this case their words are endited not from their heart but outward limbes. 1815 T. Jefferson Writ. (1830) IV. 251 English newspapers endited or endowed by the Castlereaghs or the Cannings. |
| β c 1440 Promp. Parv. 139/2 Endytyn, or indytyn scripture and feyre speche, dicto. 1483 Cath. Angl. 195/2 To Indyte, dictare, jndictare. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. i. (1594) 84 Iulius Cæsar..would indight a letter to one of his secretaries. a 1633 Austin Medit. (1635) 160 That..I may alwaies beleeve what the Spirit of Love hath Indited, and the beloved Disciple hath written. 1657 Sparrow Bk. Com. Prayer 94 The Common Prayers which were indicted or denounced by the voice of the Deacon. 1717 Prior To the Earl of Oxford 4 Smiling, bid her freely write What her happy thoughts indite. 1727 W. Mather Yng. Man's Comp. Pref., Canonical Scripture, which is indicted by the Holy Ghost. |
† 2. To enjoin as a law, precept, or maxim; = dictate v. 2. Obs.
| 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. vii. 61 Iustyce ne maye nought endyten this sentence that this shold be due. 1594 Carew Huarte's Exam. Wits v. (1596) 66 Out of one consideration endicted to them by their Schoolemaister, they will gather a hundred. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 299 God himselfe..hath indited these things to us. 1709 Pope Ess. Crit. i. 92 Hear how learn'd Greece her useful rules endites, When to repress and when indulge our flights. |
b. To dictate to, enjoin (a person).
| c 1399 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 15 Noght only to my king of pes y write, Bot to these othre princes cristene alle, That ech of hem his oghne herte endite. 1582–8 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 5 Shoe constraint nane of her subiects to exercise in religion utherwayes than thair conscience indytit thame. |
3. To put into words, compose (a poem, tale, speech, etc.); to give a literary or rhetorical form to (words, an address); to express or describe in a literary composition.
| α a 1340 Hampole Psalter, Cant. 499 Anna..made þis psalme enditand it. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 6 Thesiphone þow helpe me for tendite This woful vers. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 1854 Endite in Latyne or in Frensshe thy grief clere. 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 64 Quho could wele endyte How all the feldis..Depaynt war brycht. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1223/1 He hadde deuised his artycles so wysely, and endicted the[m] so well. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 35 The ditty in miter so aptly endighted to the matter. 1659 Hammond On Ps. lxxiv. (title) The Seventy Fourth Psalm..seems to have been endited under the captivity. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams i. (1692) 118 That which comes to the institute I handle was thus endicted. 1692 W. Lowth Vind. (1699) 8 Unless..God cannot order a Book to be writ in as Intelligible a manner, as men can endite it. |
| β 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. iii. i, Ye musis nine..caus me dewlie till indite this storie. 1555 J. Proctor Wyat's Reb. Ded., Moving others to indict and pen stories. c 1560 A. Scott Poems xiii. 8 Sum thame delytis till indyte Fair facound speich. 1611 Bible Ps. xlv. 1 My heart is inditing a good matter. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 27 Not sedulous by Nature to indite Warrs, hitherto the onely Argument Heroic deem'd. c 1706 Prior Her Right Name 21 Old Homer only could indite Their vagrant grace and soft delight. a 1800 Cowper Ode to Apollo 3 Luckless brains, That..Indite much metre with much pains, And little or no meaning. 1847 Disraeli Tancred iii. iv, Men far too well acquainted with their subject to indite such tales of the Philistines as these! |
b. absol. or intr.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 367 For is none of þis newe clerkes..Þat can versifye faire ne formalich enditen. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1883 Of this bataille I wol namoore endite. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys Introd. (Roxb.) 3 The matere wych I wyl of wryte Althow but rudely I kun endyte. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) p. lxii, Of gay matters to sing & to endite. 1687 Waller On his Divine Poems 2 The subject made us able to indite. 1742 Shenstone Schoolmistress 167 Sigh'd as he sung and did in tears indite. |
4. trans. To put into written words, write, pen (a letter, etc.); to inscribe, set down, or enter in writing. In later use, passing into 3, the ‘wording’ being more thought of than the actual writing.
| 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 181 Þanne let þe lordliche king lettres endite. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 51 Saye that ye your self haue made the lettre and endited it. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xxx. (Percy Soc.) 149 Whan for my selfe she did so well indite, As I shall shew..The gentyll fourme and tenour of her letter. 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 227 A letter of diffiance, bothe for the stile and the pennyng excellently endited. 1588 J. Mellis Briefe Instr. E iij b, Thus yee shall indight the parcell of the Journall into the Debitor, that is on the left hand. 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 4 He may..be improved to endite Tickets for the Bear-garden. 1745 De Foe's Eng. Tradesman ii. (1841) I. 11 The young Man's learning how to indite his letters in a tradesman's style. 1870 Disraeli Lothair lxix. 367 He would probably find that functionary inditing a private letter to the English Secretary of State. |
¶ 5. Catachr. a. for invite; b. for inscribe. Obs.
| 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. ii. iv. 135 She will endite him to some Supper. 1597 ― 2 Hen. IV, ii. i. 30 Hee is indited to dinner to the Lubbars head in Lombard street. 1793 J. Williams Life Ld. Barrymore 115, I will not indite his sepulchre with that adulatory language. |
Hence inˈdited ppl. a.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 139/2 Endytyd (K. or indityd) as scripture and speche, dictatus. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 46 Her wel endighted dialog. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xxxviii. §2 The Prophet Dauid..left behind him..a number of diuinely endited Poems. 1626 W. Fenner Hidden Manna (1652) 10 An indited Epistle, which an unskilful Ideot..cannot read. |
▪ II. † inˈdite, n. Sc. Obs.
In 6 en-, indite, en-, indyte.
[f. indite v.: cf. dite n.1]
1. The action or faculty of inditing.
| 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 270 This Ile before was bare, and desolate Off rhetorike, or lusty fresch endyte. ― Flyting w. Kennedie 109 Thow hes full littill feill of fair indyte. 1573 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxix. 324 My dull indyte can not direct my pen. |
2. Style of composing, literary style; also, the thing indited, a composition; esp. a poem.
| 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon., Envoy iii, Thy barrant termis, and thy vile indite Sall not be mine. 1513 ― æneis Pref. 2 Laude, honor, prasingis, thankis infynite To the, and thi dulce ornate fresch endite Mast reuerend Virgill. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche 6335 All gentyll Redaris hertlye I Implore For tyll excuse my rurall rude Indyte. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. iii. 212 In poetrie I traist ȝow be na barne, Quhilk dois reheirs the Poetis auld indyte. 1570 Ibid. xx. 7 Desyring all, baith greit and small..Not for to wyte my rude Indyte. |
▪ III. indite
obs. or archaic form of indict v.