▪ I. † lait, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 léᵹet(u, l{iacu}ᵹet(u, -yt, léᵹeð, 2–4 leit, 2, 4 leyt, 3 liȝt, 4 laite, layt(e, leyȝt, 4–5 leate, late, 6 layth.
[OE. léᵹet, l{iacu}ᵹet masc. and neut., l{iacu}ᵹetu fem., f. léᵹ, l{iacu}eᵹ flame. Cf. lait v.1]
Lightning; occas. flash of fire.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. iii. (1890) 268 Drihten..leᵹetas sceotað of heofonum. 971 Blickl. Hom. 91 æfter þæm wolcne cymeþ leᵹetu. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxviii. 3 Hys ansyn wæs swylce liᵹyt [c 1160 Hatton, leyt]. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 43 Heore eþem scean swa deð þe leit a-monge þunre. c 1205 Lay. 25599 Me þuhte..þat þa sæ gon to berne of leite & of fure. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6283 Ech dunt þoȝte liȝt [MS. B leyȝt] as it were and þondring. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 199 He loked as layt so lyȝt. 1340 Ayenb. 66 Lhapþ þet smeþ efter þe layt. 1382 Wyclif Exod. ix. 23 The Lord ȝaf..dyversly rennynge leytis upon the erthe. c 1449 Pecock Repr. 482 Leit gooth out of the eest and apperith into the west. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvii. xi, Ther felle a sodeyne tempest and thonder layte and rayne. ? a 1500 Chester Pl. II. 85 Leate, thounder, and eirth beganne to quake, Therof I am adreade. 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge ii. 121 Thondryng and layth, erth-quake moost terrible. |
▪ II. † lait, n.2 Obs.
In 5 laytt.
[f. lait v.2]
Searching, search.
| c 1460 Towneley Myst. xxiv. 238 Lefe syrs, let be youre laytt and loke that ye layn. |
▪ III. † lait, v.1 Obs.
Forms: 3–4 leite(n, 5 layt, pa. tense 3 leited, 5 layt, laytid.
[? OE. *légettan, f. léᵹ, l{iacu}eᵹ (:—*laugi-z) flame; cognate and parallel formations are Goth. lauhatjan, OHG. lohaȥȥan, loheȥên, -ôn, lougazzan.]
intr. To flash, gleam, lighten. Hence † leitende (= *laiting) ppl. a.
| c 1205 Lay. 18539 Ofte he hire lokede on & leitede mid eȝene. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1370 Iþe leitende fur, het warpen euch fot. a 1225 St. Marher. 13 Ich loki ne mei, swa þæt liht leomeð ant leiteð. a 1225 Ancr. R. 356 Ne kumeð non into Parais bute þuruh þisse leitende sweorde. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 95 The thunder-stroke smit, er it leite. c 1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 2228 Hyt laytyd, thondred, and reynned among. Ibid. 2234 Hyt raynyd ne thondryd ne layt nout Sythen thou wentyst out of thys toune. |
▪ IV. lait, v.2 Obs. exc. dial.
(leɪt)
Forms: 4 latt, 4–5 layte, lait(e, 5–9 late, 9 lait.
[a. ON. leita, corresponding to OE. wlátian to behold, Goth. wlaitôn (περιβλέπεσθαι); related by ablaut to ON. lit-r, OE. wlite aspect, appearance, OS. wliti face, form, Goth. wlit-s face, and ON. l{iacu}ta, OE. wl{iacu}tan to look.]
1. trans. To look or search for; to seek, try to find. Also with inf. or clause as object.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 7323 Omang þir puple sal þou latt A stalworth man þat saul haitt. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 277 He lurkkes & laytes where watz le best. a 1350 St. James 305 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 101 Graithly up he laites and lukes All his bagges and all his bokes. a 1400 Sir Perc. 255 The grete Godd for to layte Fynde hyme whenne he may. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 237 Aventures for to layt in land. a 1400–1450 Alexander 2341 (Dubl.) Lates ane oþer lodesman, alosed more of strenth. c 1440 York Myst. xvii. 111 Vn-witty men ȝe werre To lepe ouere lande to late a ladde. 1674–91 Ray N.C. Words, To Late, Cumb. to seek. 1787 Grose Prov. Gloss., Lait, to seek any thing hidden. N. 1864 Atkinson Stanton Grange 122 Now, all you can do is to late her poor little body. 1891 ― Moorland Par. 136 Are you laiting goud? |
† b. To search or look through; to examine.
| 13.. St. Erkenwolde 155 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 269 We haue oure librarie laitid þes longe seuene dayes. |
2. absol. or intr. To look, search. Also dial. To look for a word; to hesitate in speech.
| c 1300 Cursor M. 5975 Quar-to suld yee ferrer lait. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 97 Sayde þe lorde to þo ledez, laytez ȝet ferre. c 1400 Destr. Troy 7669 All..laited aftur þe lede with a light wille. c 1460 Towneley Myst. x. 137 And this is, who wyll late, The sext moneth of hyr conceytate, That geld is cald. Ibid. xviii. 180 Thise ar the commaundmentys ten, who so will lely layt. 1804 R. Anderson Cumberld. Ball. 87 He ne'er hes a teale widout laitin. |
▪ V. lait
Sc. and north. form of late.