Whitsun
(ˈhwɪtsən)
Forms: 3 witsonen, witesone, 4 witsone, 4–6 Wytson, 5 Wyte-, Wytt-, White-, Whyght-, (Sc. Vit-), 5–6 Whyt-, 5–7 Wit-, 5–8 Whitson, 6 Whitsone, Wytsone, -sen, Witteson, (Sc. Vytson), 7–8 Whitsund, Whit-sun, 7– Whitsun. β. 5 Sc. quysson, 5, 9 dial. Whisson, 7 Whesen. (See also following words.)
[ME. w(h)itsone(n, the first two elements of Whit Sunday, Whitsunday, analysed as Whitsun Day. Cf. ON. hv{iacu}tasunna Whitsunday, hv{iacu}tasunnuvika Whitsun week, hv{iacu}tasunnuaptann Whitsun eve.]
1. Used attrib. to denote something belonging to, connected with, or occurring at the season of Whit Sunday or Whitsuntide: as Whitsun air, Whitsun contribution, Whitsun fair, Whitsun holiday, Whitsun market, Whitsun morn, Whitsun morris-dance, Whitsun pastoral; Whitsun ale Hist. [ale 3], a parish festival formerly held at Whitsuntide, marked by feasting, sports, and merry-making; † Whitsun eve, even [eve n.1 2, even n. 2], the day before Whit Sunday; † Whitsun farthing = pentecostal n.; Whitsun gillyflower, local name for a double-flowered variety of rocket (Hesperis matronalis); † Whitsun lady, lord, titles of the leading or presiding personages at a Whitsun ale; Whitsun week, the week beginning with Whit Sunday, Whit-week. Also occas. in names of the days of Whit-week, as Whitsun Sunday (obs. or dial.) = Whit Sunday, Whitsun Monday, etc. = Whit Monday, etc. (see after Whit Sunday). See also Whitsuntide.
| 1846 Keble Lyra Innoc. x. xi, Thy dread Hours, Thou awful Trinity, Are but the *Whitsun airs, new set on high. |
| 1614 W. Browne Sheph. Pipe i. C 6, This is a Tale Would befit our *Whitson-ale. 1619 Pasquils Palin. B 3, Happy the age,..When euery village did a May-pole raise, And Whitson-ales, and May-games did abound. 1633 Chas. I. Decl. conc. Sports 11 That after the end of Diuine Seruice, Our good people be not disturbed, letted, or discouraged from..hauing of May-Games, Whitson Ales, and Morris⁓dances. 1698 Wallis in Phil. Trans. XX. 301 When they flock about a Ballad-Singer in a Fair, or the Morrice-Dancers at a Whitsund Ale. 1727 Somerville Yeoman of Kent 32 At Whitson-ales king of the May..He tript it on each holyday. 1842 J. Aiton Dom. Econ. (1857) 95 Royal proclamations had failed to revive Whitsunales, and May games, and Morris dancers. People will not be merry by rule. |
| 1695 Kennett Par. Antiq. ix. 597 The Pentecostals or *Whitsun-contributions. |
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 11855 A *witsonen eue hii come þer. ? 1475 Paston Lett. (1904) V. 232 Wretyn at Mawteby, on Wyteson eve. 1553–4 in Swayne Churchw. Acc. Sarum (1896) 99 Ryngyng' none on Whytson yeve, ij d. 1624 Laud Diary 15 May, Saturday, Whitsun-eve, The Bill passed in Parliament. 1709 First Publishers of Truth (1907) 242 The day Called whitsoneve. |
| c 1425 in Rep. MSS. Ld. Middleton (Hist. MSS. Comm. 1911) 107 On *Qwysson even everilke man breke his severyll gresse, os hym lykes. 1535 Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.) 165 On Wytson evyne was a gret thonder at London. 1620 Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 26/1 Die Sabbati ante festum Pentecostes lie Witson-evin et 12 Nov. |
| 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. i. 427 Loitering at the *Whitsun-fair. |
| 1656 in Urwick Nonconf. Worc. (1897) 56 Oblations commonly called by the name of *Whitson Farthings payable to the Dean and Chapter of W[orcester]. 1730 Bailey (folio) s.v. Quadragesimals, Pentecostals or Whitsund Farthings. 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XVIII. 852/1 Whitsun-Farthings, otherwise called Smoke-farthings.., a composition for offerings..anciently made in Whitsun-week by every man in England, who occupied a house with a chimney, to the cathedral church of the diocese. |
| 1656 W. Coles Art of Simpling xi. 33 May brings Roses, Pinks, *Whitsungilliflowers. 1886 Britten & Holland Plant-n., Gilliflower, Whitsun. The double-flowered variety of Hesperis matronalis,..Som. (Whitsun Gilawfers). |
| 1533 Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.) 163 Justis at Weste[m]ynster all þe *Wytson halydais. 1609 B. Jonson Silent Wom. iii. i, Were you ever so much as look'd upon by a Lord,..but on the Easter, or Whitsonholydayes? 1715 Lond. Gaz. No. 5336/1 Their Majesties intend to go after the Whitsun-Holidays to Marienzell. |
| 1656 Heylin Surv. France 47 A Kitchen-wench,..now so tricked up with scarfs, rings, and cross-garters, that you never saw a *Whitsun-Lady better rigged. |
| 1611 Melismata F 2 b, Ich haue beene twise our *Whitson Lord. 1633 B. Jonson Tale of Tub Prol. 8 Old records Of antique proverbs, drawn from Whitson-lords. |
| 1495 Halyburton Ledger (1867) 108 At the *Vitson merkat. |
| 1501 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 154 From Lyncolns Inne,..this *Whitsonemunday. 1622 in Crt. & Times Jas. I. (1848) II. 315 The new Venetian ambassador..had his first audience on Whitsun-Monday. 1687 MSS. Dk. Rutland (Hist. MSS. Comm.) II. 113 Whesen Monday. 1778 Eng. Gazetteer (ed. 2), Linton,..10 miles from Cambridge..has a market on Thursday, and fairs on Whitsun-Monday, and August 4. |
| 1535 Starkey Let. in England (1871) p. xxii, Your letturys..were receyuyd apon *Wytson morn. |
| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, ii. iv. 25 Busied with a *Whitson Morris-dance. |
| 1611 ― Wint. T. iv. iv. 134, I play as I haue seene them do In *Whitson-Pastorals. |
| 1556 Chron. Grey Friars (Camden) 36 On *Wytsonsonday, which was the xxxj. of May, was the coronacion. 1825 Brockett N.C. Gloss., Whisson-Sunday, Whitsunday. |
| 1612 Hopton Concord. Yeares 173 *Whitsun-thursday. |
| 1599 Min. Archdeaconry of Colchester lf. 248 (MS.) In the afternoone on Whitson monday and *Whitson tuasedaye all daye. 1662 Bk. Com. Prayer N 3, Whitsun Tuesday. 1839 Penny Cycl. XIII. 403/1. |
| 1549 Compl. Scot. 168 *Vytson veddyinsday. |
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 10542 Þe þorsdai þe *witesonewouke to londone lowis com. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xl. (Ninian) 734 Of witsone owke þe twysday. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxii. 147 Apon a Seterday in Whisson woke. 1478 Paston Lett. III. 224 Wretyn at London, the Wednysdaye in Whyghtsonweke. 1551–2 Act 5 & 6 Edw. VI c. 3 Monday and Tewisdaye in Witteson weike. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. i. 95 On Wednesday in Whitson week. 1634 Bk. Com. Prayer H 5, Munday in Whitsun weeke. 1848 Mrs. Gaskell Mary Barton v, The great annual town-holiday of Whitsun-week. |
2. n. Short for
Whitsuntide.
rare.
| 1849 Disraeli in Monypenny & Buckle Life (1914) III. viii. 204 There will be a hot and perhaps eventful campaign between this and Whitsun. 1856 Ibid. (1916) IV. iii. 45 Between Easter and Whitsun. |