† affamish, v. Obs.
Also 7 afamish.
[f. Fr. affame-r, OFr. afamer, afemer, = Pr. afamar, It. affamare, pointing to a late L. or early Rom. *affamāre, f. ad to, famem hunger. Many OFr. vbs. in -er had variants in -ir, -iss-ant (whence Eng. -ish); cf. affeeble, affeeblish; on this analogy other Fr. vbs. in -er received the ending -ish in Eng.]
1. trans. To afflict with hunger or famine; to starve.
| 1568 Bible (‘Bishops’) Gen. xlii. 55 All the land of Egypt was affamished. 1615 Byfield On Coloss. i. 21 (1869) 125/2 The deadness of his heart, which afamisheth the soul in spiritual things. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts 249 The foolish slothful man..affamisheth himselfe with wilfull idleness. |
2. intr. (for refl.) To suffer or perish from hunger.
| 1622 Bp. Hall Serm. 130 That men may not affamish, whom God hath fed. 1655 G. Hall Triumphs of Rome 123 Beggars which are ready to affamish for want. |