▪ I. † wede, v. Obs.
Forms: 1 wédan (3 sing. pres. wét(t), 3 weden, -enn, 3–5 wede, (3 weede, 4 wed, wedde, 3–4 wide), 5 Sc. weide, weid, weyd.
[OE. wédan = OS. wôdian, OHG. wuoten (MHG. wueton, mod.G. wüten), ON. œ́ða:—OTeut. *wōđjan, f. *wōđo- mad: see wood a.]
1. intr. To be or become mad. Cf. awede.
| c 900 Bæda's Hist. v. xiii. (1890) 438 Cwæð he; Ne wede ic [L. non insanio]. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John x. 20 Deofol is on him & he wet. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1264 Þes keiser..as mon þet bigon to weden & to wurðen ut of his ahne witte, wodeliche ȝeide [etc.]. a 1300 Cursor M. 3749 Me es sua waa, almast i weede. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1509 He..went hom aȝeine, Weping as he wold wide for wo & for sorwe. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B 1585 So was þe wyȝe wytles, he wed wel ner. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 539, I am all in aunter, sa akis me þe wame, Of werke well ne I wede. c 1400 Rowland & Otuel 936 He..ferde als he wolde wede. a 1413 Anturs of Arth. 558 (Ireland MS.) Neȝtehond Syr Wauan wold wede, So wepputte he fulle sore. |
b. Phrase. to wede (out) of, but wit.
| 13.. Cursor M. 13975 Of þis womman þe grete fairede Did mani man of witt to wede. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. v. x. 1903 Bot ay withe roris reythe he [rerde], Wedande but wit as a wode man. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 651 Nighe of witte she wold wede. c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 205 Thocht I for wo all out off witt suld weid! |
2. To be wild with anger or desire; to rage. Const. again; to (do something).
| c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xvi. 225 He [the Devil] wet nu swiðe and wynð on ða cristenan. c 1200 Ormin 14140 Fra þatt grediȝnesse Þatt doþ þe mann to wedenn rihht To winnenn erþlic ahhte. a 1225 Ancr. R. 264 Hwon mon loggeð him bi ure Louerde, þeonne on erest biginneð þe deoflen to weden. a 1300 Cursor M. 2408 Quen þai þe see, for þi fairhede To reue me þe þan sal þai wede. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. v. vi. 1179 Fra þine he cessit for to weide Agayne þe cristyn men in deide. Ibid. v. xiii. 4624 In ire as he was wedande þen. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xv. 47 No wonder if I wede, I that may do no dede; how shuld I theder wyn ffor eld? a 1500 Ratis Raving 2480 Wedand in a rage. |
b. Of waves, pestilence: To rage, be furious.
| c 900 Bæda's Hist. iii. xv. (1890) 200 Þa yða weollon & weddon þæs sæs. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. iii. 230 In Scotlande þat ȝhere in wiolence [Was] wedande þe thride pestilence. |
Hence † ˈweding (Sc. wedand) ppl. a., raging, raving.
| c 725 Corpus Gloss. L 198 Limphaticus, woedendi. c 888 ælfred Boeth. vii. §4 Hwa mæᵹ þæm wedendan ᵹietsere ᵹenoh forᵹifan? c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xliii. (Cecilia) 572 Almacius cane til hire say: þat wedand wodnes do away, & sacryfy oure godis til. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. viii. xi. 1776 Al brym he belyt in to brethe, And wrythit al in wedand wrethe. a 1500 Ratis Raving 1644 Fore wedand Joy beand in vages Lattis al suthfast gud knawleges. |
▪ II. wede
obs. form of weed.