▪ I. flite, flyte, n. Now dial.
(flaɪt)
Forms: 1–3 fl{iacu}t, 3–4, 9 flite, flitt(e, 4–5 flyt, (5 floyt, 7 fleyte), 8 flight, 8– flyte.
[OE. flît str. neut., f. flitan (see next): cf. OFris. and OS. flît (Du. vlijt), OHG. flîȥ (MHG. vlîȥ, Ger. fleiss diligence, zeal.)
The flitt of the Cursor M., where spelling and rime indicate a short vowel, is prob. a parallel formation repr. OE. ᵹeflit.]
† 1. Contention, strife, a dispute; also, abuse, an abusive speech. Obs.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. xlix. [l.] 21 Toᵹeanes sunu modor ðine ðu settest flit. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 43 Ech þat is weorldes frend is ure drihtenes fo, and halt flit wið him. a 1300 Cursor M. 24537 (Cott.) Quen i..thogh apon þat juus flitt, þe tere fell o min ei. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 93 Na mar moves me thi flyt Than it war a flies byt. 1600 in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) IV. 281 Fleytes and pretty taunts. |
† b. A contest, struggle. Obs.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 421 Þe arc..flote forthe with þe flyt of þe felle wyndez. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 581 The duke of Bedforde..had a great floyt and batayll with dyuers carykkes of Ieane. |
2. A scolding-match.
| 1768 Ross Fort. Sheph. i. 111 We'll ablins get a flyte, an' ablins nane. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxxix, ‘I think maybe a flyte wi' the auld housekeeper at Monkbarns..would do me some gude.’ 1876 Mid. Yorksh. Gloss., There's such a flite going on between them. |
▪ II. flite, flyte, v. Now dial.
(flaɪt)
Forms: inf. 1–2 flitan, 2–3 fliten, (5 flytin), 3–6, 9 flite, (3 flitte, 5–6 flight, 6 flicht, 9 fleicht, fleyte,) 4– flyte. pa. tense 1 flát, pl. fliton, fleotun, 4 flytte, 4–5 flot(e, 5, 8 flet(t, 5 flayt, 6 flait, 9 dial. flate. pa. pple. 1–3 fliten, 4 flytyn, 6 flyttyn.
[A Com. WGer. str. vb.; OE. fl{iacu}tan = OHG. fl{iacu}ȥȥan to strive (MHG. vlîȥen to be eager; cf. mod.Ger. sich befleissen str., to busy oneself).]
† 1. intr. To contend, strive; also, to contend in words, chide, wrangle. Const. against, on, with.
| Beowulf 916 (Gr.) Hwilum flitende fealwe stræte mearum mæton. c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. xiv. [xix.] 212 Ða fliton him on þa węrgan gastas. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 81 Swo mote we flite togenes ure fule lustes. a 1300 Cursor M. 7556 (Cott.) [Goliath] þus bigan on him [David] to flite. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2545 A noþer werkman..gan flite wiþ þat felþe þat formest hadde spoke. c 1440 Gesta Rom. lxxx. 400 (Add. MS.) Anothere [devil] hade..made hem to chide, ande to flyte, ande feghte. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 720 Thocht mony fuill throw folie with him flyte. 1598 Bernard Terence (1607) 89 He did flite or chide with him. 1725 Ramsay Gent. Sheph. i. i, Sair, sair she flet wi' me 'tween ilka smack. |
| fig. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 950 Þe wyndez..wroþely vp⁓waite & wrastled togeder..flytande loude. |
2. To scold. Const. at. Now only Sc. and north.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxiv. 81 The fische wyffis flett and swoir. a 1592 Greene Alphonsus ii. (Rtldg.) 230/1 Let me die if e'er I flight again. a 1605 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 739 Why flait thou, foole? 1794 Burns O Steer her up, Gin she take the thing amiss, E'en let her flyte her fill, jo. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xvii, ‘Sudna ye hae come faster up yoursells, instead of flyting at huz?’ 1853 Reade Chr. Johnstone 70 The men fight..the women fleicht or scold. |
b. trans. To chide, scold (a person). Obs. exc. Sc. and north.
| 14.. Psalms Penit. (ed. Ellis 1894) ci. 18 How he was for us falsly fleten [rime-wds. writen, wyten, smyten]. 1848 Tales Kirkb. 159 ‘Dinna flyte me, grandfather.’ 1876 Mid. Yorksh. Gloss. s.v., ‘He'll flite you if you do.’ |
3. intr. ‘To debate, to dispute, although without scolding or violent language’ (Jam.). Obs.
| a 1225 Leg. Kath. 721 Me come & fatte hire to fliten wið þe fifti. 15.. Declar. in Scot. Poems 16th C. II. 267 Off mony thingis they did togedder flyte. |
† 4. ‘To pray in the language of complaint, or remonstrance’ (Jam.); to complain. Obs.
| c 1400 Melayne 563 Bot forthe he wente, his handis he wrange, And flote with Marye euer amange. c 1470 Henry Wallace v. 229 Flayt by him self to the Makar off buffe. 1585 Jas. I Ess. Poesie (Arb.) 17 Or when I like great Tragedies to tell: Or flyte, or murne my fate. |