witnessing, vbl. n.
(ˈwɪtnɪsɪŋ)
[f. witness v. + -ing1.]
1. The action of bearing witness or giving testimony. † in witnessing of, as a witness to; † to bear witnessing, to bear witness.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 18894 O þis gadring be-houes us þan, In witnesing to ches a man Vn-to þe seruis of vr tale. Ibid. 27832 O couaitise..cums..fals wittnesing,..and lesing. 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. i. 12 The witnessinge of oure conscience. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 299 To this flour..Hire white corowne beryth the witnessynge. 1426 Lydg. in Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 132 Gladly he chevith what so he begynne,..The fyne therof berith witnessing. 1474 Caxton Chesse iii. viii. (1883) 150, I haue put on eche keye a bille & writynge In witnessinge of the thynges abouesayd. 1526 Tindale Rev. i. 9 Iohn..was in the yle of Pathmos for the worde of god, and for the witnessynge of Iesu Christe. 1563 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 254 Diverse personis wer summond..to beir witnessing in the said mater. 1659 South Serm. (1697) I. 117 The witnessing of the truth was then so generally attended with this Event, that Martyrdom now signifies..to witness by death. 1857 Dickens Dorrit ii. xxviii, I have it on the witnessing of these two madmen..that you want me. |
† b. In biblical use: = witness n. 2 d.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxviii[i]. 2 Blisful þai þat ransakis his witnessyngis. 1382 Wyclif Ps. xcviii[i]. 7 Thei kepten his witnessingus, and the heste that he ȝaf to hem. |
† 2. That which is uttered or stated in support of a fact or statement; evidence given. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 16277 Vp þai ras and gaf a cri..Quat mister es o wijtnessing Again him for to lede? c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 1269 Telle ous now, what is þi name,..Þat we se sum witnesseing Of þi dede. 1476 Acta Audit. (1839) 52/1 Þe sadis partijs beand personaly present and þare allegations and witnessingis..herd. 1478 Acta Dom. Conc. (1839) 20/2 Johne..sall bring sic..document and witnessing or testimoniale of his sesing þat he has. 1561 J. Daus tr. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573) 260 b, The Apostles in the gospell are called witnesses: and the Gospell, a testimony or witnessyng. 1587 Golding De Mornay Pref. p. viii, Vnto men we wil bring the witnessings of men, euen the things that euerie man readeth in his owne nature. 1616 W. Haig in J. Russell Haigs vii. 158 His habitude of lying, his noted perjury, [etc.]: qualities for which any man's witnessing were to be repelled in judgment. |
3. Attestation (of a document). Chiefly in phr. † in or into (the) witnessing of = F. en témoignage de.
| 1405 Rolls of Parlt. III. 605/2 In Witnessing of whilk thyng, to thys presentes we have sette our forsaide Seal. 1422 in E.E. Wills (1882) 51 Into wytnessyng of which thyng, to this my present testament I haue put to my seell. 1561 in Exch. Rolls Scot. XIX. 481 Robert Hammiltoun..for the mare witnessing hes subscrivit this his obligatioun with his hand. |
4. The fact of being present and observing something.
| 1855 in Cambr. Ess. 154 The witnessing of the scenes. 1872 Princess Alice Mem. (1884) 288 The witnessing of your grief rent my heart so deeply. |
So ˈwitnessing ppl. a. (spec. in witnessing part: see quot. 1844).
| 1844 Williams Real Prop. 143 The testatum, or witnessing part, ‘Now this Indenture witnesseth’. [See witness v. 1 b.] 1855 C. Davidson Prec. Convey. (ed. 2) I. 64 When the instrument contains more than one witnessing part. 1859 Ruskin Two Paths i. §4 Corruption festered to its loathsomest in the midst of the witnessing presence of a disciplined civilisation. |