Middle English Dictionary Entry
līthen v.(3)
Entry Info
Forms | līthen v.(3) Also lith(e, liden. |
Etymology | ON; cp. OI hlȳða. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To listen, be attentive; ?also, hear; ~ and listen (listenen), listen (listenen) and ~, heren and ~; (b) to listen to (sb.); ~ and listenen; (c) to listen to (a story, song, words, etc.); also, hear (sth.); (d) ~ to (til, unto), to listen to (sb. or sth.); (e) ~ at, to hear from (sb.); ~ of, hear about (sth.), listen to (sth.), learn from or about (sth.); (f) in more or less empty metrical tag: to ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)65/709 : Lvsteð me, leoue men, & liðeð [Roy: lideð] ane hwile.
- c1225 St.Juliana (Roy 17.A.27)20/168 : Nullich þe nan oðer don bute ȝef þu liðe ant leue min lare.
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(*Glb A.19-James)73/27 : Wolde ȝe nu liþen & lusten ȝure louerd.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)20/349 : Lyþe a litel þrowe.
- a1350 Ase y me rod (Hrl 2253)5 : Lyþe, ant ich ou telle may al of þat suete þinge.
- a1350 Body & S.(4) (Hrl 2253)97 : Body, wyld [read: wylt] þou nou lyþe, & y wol telle þe Of wondres fele.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1429 : Listen now, who wil liþe, Al of an hardi man.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1859 : Tristrem bigan to sing, And ysonde bigan to liþe.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.396 : For þer was al maner of gle Þat hert miȝt þinke oþer eyȝe se, As ȝe may list & liþe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5330 : He praid þe god men..To lith [Göt: listen] a quil, his word til her.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)30.2 : Helde þi nere to me and liþe.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.93 : If ȝe wille lithe, I salle telle it ȝow.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5742 : Who-so wil lystne and liþe, Þe most wonder ȝe mowen vnderstonde Þat ben yfounden in Ynde londe.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)1 : Litheth and lestneþ and herkneþ aright, And ȝe schul heere a talkyng of a doughty knight.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)169 : Liþeth and lestneþ and holdeþ ȝour tonge.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)1 head. : Lithes and I sall tell ȝow tyll Þe bataile of Halidon Hyll.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)65/1 : Lordis, ȝif ȝe wil lyþe, Of a þyng I wil ȝou kyþe.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)522 : And aftir mete scho gun hym telle How a geant walde þam qwelle, And he bygan to lythe.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)1314 : Knyghtis lythede [vr. lystend] ilkane.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)12 : Ȝe that liste has to lyth or luffes for to here.
- c1475(a1400) Amadace (Tay 9)p.36 : Now listun and ȝe may lithe.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)63 : As ye mowe her and lyþe, The botelers sentyn wyn.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)337 : Lorddes, and ye wol lythe, The chyldyr namys I woll tell blythe.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)1189 : Thou holdyst full wele þat þou hyghtyst me When y let the goo A geyn to Rome, as men may lythe.
- a1500 Octav.(1) (Cmb Ff.2.38)64/9 : Sothe sawys y wylle yow mynge..Yf ye wylle lystyn and lythe.
b
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)21/336 : Liþe me a litel þroȝe.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2576 : Lyþes mi [read: me] alle samen -- Haue ich gadred you for no gamen.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2077 : Quað ðis bred-wrigte, 'liðeð nu me; me drempte ic bar bread-lepes ðre.'
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)721 : Þe king liþed him þan.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) John Bapt.(Phys-E)p.39 : This mai..bad hir that scho suld hir lithe Quat the king hir haued bed.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.424 : Ȝe lordes and ladyes..Þat fedeth foles sages..And han likynge to lythen [vr. heren] hem to do ȝow to lawghe.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1719 : Thenne watz hit lif vpon list to lyþen þe houndez.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)65/9 : Fulle sothe sawes i wille ȝow synge..And ȝe wille a stownde me lythe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3468 : Lordis, will ȝe me lithe & lestin a stonde.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)80/17 : Saynt Barnard was prechand, and all þat was aboute hym lythed hym with gude deuocion.
c
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)3/6 : Alle leawede men, þe understonden ne mahen latines ledene, lideð & lusteð [Roy: liðin & lustnin] þe liflade of a meiden.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)962 : Marke gan tidinges liþe, Hou he wan londes fre.
- c1330 St.Greg.(Auch)83/375 : Who so wil þe stori liþe, Wordes he may heren of blis.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)259/28 : But her may ȝe gret ferly liþe!
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)8.66 : Vppon a launde lened I a stounde To lythe [vr. hiren; C: lithen; vr. lustene] þe layes þe louely foules made.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.77 : Ac lust no lord..of suche lore nou to hure, Bote lythen how þey myghte lerne lest good to spene.
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)452 : Als goddes þam held all hathenes, bot lithes [vr. harkenes] þe last ending.
- a1425 Celestine (LdMisc 463)353 : Þe pope seide: 'liþes, lesse and more, alle of my care!'
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)820 : Now liþus..þe lettrus to þe ende.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4 : Sum is leue to lythe þe lesing of Sayntis.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4384 : Þan haue we liking to lithe þe late of þe foules.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)676 : Ioye it was to se and lythe [rime: blith, swithe] The metynge of the noble knighte.
d
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)3/2 : Alle beon he bliþe þat to my song lyþe.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)2/2 : Alle ben he bliþe Þat to me wilen liþe.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1400 : Liþes nou alle to me; Louerdinges, ich wile you sheue A þing of me þat ye wel knewe.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)258 : He sent his sond swiþe And bad al schuld be boun And to his lores liþe, Redi to his somoun.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)195 : Þe Iewes vn-to him wele gan lythe, And in þair hertes þai war ful blythe.
- c1390 NHom.John Bapt.(Vrn)38 : Þis Mayde ron to hire modur swiþe And bad hire þat heo scholde liþe what þe kyng hire hedde i bede.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)1 : Lef, lythes to me.
- a1425(?a1350) Nicod.(1) (Glb E.9)823 : How suld ȝe leue or till vs lyth, þat left him so lightly?
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1810 : Þeis newe-made knyghttez Lythes vnto þe crye.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)328/241 : Ȝe lusty ledis, nowe lith to my lare.
e
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)429 : Hir name was cleped Belisaunt, As ȝe may liþe [vr. lere] at me.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6293 : Ȝiueþ listenyng and beeþ now bliþe! Of wonder folk ȝee mowen nov liþe.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)1138 : Than was þe emperoure..blythe Of his tales for to lythe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1650 : And þare he lythis of þare lare.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5023 : Þan list him lithe of his lyfe & of his last ende.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)973 : If he of menske haue mynde, And of loue to lystyn and lithe.
f
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2968 : Ganhardin wist nou are, Þer duelled tristrem and he, To liþe, Ysonde for to se In halle briȝt and bliþe.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)3177 : Vnder walles he lay, To liþe.