Middle English Dictionary Entry
lōthen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | lōthen v. Also loth(e, lothee, lathe(n, laithen & (early) loðien, laðiȝe, laði(n, laððen, laden & (error) laghte. Forms: sg. 2 lōthest, etc. & (early) ladæst; p. lōthede, etc. & (early) leoðede. |
| Etymology | OE lāþian & ON (cp. OI leiða). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To be hateful or distasteful; be hateful to (sb.); whether me liste or lothe, whether I like it or not; (b) hit) me lotheth, I dislike (to do sth.); us lotheth, him lothede, etc.; (c) me lotheth of, I hate (sth.); you lotheth with, you dislike (sth.); etc.; (d) in a blended construction.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)74/19 : We wyllæð openian eow þæt gastlic andȝit, na swa ðeah to langlice þæt hit eow ne laðiȝe.
- c1175 Body & S.(1) (Bod 343)17 : Ðus ðu bist ileȝd and ladæst þine fronden.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)101 : Oferlifa on hete and on wete macað þene mon un-halne, and his saule gode ladeð.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)8/85 : Te schal laði þi lif.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)15/147 : Þe schal laðin his luue, for þu schalt habbe þrof hearm & scheome.
- a1250 HMaid.(Tit D.18)25/403 : Moni þing ham schal twinnen & tweinen þat laðes [Bod: lað is] leouie men.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)750 : Þo þis king leir eldore was he bigan to loþe, Vor he so longe liuede, is leue doȝtren boþe.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3724 : Gedeon..Schal come and sette such ascry Upon..ous..That it schal to ous alle lothe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.155 : He wil greue vs alle..That vs lotheth þe lyf.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)44/1 : Þe þinkiþ þat þee loþiþ þin owne lijf.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)107/149 : Derfely for dole why ne were I dede? Me lathis my liff.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12122 : Ho doutid no deth..ffor hit laithit hir les þen on lyue be.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2119 : Sell I must nedis myne aray, wher me list or lothe.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)772 : So stronge was that stour they fought euer; It lastid so longe that lothed þem sertayn.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)167/3 : Smit him se luðerliche þet him laði [Nero: loðie; Tit: laððe] & drede to snecchen eft toward te.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)752 : To helpe hem at nede certys me loþys.
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)300 : Hys sorowes..Þe whych hym loþed nat to suffre for þe.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)8.50 : Eche a lyf hit loþede to lokye þer-on.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)392 : Alle leccheries lust us loþeth to founde.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)37 : Com and take thi money to me of trust commended..from hensfurth it werieth and lothith me to kepe it.
c
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)448/8 : Of oure liffe vs lothis; we leve to lange.
- c1450 As y gan wandre (Lamb 853)66 : Me loþith of my lyuynge, And doolful deeþ to me is diȝt.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)81.7 : Ȝow lathis with the meknes & the pouert of ihu crist.
- a1500 Leg.Cross BC(1) (Wor F.172)213 : Me lothith of my lif.
d
- (?c1422) Hoccl.ASM (Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)59 : Many oon..ageyn deeth maken no purueance; Hem lothen deeth for to haue in hir mynde.
2.
(a) To hate (sb. or sth.), despise; ~ despit of, have contempt for (sb.); (b) to be opposed or hostile to (sb. or sth.); (c) to dislike (to do sth.), hate.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6097 : Sibbe he luuede; unstronge monnen he leoðede.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)118.163 : Ichade wickednisse in hateinge, and ich loþed it & loued þy lawe.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)546 : He miȝt..for a fol me hold, & do him loþe mi loue; ȝit haue y leuer deie!
- c1390 ?Hilton Qui Habitat (Vrn)8/7 : He made me loþen þat þat i most lyked.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4650 : Sche..mot beleve In wodes..For such brocage as wyves lothe, Which doth here lordes hertes change.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)2610 : Gret despit scho lathes [Trin-C: leteþ] of me.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)8.80 : Þo þat lyuen þus here lif mowe loþe þe tyme Þat euere he was man wrouȝt.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)109/22 : Schome and dispit þei most proudliche loþeden; alle maner schome and despit Crist suffrede.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)418/20 : Þou, þat art infinyte, loþist me not, þat am finyte.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.3484 : Ther alliaunce nature gan to lothe, That a mooder..Sholde take hir sone to been hir husbonde.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)144 : Þe diuersite which schal be of peynes in þe oþer lijf..loþid and hatid cumpanye.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)342 : Thei turneden the peple..forto lothee and hate the Apostilis.
- a1450 The tixt of holy writ (Dgb 102)141 : Þat me is lef, all she loþes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5115 : Forþi like it to ȝour lordschip & lathis noȝt my sawis.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)215 : As dedly synne they schulen hyt loþe.
- c1450 How GWife(1) (Lamb 853)197/9 : Þe poore and þe beedered loke þou not loþe.
- a1475 Against Lollards (Vsp B.16)99 : Thes lollardes þat lothen ymages..seien hit is but mawmentrie.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.46.31a : He shulde loþen and dispisen al þe blis, þe likynge, and fairnesse of al þis worlde.
b
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Sudden FPD (Trin-C R.3.20)38 : Lo here þis Eorlle and Duc of Burgoyne boþe..Howe fortune gan his prosparite to looþe.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)155/7 : A man may loþe and grucche aȝens þe delectacioun beyng in him.
- c1600(c1350) Alex.Maced.(Grv 60)335 : Þe lordship of Lacedemonie loþed hem than, And of Phocos þe folke fast hem assailes.
c
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)299 : Loþe þou nat hys sorowes to se.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)16427 : Pilate loþed [Vsp: forthoght] hem to wraþþe.
- ?a1400 Pryde ys hede (Hrl 2339)p.62 : Slownes is a cursid thing..Good werk he lothith to bigynne.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11984 : The burgh..distroyet, To se hit leme on a low, laithis not þi hert?
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)25 : If þou siȝe in liknesse of fleisch & blood þat blessed sacrament, þou schuldest loþen & abhorren it to resseyue it into þi mouþ.
3.
(a) To grow weary of (sth.); develop a distaste for (sth.); (b) to be filled with disgust; ~ of (with), be disgusted with (sth.); (c) to render (sb. or sth.) obnoxious.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)128 : Wel late he latheð uuel werc, þe ne mei hit don ne mare.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5610 : If in syknesse that he falle And lothe mete and drynke.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)145/28 : And þat he dooþ for to disseyue hir & for to make hir to loþe holy praieris.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)6787 : For trauail þai began to lathe; Þe bischop and þe abbot..walde stele fra þe pepill.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)3.9.54b : Now may this men swalwe a noughe of the fier of heell, and likke therof til thei lothe it.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.7.26 : As stynk þou shalt loþe [Corp-O: looth; L detestaberis]..for corsed hit is.
- a1450(?1348) Rolle FLiving (Cmb Dd.5.64)94/33 : He..dose þam..To lathe [vrr. lath; laghte] with over mykel bodili ees.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)7718 : Of hir life she gan to loothe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8123 : Ne hopis þou not..If men laith with þi lyf, lyffyng in erthe, That the shall happon in helle hardlaikes mo.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8128 : Hit were bettur the to byde..In sum wildurnes..Then the ledys vpon lyue to laithe with þi shame.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)136/29 : Than regnyde avoutry..that al the roialme thanne rumourt and lothit for that rousty Synne.
- a1500 Leg.Cross BC(1) (Wor F.172)214 : Mi fader, weery of his age, lothyng of his lif, hath direct me to the.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3274 : His nase of and his lippes bothe He kutte, for he wolde him lothe Unto the people and make unable.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)542 : His compaignye is vn-to folkes lothid.