Middle English Dictionary Entry
disheriten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | disheriten v. Also desheriten, diseriten, deseriten, disiriten, dissert. P.ppl. disherit(e(d, desherit(ed, dishertid, deserit(ed, desirit, diserted. |
| Etymology | OF des(h)eriter, desireter. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
To dispossess (sb.) of an inheritance; deprive or despoil (of land, possessions, privileges, office, etc.); -- (a) with personal object; (b) with personal object and of or from phrase; (c) with double object (possessions and possessor; cp. sense 2.); (d) fig. to deprive (sb.) of salvation.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)74/107 : He was þo þe cuyndeste englische man..alle oþure weren deseritede neiȝh.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2547 : Hwat? wenden he to desherite me?
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6700 : Deseriti [vr. deseryth; B: disheriti, diseryt, disherite] hom also þoru normannes he þoȝte.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7581 : He..deseritede moni kundemen þat he huld is fon.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)9199 : Ȝif we be desirite, Our cowardschippe we may it wite.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.530 : Y schal telle..Þat wiþ gret wrong & sinne..Þerl Tirri deshirrite is.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)6164 : Mi fader he slouȝ, Mi broþer he desirit wiþ wouȝ.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)30/29 : Men and wyfmen and children deserited and y-exiled.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)200/3 : Robert þe Brus hadde dryuen ham out of the lande, & disherite [vr. disheritede] ham.
- (1440) Doc.in HMC Var.Col.4124 : Hit ys grete perel to dissert eny ryghtful heyre fore the malyse of stepdames and covetyse pepul.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)122 : Dyscherytyn or puttyn fro herytage: Exheredo.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)15/33 : And I be a kynges son disheret.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)917/8,10 : 'I am,' seyde she, 'a jantillwoman that am diseryte'..'Damesell,' seyde sir Percivale, 'who hath disheryte you?'
- (1472-3) RParl.6.19a : Their heires by occasion of the same Atteyndre been disherit.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)121/17 : Þou penaunce..makest hym þat was dyserted and put out of his herytage, for to be heyre in the kyngdom of heuene.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)452 : We hadde leuer be disherited and chaced oute of the londe.
b
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2926 : How the goddes ronnen vp and doun, Disherited [vrr. desherited, disheryt] of hir habitacioun.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.3025 : I..purpose me fully to disherite hem of al that euere they han.
- (1399) RParl.3.423b : It es noght my will that no man thynk that be waye of Conquest I wold disherit any man of his heritage, franches, or other ryghtes.
- (1404) Will York in Sur.Soc.4527 : So that for defaute of here dedys and evidences non of the forsaid heires be disherited of no parcell.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)145/13 : Ay to þis tyme hafe we bene in peess, of þe whilk þou will now dispoile vs and disherit vs.
- (1426) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xx : Symkyn Yve..deprived and disherite John Haryngton, son and heir of Thomas Haryngton..of v marc of annuell rent.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Ex.AW (Dgb 181)39 : Crist..Gave his kyngdom..To Ieroboan his seruant..Disheretyng his heires from house and estate.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5394 : Claudeus..swor..He scholde..Deserite Wyder of ylka del.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)2238 : We hadden moche more levere that owre kyng dysherite vs of al owre worldly thyng.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)2611 : Myn neyghbours..Haue rebellid and disherited me Off ffayre castellis.
c
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.298r : All that stode with Erle Symonde ayenst the kyng by opyn bannyng were desherited the londes.
d
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)51 : Þat we neuer with oure wykkydnes Wreth hym..for to mak hym turn hys mode To hald fro vs hys gostly gode, Or vs deseryd..Fro þe blys þat he boght vs tyll.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)5.7 : Men slaers..and fals men, leghers, god sall desherit, and make tham partles of heuen.
1b.
Ppl. as adj. & n. Dispossessed, destitute; one who has been dispossessed or deprived of inheritance, or is destitute.
Associated quotations
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)9272 : Hii sette þe deserites In þe middel ost þo, Þat þe king adde binome hor lond.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)11575 : To þe barons deserites me sende ek tiþinge.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)11826 : Þe kniȝtes were deserites in þe lond aboute wide.
- a1400(?c1300) LFMass Bk.(Roy 17.B.17)379 : Pore, exilde, deserit if þer be, til alle hom þou sende socoure.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.298r : The dissherites thenne fflekkede a lite and lite to hethe and brent and slough.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.298v : The kynge let chese xij persons wyse and discrete whiche shulde at hure auyse amesury and make more esy the dome and juggement that was yeue vpon the disherites.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)94/7 : A man dysheryte ought full litle to prase hym selfe.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)131.454 (v.2:p.352) : That he shulde not lyuyn hem dishertyd and as fadyrles childryn, he mad byforn hem hys testement.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)3/32 : We be in deserte, mystaken, naked, and disherited--for because we do nat right, nor loue nat trouthe.
2.
(a) To take away or alienate (a heritage); (b) to destroy (reputation).
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)185 : For fele fautez may a freke forfete blysse..For roborrye and riboudrye..And dysheriete and depryve dowrie of wydoez.
- c1500(a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(Cld A.8)156 : Therby his corowne may nat be disherited; for that land wil sone come ageyn.
b
- (c1450) Boothe be ware (CotR 2.23)p.226 : Dishonoure..dide in prese, With alle maner myscheff disserityng ther fame: Lost alle ther lose of ther nobille name.