Middle English Dictionary Entry
ditten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | ditten v. Also diten, dutten, duten. Forms: p. ditte, ditted, dutte; ppl. dit, idit, idut, idet. |
| Etymology | OE dyttan; ppl. for)dyt. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. forditten.
1a.
(a) To close (an opening); (b) to close up or shut (a cave, hell); (c) to close or seal (a container); (d) to fill up (a pit, a spring); (e) to enclose (sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)85b : In a schip þe haueð monie þurles..heo dutteð alle buten an.
- c1300 SLeg.Little Jew (Hrl 2277)23 : Þat child amidde he caste & dutte þe ouenes mouþ.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1342 : Þe fader went in to feche tresoure: Þan þe fader come forth ogayne, And dited [vr. dytted] þe hole euyn and playn.
b
- a1275 Of on þat is so fayr (Trin-C B.14.39)44 : He bringet us alle in-to is blis..he hauet i-dut þe foule put inferni.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)460/130 : He liet maken..a..put, And wit..dores of Ire and stiel swyþe faste he was i-dut.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)375/281 : A veteles huy maden al of led, and þare-inne huy caste þis holi bodi..and dutten it swyþe faste, And amidde þe se casten hit.
- ?a1350 Recipe Painting(1) in Archaeol.J.1 (Hrl 2253)66 : Dute al the vessel that non eyr ne go out.
d
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)19812 : Cnihtes..þane wel dutte [Clg: for-duden] mid stones and mid erþe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6726 : If animan vndos a pitt And siþen wil it noght ditt, And ox or hors..Fall in [etc.].
- 1451 Tundale (Roy 17.B.43)1268 : Þere Tundale se a gret pytte: Alle þis worlde myght hit not ditte.
e
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)342 : Ane staf he nam..holuȝ he was with-inne. Þare-inne he dutte al þat gold.
1b.
ditten dor, to block a doorway; shut or fasten a door.
Associated quotations
- a1350 Mon in þe mone (Hrl 2253)14 : For hope, of ys þornes to dutten is doren.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)320 : A wel dutande dor.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1233 : Þe dor drawen, and dit with a derf haspe.
- a1450 ?Audelay An a byrchyn bonke (Dc 302)221/91 : Þese dewyls wil do vs to dare, Fore drede lest þai duttyn vche a dore.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)116 : He passyd into his palais..and ditte þe durre after.
2.
(a) To obstruct or choke (a stream); (b) to obstruct (a passage).
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 To nyȝt (Arun 57)p.[5] : Hwan banockes..bourne is y-det myd mannis bonis.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11942 : Wit nith..and iuel witt, Þe water wissing can he ditt..And spilt þe werk þat iesus wroght.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12019 : He ditted þe water lade.
b
- (1447-8) Shillingford89 : By the whiche doris..is caryed oute so moche erthe, robill, and donge..that the sayde wey ys dytte, that no man ther yn may well ride ne go.
3.
(a) ditten in, to shut (sb.) in, confine; ~ in erthe, bury; (b) ~ out, to shut or keep (sb.) out.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Marg.(Hrl 2277)213 : He..in a put ous caste..as we were þerinne idut, we gonne blowe & blaste.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)150/614 : Þer-fore nas helle nauȝt y-schet, Ne deuelyn þer-inne nauȝt y-det Ine þare crybbe.
- c1390 Bi a wode (Vrn)23 : For-þi in eorþe er þou be ditte, Mon, of þi synnes a-mendes make!
- c1400(?c1280) SLeg.OTHist.(LdMisc 622)242 : Þai..casten hym in-to a pytte, Þere seuen hungri lyouns weren þereinne all ydytte.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1182 : He..Umbewalt alle þe walles wyth wyȝes..At uche a dor a doȝty duk, and dutte hem wyth-inne.
b
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.178 : Hermytes henten heom spades, And doluen drit and donge to dutte [vr. ditte] honger oute.
4.
(a) ditten mouth, to shut (one's) mouth, fail to speak, be silent; shut (someone's) mouth, silence (sb.); (b) ~ ere(s, to stop up (one's) ears, refuse to listen, be deaf; (c) ~ ien, ~ sight, to impede or prevent vision, blind (sb.); (d) ~ breth, to stop (one's) breath, choke (sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)18590 : Onnȝæn þatt laþe læredd follc..Forr þeȝȝre muþ to dittenn, Uss wrat & seȝȝde sikerr soþ Johan þe Goddspellwrihhte [etc.].
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)28a : Hwen he þolede þuldeliche þet te giws dutten (as ha buffeteden him) his deorewurðe muð wið hare dreori fustes.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)31 : No Monnes Mouþ ne be I-dut..To seruen his god.
- c1390 Whon alle soþes (Vrn)55 : Ȝif þou here hem so chyde or flitte..Holt þi tonge and þi mouþ ditte.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3186 : Wyþ hys tayle my knes he haþ knyȝt, Wyþ hys hede my mouþ y-dyt..Ne shal y neuer aftyr speke.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17284 : Bot þat folk war sua ful o flitt, þat he ne moght þair muthes ditt.
- a1500(?c1414) ?Brampton PPs.(1) (Sln 1853)p.17 : Myn erys and my mowth I dytt, As I myȝte neyther speke nor here.
b
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)199 : And ditteþ swo þat eare wið þe werses lore.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)19452 : Þan wex þa wreches vte of wit, And gun þair erin for to ditt.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)30/147 : Þai ditted þaire eris, for þai suld noght Here þir wurdes.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)233/178 : Aythere has thou no wytt, Or els ar thyn eres dytt.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24003 : Mi teres all mi sight þai ditte.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)588 : Þer is no dede so derne þat dittez his yȝen..For he is þe gropande God, Þe grounde of alle dedez.
d
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)17/280 : Almost had myne breth beyn dit..It stank like the dwill in hell.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1275 Wenne þin eyen (Trin-C B.14.39)1 : Wenne þin eyen beit ihut & þin heren beoit idut…þu maist ifinden feole vnholde þat willt striuen afteir þine seluere &þine golde.
Note: Needed for date in sense 4.(b).--per MJW
- (1459) Invent.Fastolf(2) in Archaeol.21278 : Coquena…j Dytyn Panne of brasse, j Droppynge Panne.
Note: Belongs to sense 1a.(c). Add collocation diten panne, a covered pan.--per SMK