Middle English Dictionary Entry
Drihten n.
Entry Info
| Forms | Drihten n. Also drichte, dright, drigten, driȝt(e, driȝth, driht(e, drikte, drist(e, drithe & (often with -īn) drihtin, drichtin, drightin, drigtin, driȝtin, dristin, drithin, drittin, þrightin. Forms: sg. gen. driht(e)nes, drihtī̆nes, drihtes; pl. driȝtens, driȝtins. |
| Etymology | OE Dryhten; cp. OHG trohtīn. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The Lord [said of God and of Christ]; (b) almighti ~, alwelding ~, hevenli ~, ~ in trinite, ~ in heven, etc.; drihtnes dom, God's Judgment; crist our ~, ~ crist, laverd ~, Christ our Lord; helend ~, the Lord our Savior; in the date of our ~, in the year of our Lord; bi seint ~, by God.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Ealle þa þing..þet ðu geornest on ure Drihtnes halfe.
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Fest.Virg.(Vsp D.14)15/6 : Maria..wæs sittende æt ures drihtenes foten and hlyste his worden.
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)6/8 : Ic com to bodienne þe þet min drihten me bead.
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)6/12 : Ure drihten eft of deaþe heo araereþ, So he alle men deþ, þonne domes dai [cum]eþ.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)5 : He is iblesced þe þe her cumet on drihtenes nome.
- a1200(?OE) Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)187 : Manie mannisshe folgeden ure drihte to herende his wise word.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4 : Liðe him beo drihten [Otho: driste].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2627 : Heom wes heora drihten wroð [Otho: god ham hatede].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10221 : Swa hit weolde drihten [Otho: vre driht].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10253 : Þa wes þe weorlde swa uorð iuaren, seoððen ure drihte wes iboren, an hundred ȝere and sixti.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)32185 : Ich scal iuullen mines drihtes wille.
- a1200 PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)79 : Nis louerd swilch is crist, ne king swilch ure drihte [vrr. driȝte, drihten].
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)5/25 : Maximien..fordemde alle þeo þe o drihtin bilefden.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)40/9 : Ah, deore drihtines lomb, leoðe me a lutel!
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Mdst A.13)90/169 : Drichtin [Trin-C: Drittin] hit one wot, domes louerd, hwanne we ure lif leten scullen.
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Mdst A.13)91/180 : Drihten [Trin-C: dristin] scal lifen efre.
- a1275 Seinte Mari moder (Trin-C B.14.39)25 : Þe holi gost in marie list..for-þi he is icleped ur drist.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)26 : Ðo ure drigten ded was.
- a1300 Haly thomas (Jes-O 29)5 : Selcuþ dude vre dryhtin, þat he water wende to win.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)1310 : Me þinkþ biþine crois liȝte, þat þu longest to vre driȝte.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.440 : Þurch godes helpe, our driȝt.
- c1330 Floris (Auch)1299 : Þai bitauȝt þe Amerail oure Driȝt.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)79/12 : Soþnesse of oure dryȝte.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)orig.draft 407 : Say me soþ & no les, so helpe þe þy driȝte!
- c1380 Efficacy AM (LdLat 95)55 : God, oure allþre dryȝtte, ȝif vs strengþe & myȝtte!
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)27 : To herie god, vre derworþe drihte.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)323 : Þis drithin..all purueid.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18702 : Þou art als mi dere drightin [rime: min; Frf: driȝtine; rime: mine].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21088 : Drigtin dere.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)17956 : Þan sal þrightin his hight fulfill.
- a1400 Cursor (Phys-E)23290 : For luf of vr drihtiin.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6392 : Þe kynges þre..brouȝtten golde, ensense, and myrre, And presenteden oure driȝth.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)324 : Er..hym Dryȝtyn deme.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)517 : We ben diȝt to day driȝten to serue.
- c1450(?a1400) Roland & O.(Add 31042)1283 : Scho..Bytaughte hym vn to dere dryghtyne [rime: fyne].
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)96/2 : Þe leofæ Drihten Crist.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)134/4 : Ðe Almihtiȝ Drihten..rixæð..a abuten ende.
- c1225 Nic.Creed (Jun 121)5 : Ic ileue..on enne crist, helend drihten, þene ancenneden godes sunu.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)10271 : Alls iff he wære Drihhtin Crist.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11394 : Allwældennd Drihhtin.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)696 : Ha wulleð alle..cumen, þurh martirdom, to drihtin in heouene.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)57a : Ariseð, deade, ariseð! cumeð to drihtines dom forte beon idemet!
- a1300 Hit bilimpeð (Corp-O 59)5 : Folkes fader, heouenliche drichte!
- a1300 Worldes blis ne last (Rwl G.18)19 : Þu nost wanne crist ure drikte [Arun: drithe] þe asket þat he hauet bitakt.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.1 : Worthi driht in trinite.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19011 : Þis iesus es vr lauerd dright, yee did on rode wit-vten right.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.269 : In þe date of owre dryȝte, in a drye apprile [etc.].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)219 : As sone as Dryȝtynez dome drof to hymselven.
- c1475(a1400) Amadace (Tay 9)p.53 : Ye schalle him hold that ȝe haue hiȝte, Be God and Sayn Driȝtine!
2.
Lord [applied or addressed to a pagan god].
Associated quotations
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)42/891 : O Mahoun..oure driȝte, What Beues is man of meche miȝte!
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3555 : All driȝtens & dewessis ere dute of my name.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5118 : Appole to adoure, or any othire driȝtins.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5400 : He saȝe..A grete grysely god..'Haile, Alexander þe hende!' quod þat hiȝe driȝtin.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)29 : He was dryghtyn derrest of ydols praysid.