Middle English Dictionary Entry
eighte card. num.
Entry Info
| Forms | eighte card. num. Also eghte, aghte, aughte. |
| Etymology | OE eahta, æhta. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The cardinal numeral eight;-- (a) with a common noun; (b) before hundred, thousand, etc.; (c) without a noun; (d) as a pred. adj.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1070 : Ða com Turold abbot & æhte siþe twenti Frencisce men mid him.
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)6/1 : Dauid hæfde æhtæ daȝene fær from ierusalem to þam tune þe moyses þa on wæs.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4555 : Tise mahhtess alle imæn Arrn hæfedd mahhtess ehhte.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 370)4 Kings 22.1 : Of eyȝt ȝeere was Josias, whann he byganne to regnen.
- a1400 Ancr.Recl.(Pep 2498)80/21 : Eot resouns þere ben.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.341 : I knewe such one ones nouȝte eighte wynter passed.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)137 : Eyȝthe [Win: Eyte] tymys: Octies.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)60/3 : Grete solempnytee lastyng aghte dayes.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)3714 : In eyghte [Petyt: auht] schires þat lawe ȝit men halde.
b
- a1300 Hundreds Engl.(Jes-O 29)145/1 : Engle lond is eyhte hundred Myle long.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.345 : A þowsand ȝere and eiȝte hondred.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1461 : Aght hundret yeir liued malaliel.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)278 : They ocupyede þe empyre aughte score wynnttyrs.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2830 : Heghte thosande knyghteȝ.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3188 : Awughte score childrenne.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)122/8 : He hath pardon ten thousand And eyte hundryd ȝer.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4983 : Nu habbe icc here shæwedd ȝuw Rihht ehhte off hæfed mahhtess.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)26501 : Sone heom after wenden iwepnede kempen, þer sixe, þer seouene, þer æhte [Otho: eahte], þer niȝene.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1927 : Yow aght for-born i haue allan.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5346 : Bot aght on liue lefte he namare.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.84 : Þe date was a þousand & fourscore & auhte.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)331 : Þis meyny of aȝte I schal save of monnez saulez.
- c1400 Chaucer Astr.(Cmb Dd.3.53)2.3.36 : It was passed 8 of the clokke.
d
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Dom.Quadr.(Bod 343)40/24 : Æhtæ beoð heafodlæhtræs.
2.
Coupled (a) with a following or (b) a preceding higher numeral.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5930 : He deyde..nyn hondred ȝer & eiȝte & eiȝtety after þat god was ybore.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.73 : And eyȝte and fifty þowsand of his oost were dede.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2172 : He liued aght [Göt: heyt] yeir and four score.
- c1405 Chaucer CT.ML.(Elsm)B.5 : He wiste it was the eighte and twentithe day Of Aprill.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)8/79 : Viij and xl galays and mo.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ps.28 : The title of the eiȝt and twentithe salm.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.RMArticles (Corp-C 296)223 : Þe eiȝte & twentiþe, þat þei approprien not parische chirchis to ouer riche houses.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3930 : Aȝt & tuenti men of armes.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)28954 : Þer weoren twenti and æhten [Otho: eahte and..] of eorlene streone.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7897 : As in þe ȝer of grace a þousend ȝer it was And four score & eiȝte þat bigan þis cas.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 13.16 : This douȝtre of Abraham, whom Sathanas hath bounden, loo! ten and eiȝte ȝeeris.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)188 : How he heled on al vnfere þat seke was thritte and aht [Göt: eght; Trin-C: eiȝte] yeir.
3.
The abstract number eight, (a) alone or (b) coupled with a higher cardinal numeral.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4315 : Þatt oþerr staff..tacneþþ tale off ehhte.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4331 : All þiss þrinne taless hæp Iss hæpedd aȝȝ wiþþ ehhte.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prols.Ps.(Dc 369(1))737 : Eiȝte forsothe signefieth the eiȝtthe age of aȝeen rising.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)327a/b : Oon, tweyne, and fyue makeþ eighte.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.23.36 : Tak than the half of 8 and adde it to 48.
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)266/9 : 4 tymys 2 is 8te.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)326b/a : An nombre aboue ten, byneþe eighte & twenty.
- ?c1425 Craft Number.(Eg 2622)5/23 : Sex thousant seuyne hundryth nynty & 8.
4.
In phrase eighte daies, a week; specif., in the Christian church, the week following a festival; the 'octave' (of a festival).
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)45 : Gauelynge to grat, ase neȝen uor tuelf, naȝt uor ane monþe ne to eȝte dayes.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 9.28 : It was don aftir thes wordis almoost eiȝte dayes.
- c1400 SLeg.Geo.(2) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)55 : He was kynge to aghten dayes wer gon.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)12.341 : But be the tyme that heyghte dayes were gon Mochel peple to him Cam.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)588/12 : Thomas Fraunceys..wold paye hit with-in the viij dayes of seynt Michell.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)27/14 : Of ayth desyrs of godis lufe., & of womans cumpany be eschwyd.
Note: New form: Also..aith.
Note: Belongs to sense 1.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section: Also eiȝt(e, eiȝthe, eȝte, eght, eit, eot, aȝte, aughte, auht(e, awughte, aht, heighte, heghte, heit, (infl.) aghten & (early) eihte, eahte, (Orm.) ehhte, æhtæ, (infl.) æhten.--notes per MLL