Middle English Dictionary Entry
ēth(e, ẹ̄th(e predicate adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | ēth(e, ẹ̄th(e predicate adj. Also eithe, ith. |
| Etymology | OE ēaþe & īeþe, ȳþe, ēþe. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Comforting, agreeable; peaceful, relieved, at ease: (a) in subject-less sentence, with pers. obj. (orig. dat.); (b) with pers. subj.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2234 : Eð him wes [Otho: glad he was] on heorten.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22359 : An his mode him wes þa æðe [Otho: heþ] þat Gillomar him wes swa neh.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5449 : Cumen her on fore þe hæxete of Rome, & swerie me æðes þat æð [Otho: bet] heom scel iwurðen.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)1629 : Hii him wolde helpe..þat him þe eþere were.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8178 : Þa wes his hurte æðe.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)8178 : Þo was he þe eþere.
2.
Easy, not difficult or troublesome: (a) without constr.; (b) with inf. in active sense; (c) with inf. in passive sense, rarely with pass. inf. phrase; (d) with pers. obj. (orig. dat.) and inf.; (e) with to phrase (replacing the pers. obj.) and inf.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)75a/b : In olde men abstinence of mete is eth & esy, and in children and ȝong men hard & vnesy.
- a1450 SLeg.Suppl.Bod.(Bod 779)384/29 : Þer-of nys non eþe; þis letter is enchesoun to bringe me to deþe.
b
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1104 : Nis eaðe to asecgenne þises landes earmða.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)13060 : I Crisstenndom iss æþ to sen Hu mann maȝȝ Drihhtin cwemenn.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)89 : Hit is as eþe forto bring A camel in to þe neld is ei, As a rich man to bring In to þe blisse þat is an hei.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3575 : Þan es eth [Trin-C: eeþ] þe fote to spurn.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11061 : It es eth at vnder-stand þat maria..lifted fra þe erth iohan.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)18385 : Þat þai war ald was ith [Vsp: eth; Trin-C: eeþ] to se.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)8028 : Eeþ was to knowe whiche þei were.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)13482 : To do hit were not eþe.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)608 : Hit is eþe to leve by þe last ende.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)676 : To fynde hys fere..is not eþe.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)31.53 : Why were thow Se Ethe for to tornen here, And of Misbeleve to ben?
c
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)13/4 : Þo oþer byd eaðe to halene.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)542 : Wenest tu þet we beon se eð to biwihelin?
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)279 : Pouerte wið menske is eað for to þolien.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)120 : Þenne worþ his sweuen eþ to arede.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6693 : Vor he was simple & milde & eþ [vr. eisi; B:eþore, esier] to ouercome.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.544 : The thre were eth to reule.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)597 : Þat es bot etht [Vsp: eth; Trin-C: liȝte] to rede.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)4266 : Forward of fole es eth to fest.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.194 : Fulle eth I were to drawe.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)23116 : Þa traitours ar eth atte ken [Trin-C: eþ to ken].
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)16/47 : Sir Wiliam of Klinton was eth for to knaw.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3955 : A fool is eythe to bigyle.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)88/201 : How freel he was and eþ to falle.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)136/20 : Women ben ethe to greve whan þei be with childe.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)10.2 : Right of hert that ere of lytill conynge and for thi er eth to desaife.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)228/31 : Woymen byn frele..and eth to be ouercomyn.
d
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)16186 : Þatt wass Crist full æþ to don.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)19673 : Crist wass æþ to witenn þatt.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)629 : Ham was eð to drehen al þet me dude ham.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1219 : Eð were ure lauerd..to awarpen his unwine.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)3428 : Nor ȝitt holy Elizabeth to haue hir childe coom not eeth.
e
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1202 : To pay þe Prince..Hit is ful eþe to þe god Krystyin.
3.
As attrib. adj.: easy, simple.
Associated quotations
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)133/16 : It wer ane ethe þing..to go & take oute all þe riches þerof.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--per MLL