Middle English Dictionary Entry

gē̆ten v.(1)
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1a.
(a) To acquire (sth.), earn, buy, win, receive, find; ivel geten, ill-gotten; fals geten, got by falsehood; (b) refl.
1b.
(a) To obtain (love, mercy, friendship, virtue, wisdom, etc.); gain (glory, fame, reputation, etc.); suffer (blows, death, shame, etc.); have (one's will); receive (one's sight); ~ entre (ingang, ingoing), gain entrance, get in; ~ leve, obtain permission; ~ no gein (god), get no help or benefit; ~ shot, get a shot (at game); gete that ~ mai, let him attain who can; (b) refl.; (c) to obtain (information, advice, an answer); hear (a tale); (d) of wind: to absorb (moisture); of medicine: acquire (the quality of coldness); ~ venim, become poisonous or envenomed; (e) thurgh ~ broken, to be broken through, be pierced; (f) it is goten of custom, it is accepted as customary, it is customary.
1c.
To obtain (sth. for sb. else); ~ to, obtain for; ~ leve.
2a.
(a) To catch (fish, birds), bag (game); (b) to get hold of (sth.), catch, seize; ~ hold, grasp (sth. with the hands); -- also refl.
2b.
(a) To conquer (sb., a country); capture (a city, fortress, gate, etc.); take (sb.) prisoner; capture (booty); (b) to win (a victory); ~ fot, ~ ground, ~ place, make headway, advance, win; ~ maistrie, be victorious, get the better (of sb.); ~ the over-hond, get the upper hand, win.
2c.
(a) To win (a friend, an ally); win (sb.) as husband, wife, etc.; obtain (a mistress); (b) to find or procure (sb.) for a service or a purpose, obtain the services of (sb.).
3a.
To fetch (sth. or sb.), bring (sth. to sb.).
3b.
To bring, take, put; also fig.: (a) ~ awei, to take (sb. or sth.) away from a place; ~ awei from, rescue (sb.) from (sb.); ~ fro, lead (a dog) from (a place); ~ in, bring (sth.) into a place; bring or put (sb., oneself) into (a state, situation, predicament); ~ into, put (an arrow) into (a bow), load (sth.) into (a ship); ~ out, fetch (sb.) out; draw (a sword, knife); pull (sth.) out (of the flesh); deliver (sb.) from prison; ~ out of, bring (sb.) out of (prison, hell); ~ to, ~ til, bring (sth. or sb.) to (a place, person, etc.); send (sb.) to (the Devil); ~ up, raise (sb.) up; (b) ~ at bak, to have or put (sth.) at (one's) back; ~ awei, remove (a spot or stain); ~ doun, overcome (sb.) ~ heighe, raise (one's head) high; ~ on, set (foot) on (land); ~ out, obtain (a warrant); ~ out of, get (a confession) from (sb.); ~ up, collect (dogs); ~ with child, get (a woman) with child.
4.
(a) To go, move; ~ awei, get away, escape; ~ in, enter; ~ nere, come near; ~ out, get out, escape; ~ out of, go away from; ~ over the se, go across the sea; fig. ~ to, attain to (bliss); ~ up, sit up, rise; refl. get oneself up (into a tree); ~ upon height, stand up; (b) to reach (a place), arrive at.
5.
To be successful; to ~ or to lesen, win or lose, regardless of the outcome; what geteth it, what is the use?
6.
To give (sth. to sb.), provide; fig. give (sb. an example).
7.
(a) Of father, mother, or both parents: to beget or conceive (a child), produce or have (a child); ~ ifere, ~ samen; first geten, first-born; --also intr.; (b) ~ on (bi, of, upon, with), to beget or have (a child) by (a woman); (c) ~ to, to bear (children) by (a man); geten of, begotten by (a man); geten of bodi, begotten of (someone's) body, physically begotten by (sb.); (d) of a male animal or bird: to beget (offspring); (e) fig. to beget (spiritual children); (f) of God the Father: to beget (Christ); onli geten, only begotten.
8.
(a) To make (sth.), produce, create; accomplish (an errand); (b) to cause or permit (sth.).

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • ?a1425 WBible(2) Gloss.Eccl.(Cld E.2)1.1 : Summen seiden that mannus blis stondith in richessis, othere men seiden in delices, othere..seiden in onours, and so of many othere goodis, that moun be getun in present tyme bi mannus trauel.
  • Note: New spelling
  • (1439) Will in Anc.1017 : I forgife..my prentys of his termes an yere and an half so that he truly labor to gete in my dettes to the executours.
  • Note: sense?
  • a1450(?c1350) Pride Life (ChrC-Dub)414 : Þou and he bot togidir Into þe se scot ver.
  • Note: (?send on to roten v.)
    Note: Brandl reads: irot (= roten v.(1) or (3)). Waterhouse reads: igot (= geten v.)--per REL
  • a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)2692,2693 : He had kete of god mercy & grace, & kete with hurre repentaunce heuene blyr.
  • Note: New spelling kete ppl.
  • c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)104b/b : Be war þat þou lete neuere þe wounde close vn to þou haue sliȝly with sum cautele y-geten vp þe Escare wiþouten violence or disese of þe pacient or ellis þat it falle awey bi it silf, for þat is þe sikereste weye; and þanne vse forþ oþere oynementis and emplastris.
  • Note: New spelling
  • a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38)1472 : Lylys ete therof als; He seyde, 'Hyt stekyth in my hals, I may not gete hyt downe.'
  • Note: Check for sense. Idiom 'get doun' appears in dictionary but does not cover sense in this quote.
  • c1450 Const.Masonry(1) (Clg A.2)48 : If þou sytte be a worthyor man Then þy self thow art on, Suffre hym fyrste to towche þe mete Ere þy self any þer-of gete.
  • Note: Sense not covered in geten v.(1) 'take (food) at table,' ~ mete - 'help oneself to'--per MJW.
  • c1613(1461) Plumpton Let.2 : I trust to god for to gett you downe your greenewax if that I may.
  • Note: 'geten doun'
  • a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)659 : Nembrot gat hise feres red.
  • Note: Antedates sense 6.