Middle English Dictionary Entry
hit-self pron.
Entry Info
| Forms | hit-self pron. Also -selfe, -selve(n, -silf, -sijlfe. |
| Etymology | From hit & self. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Emphatic sg. neut. pron., used as: (a) subject of a verb; (b) object of a verb; (c) obj. of a reflexive verb; (d) obj. of a preposition; bi ~, of its own accord, without assistance, independently; (e) obj. of prep.; bi (in, of) ~, apart from others, alone, separate(ly; (f) obj. of prep.; bi (of) ~, of itself, by its own nature.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)327a/b : The parties of a nombre diminutif makeþ lasse nombre þan it silf.
b
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1106 : Ac we hit openlicor ne awriton, forþam þe we hit sylfe ne sawon.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11120 : Hir wamb it self bigan to kiþe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18083 : Wit þis gaf hell it-self [Trin-C: hit-self] a braid, And kest vte sathan.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19231 : For ilk suik it-self [Frf: hit-self] bisuikes.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)2 Cor.10.5 : We distrien counsels, and alle hiȝnesse that hiȝeth it silf aȝens the science of God.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.12.217 : Thilke devyne substaunce kepith itself withouten moevynge.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.m.1.3 : Whanne the swifte thoght hath clothid itself in tho fetheris, it despiseth the hateful erthes.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.6.91 : It..byndeth itself to som maner presence of this litle and swifte moment.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.64 : A roten swerd and welnygh blak, hit selue Suffisyng wel with gras to ouerwrie.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)241 : Þe kerchef clansed hit self & so cler wexed.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)108/17 : [The land]..hit..buttith at another hede vpon the lond of walter Carter, and strecchith hitself in length vnto the mese that Thomas wauder held somtyme.
d
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.490 : Enuye..hath in it self angwissh and sorwe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.740 : Whan the herte of a man is confounded in it self..thanne seketh he an ydel solas of worldly thynges.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1042 : It comprehendeth in it self alle goode preyeres.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)312a/a : Þe substaunce of good odour conceyueþ in itsilf vertu of kynde hete þat clenseþ þe þikkenes þerof.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2682 : Þe werk of circumcising Bers in it-self gret for-biseyng.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9466 : Sua hei na-thing was euer wroght þat thoru it seluen mis ne moght Fall dun into lauer state.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)222/24 : If it so be þat it breke bi it-silf..þan do þerto mundificatiuis.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)281 : He knew uche contre corrupte in hitselven.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.5.168 : Swich is the condicioun of alle mankynde, that oonly whan it hath knowynge of itself, thanne passeth it in noblesse alle othere thynges.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.10.55 : Somthing possessyng in itself parfyt good schulde be more worthy than God.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.2.14 : Thanne knoweth it by itself thinges that ben to fleen.
- c1425 *Wycl.Concord.(Roy 17.B.1)120a : If a rewme be departid aȝen itsilff.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2195 : Til it-self sal þai gif no thing..Bot opinly it gif sal þai Vnto god.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.53.35b : Vnto what þing þe ymage of synne is lyk and what it is in it self.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.90.61a : And þou schalt disiren it and lufen it for þe goodnesse of it selff.
e
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)9b/a : I seide of eueriche persone by hitself and of al þre at ones in þe singuler noumbre.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)325b/b : Alle particulere þinges þe whiche euerich is perfite in hitsilf beþ perfite whan þey beþ redact in to oon.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)183/22 : Þe poudre of pigre..is good, þouȝ it were bi it-silf.
- (1433) RParl.4.477b : The seid Tollereves so sworen shall..putte the seid money by hitself.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.148 : Lond argillose, & not cley bi hit selue, Is commodose.
- (1449) RParl.5.147b : The Contrey of Normandie is in no wyse of hitself sufficeant, to make resistence ayeinst the grete puyssance of the Adversaries.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)83 : Al the feith..is not so worthi in it silf.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)151/21 : When ye haue departyd it at vj partes, þen coler euery parte by hyt selfe in dyuers colers.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)384 : Þe þinge in it sijlfe beriþ witnesse wiþ-oute fayle how it stondiþ amonge hem in þis poynte.
f
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)198b/b : Water is of it self fletyng.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)56a/b : Mankynde is to be kepte in many wyse, and so it is subiecte of hitself to dyuerse periles.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)94/24 : Right ys, þat a man ȝelde to vche man þat his ys purthy [read: per se], it ys sayd, be itseluyn, ffor yn it ys þe hele of subgitz.
2.
Pleonastic pron.: (a) immediately after the noun emphasized; (b) separated from the noun or pron. which it emphasizes.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.63.5 : I soȝte, and ther was not that halp..and myn indignacioun itself [L indignatio mea ipsa] halp to me.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.6.120 : Alle thinges that ben put undir destyne ben certes subgitz to purveaunce, to which purveaunce destyne itself is subgit and under.
- c1425 *Wycl.Concord.(Roy 17.B.1)162b : Witnessynge is ȝolden to demetrie of alle men & of treuþe itsilf.
- c1450 Treat.Perf.(Add 37790)247/34 : Infynytenesse, commynge abofe, dymmys oure resoun..in symplenesse itselfe infourmynge abofe his consayvynge.
b
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.4.148 : It be dyvers fro the holnesse of science that any man scholde deme a thing to ben otherwyse than it is itself.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)146/175 : It gyfys more light it self alone Then any son that euer shone.