Middle English Dictionary Entry
aretten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | aretten v. Also areten, arret(t)en, arecten, aritten, arraten. P. & ppl. arette, aretted. |
| Etymology | OF aret(t)er, aratter; cp. OF reter (from L reputāre); ME ct for tt is partly scribal, partly a pseudo-Latin spelling. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To attribute (sth. to sth.); ~ it mi vileinie, attribute it to my ill-breeding; ~ to (in), to impute (sin, guile, unbelief, etc.) to (sb.); ~ to (unto), to place the blame for (sth.) upon (sb.), blame (sth.) on (sth.), attribute (sth.) to (lack of understanding, guilt, presumption, etc.); ~ to, to give credit for (sth.) to (sb.), award; ~ to, to attribute (words, a speech) to (sb.); (b) to blame (sth.), accuse (sb.), charge (sb.) with (an offence); ~ upon, to place the blame upon (sb.), accuse; (c) ?to bring a charge, make an accusation.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)31.2 : Blisced be þe man to whom our Lord aretted [L imputavit] nouȝt synne.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.726 : I pray yow of youre curteisye That ye narette [vr. ne arrecte] it nat my vileynye, Thogh that I pleynly speke.
- c1390 Hilton ML (Vrn)277 : And arette [vr. arett] soþfastli al þi gode dedes to him.
- (a1400) Chaucer CT.Rt.(Manly-Rickert)I.1082 : If ther be any thyng that displese hem, I preye hem also that they arrette [vrr. arette, arecte] it to the defaute of myn vnkonnynge.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2302 : First I the requere..Nat to arette to presumpcioun..Þat I am bold.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3134 : I am ful sore a-gaste..List men þi deth arretten vn-to me.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ps.31.2 : Blessid is the man to whom the Lord arrettide [WB(1): witide] not synne.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)2 Tim.4.16 : In my firste defencyoun..alle þei forsooke me; be it not arettyd [L imputetur] to hem.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.4.14 : But that thow..abyest thus the torment of thi false opynioun, that maistow nat ryghtfully blamen ne aretten [L imputare] to thynges.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)39 : He behiht..to voyde and putte away alle thes wronges ffro hym, and to arrecte hit, and putte hit to the dedes off other men.
- (c1438) MKempe B (Add 61823)245/1 : I am þat same persone to whom þes wordys ben arectyd.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.3922 : His fader hadde indignacioun, The caas arettyng to vnkyndenesse.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)40/18 : Þe victorye es noȝte aretted to þam þat fliez, Bot to þam þat habydez.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)453 : Grettir vnbileeue can not we take bi þe lettir to be arectid to hem.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)25 : Þe fende..stureth vs to a rette alle þese thynges to elementes of þis world..Therfore godhed ys not to be aretted to suche thynges þat are sette vnder þe disposicion of god.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)57/31 : I requere yow of riȝt þat ȝe noþynge arrette nor ascrive to my gilte that I come with stronge and myȝti honde.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)5a : To Aritte: Ascribere, deputare, imputare, vbi to wite.
- a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16731 : I wyl arrettyn the cause to my synnes and to the grete defautys that I ha done.
- a1500(a1450) Parton.(1) (Add 35288)10727 : He hadde tresspassed litell or elles nought, But I arrecte in hym gile and eke false treasone.
- a1500 Counsels Isidor (Hrl 1706)372 : Arette þou alle þinges to goddys grace.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.580 : He..arretteth [vrr. aretteþ, arectith, arrateth] vp on god, or blameth god of thyng of which he is hym self gilty.
- c1430 Chaucer CT.Prol.(Cmb Gg.4.27)A.726 : Fyrst I prey ȝow..That ȝe narette not myn velanye, Thow that I pleynly speke.
- (1450) RParl.5.200b : That no maner persoon..in Wales, arettid, accusid or endited of Felony, yn eny wyse be amittid to disclayme out of the seide Shire..where he is so enditid, accusid or arettid.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.335 : Lawes whiche þat medes done mesure To tho whiche þat ben good..And also peynes to þe vicious..Wiþ none vnright þey may not ben arettid.
c
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Deut.21.8 : Be mercyful to thi puple Israel..and arette thou not innocent blood in the myddis of thi puple.
2.
(a) To regard (sth.) as (sth.), consider (sth.) to be (sth.), consider (sb.) to be (untrue, etc.); ~ as (as for, into), to regard (sth.) as (sth.); it was aretted to him into rightwisnesse, it was reckoned as righteousness in him; it nas aretted him no vileinie, it was regarded as no disgrace to him; (b) to class (sth. with a group), assign.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2729 : It nas arretted [vrr. aretted, aritted, arecte, a rekened] hym no vileynye.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)9 : Alle greete synnis shulen be arettid as for nought, to comparisoun of eresie of symonie.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.337 : Arrettinge it passing gret offence Þat þe choys was made in his absence.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.31.15 : Wher he arettide not vs as aliens.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Lam.4.2 : The noble sones of Sion..hou ben thei arettid in to [L reputati sunt in] erthene vessels.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)85/19 : Þan sall scho be arettid vntrew and vnkynde.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)353 : Þou wolt not to men and women..arecte into deedly synne or into eny synne her fleischly togidere matrimonial comunyng.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.36 : Wheþir for to willen þeire prosperite Schuld been arett as synne and felonye?
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)48/1423 : Of my compleynt harke þe carfulle matere And not arett my rewdisshe speche mokkery.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)26 : We arettid [cp. Is.53.4: putavimus] him as smitun of God.
- a1425(?c1400) Wycl.PN(2) (Hrl 2398)107 : He temptede Abraham, and it was aritted [vr. arettid] to him into ryȝtwysnesse.
b
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Lev.11.4 : Ȝe schulen not ete it, and ȝe schulen arette [L reputabis] among vnclene thingis.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Luke 22.37 : He is arettid [WB(1): demyd; L deputatus] with wickid men.
3.
To pay heed to (sth.); perceive, find.
Associated quotations
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Job 39.24 : And he arettith [L reputat] not that the crie of the trumpe sowneth.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)35 : In a goode womman may be arrettid [L repperiri posse] goode felawship.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.4ra (Prologue) : Þou haste put me to an harde wark and opne to the barking & to the scornyng of detractours; bothe for that þat is gyffen into teching by wrytyng, but if it be softening þe eres of men and passing þe witte of meny men, it is al arectede into scorn.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.4rb (Prologue) : Holy Writte makeþ mynde þat þe selfe aposteles of Crist were arectede reprouabli wiþouten letres and ydiotes.
Note: Additional quots., ?prob. sense 2.(a). Editor's gloss: 'considered, regarded, ~ into regarded as (a matter of)'. New spelling (p. ppl.): arectede.