Middle English Dictionary Entry
leit n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | leit n.(1) Also lait(e, late. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. A lēgitu, lēget. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Lightning; a flash of lightning; thonder ~, q.v.; (b) flame; a burst of flame; fire.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)43 : Heore eȝen weren al swilc swa fur, and heore eþem scean swa deð þe leit a-monge þunre.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25587 : In þere weolcne com an wunderlic deor..wið leite mid storme sturnliche wende.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)428/272 : Þis þreo-manere men..smitez þoru-out quiclokur þane þe leyte doth an eue.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.32.41 : Y whette as leyt my swerd.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Wisd.5.22 : The sendingus out of leitis [L fulgurum] shul gon euene riȝt.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.28.3 : His lokyng was as leyt.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.303 : Thanne is it chased sore aboute Til it to fyr and leyt be falle, And thanne it brekth the cloudes alle.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)81/19 : Ȝif I whette my swerd as leit..I schal ȝelde wreche to myne enemies.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)195/1 : Þei weren neuere greued with tempestes ne with thonder ne with leyt.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)118/204 : Þen Poul he herd a dolful noyse, As layte or þonder þat hit were.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.272 : As thyng with leyt [L fulgure; L gloss.: fulgere] forsmyton wol they die.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)482 : As leit gooth out of the eest and apperith into the west, so schal be also the comyng of Mannys Sone.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12517 : All the company..Were brent..with the breme lowe Of the leymonde laite þat launchit fro heuyn.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)553 : Þe liȝt lemand late laschis fra þe heuyn; Thonere thrastis ware thra.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2740 : A strom is aftir sone Of leyt, of wynd, of rayn, of hail, of thondir.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)8526 : When laite or any tempest ys, thai taken oute the crois anone.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)265/29 : Anon come a þondyr and a layte wyth þat, and clefe þe tempull yn þre partyes.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)513 : With thundre and leyte about I shall hym chase.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)332/39 : The wedder waxed wonderous blacke, Layte, Thunder, and Earth began to quake.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25599 : A berninge drake..mid his feure he lihte al þis lond-riche; me þuhte a mire sihȝeðe þat þa sæ gon to berne of leite & of fure.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)137/36 : Wið uten us al þene world leitinde of swarte leite [Corp-C: lei].
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)6989 : Man & hounde, wiif & child, Þai schuld bren wiþ fer wilde..setten on rede laite Al þat euer þai miȝten awaite.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)66/4 : Huanne me alyȝt þet uer lhapþ þet smech efter þe layt.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)105.18 : Fur brent in her sinagoge, & lait [L flamma] brent þe sinȝers.
- c1390(?a1325) Adam & E.(2) (Vrn)225/41 : Þe stones on þe grounde weoren as brihte as hit weore brenninde laite.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.954 : Soothly a whit wal al though it ne brenne noght fully, by stikynge of a candele yet is the wal blak of the leyt.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3453 : Þe smok was so gret, and leyte, þat Darries ost it dude awayte.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)112/34 : Gret eddyrs, gret stenche, gret leyte, gret foyre.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)152 : Whanne thu seest the leyt fle out of the pott, anoon smat adoun the lid, and holde adoun the leyt ij or iij tymes til thou seest the mater in the pott wex blak ynowȝ.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)42ba : Abraham .. loked toward the cytees [Sodom and Gomorrah] & sawe the smoke ascendyng fro the places lyke as it had be the layte [Vulg. Gen. 19.28: fumum] of a fornays.
Note: Additional quot., sense (b).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Whanne marye was greet (Lamb 853:Marx) 69/226 : Þe sonne & moone losten þer light, Þe elementis fouȝten as leit of þundir, Þe erþe qwoke and nounteynes an hight, Valeis & stoonys bursten asundir.
Note: Editor: "leit of þundir has the sense 'lightning of thunder' or 'lightning from thunder', but it does not appear under leit in the MED." Marx notes, too, that the phrase may simply be a corruption of the A version's idiomatic dynt of thundyr 'a stroke or clap of thunder'.
Note: Additional quote, sense (a), or ?poss. new phrase.