Middle English Dictionary Entry
lī̆telen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | lī̆telen v. Also litel, litle(n, littel(en, little & (SW or WM) lutle(n, litli(en & (error) littelel. Forms: sg. 3 litlith & (error) lelyth; ppl. litlende, lē̆tiland; p. lī̆teled, etc. & luttulde; ppl. lī̆teled, etc. & (early) ilitlod. |
| Etymology | OE lȳtlian |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To diminish (sth.), lessen; reduce (a count or number); reduce (sth.) with a belt or girdle [quot.: Medulla]; deplete (sth.), exhaust [quot.: a1400]; (b) to crush (sb.) into small bits; (c) to reduce (words, angels) in number; (d) to reduce (sb. or sth.) in rank or significance; make (a sin) less heinous; refl. humble oneself; (e) to take (sth.) away, subtract; boil off (part of a liquid).
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)24/9 : & wæs swa ilytlod heoræ ælces andweald, þæt heo unðances sceoldon buȝan þam casere.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8838 : Aȝenes uuel ich wulle don god, & lutlien [Otho: alaski] ich wulle his kare.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)6/52 : Ha..schal lihte se lahe into a monnes þeowdom..& lutlin hire leafdischipe.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)540 : Oft ich singe uor hom þe more For lutli sum of hore sore.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)11.1 : For soþnes ben litteled [L diminutæ sunt] fram mennes sones.
- c1390 Psalt.Mariae(1) (Vrn)452 : Þorwh whos help þe queyntenesse Of þe fend is lutled ay.
- a1400 Mirror(Htrn 250) 2:91/10 : Þe aungels .., her noumbre was liteld muchel whan Lucifer fel.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)74.8 : Bot drege of him noght is Litteled [vr. liteled; L exinanita], drinke sal al þa Sinfulle of erthe.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)9a/a : Baltrio [?read: Balterio]: to litelen.
- a1425 Wycl.MCh.(Bod 788)423 : And ȝit haþ God ordeyned helpe to departe þes popis in two..for departing litliþ strengþe.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)89a : Also stampe hit, and hastely hit lelyth [?read: lesyth] wekyd wynds with in a man.
b
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)17.46 : Y shal littelel [vr. littyl; L comminuam] hem as poudre to-fore þe face of þe wynde.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)28.6 : And he shal littelen [L comminuet] hem as folk of Liban.
c
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)312/205 : Alle heuenly Angles tolde, wȝuche wer lutled at o tyme..whos place schal beo restored..fful of cristene soules.
- a1400 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Cai 231/117)p.204 : Litel [Hrl 874: ȝif any lette þe wordes of þis book..god shal bynyme hem þe part of þe book of lijf.
d
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)49/16 : He litlede him seluen to-foren mannes eiȝen.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)145 : Þe sone..tok flesch and blod..his Godhede luttulde not þeiȝ he lowe lihte.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)8.6 : What is man..Þou liteled [vr. litteled; L Minuisti] him a litel wight Lesse fra þine aungeles.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)177/21 : So schal þe synful man..jugge hymself to-fore God, not for to litle his synne, but raþer to make it more.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)61/22 : And so she wende to haue lytelyd her synne.
e
- 1790(1471-1472) Ordin.Househ.Edw.IV(2) (Topham)38 : Nother narshalls, nother usshers..owe not to little or withdrawe any hole stuffe of fleshe or fyshe.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)85/1 : And after be it put vpon a softe fyr, to þe þrydde party be lytild away.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)107/20 : Be he..trewe secretary, no þinge addand, no letiland, in þinges þat þou sendys hym.
2.
(a) To grow less, diminish, decrease; (b) to become smaller in size or stature, shrink.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)110.83/3 : Nim þeos wurtewalan, will on wætere, sile him suppan; þanne clænsað hit þane muð innan, & byð þe ece lytlende.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)15/161 : Ne mahe ȝe nowðer mi luue ne mi bileaue lutlin [Roy: lutlen] towart te liuiende godd.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)10/27 : Ne his lufsumlec..ne mei lutli [Roy: lutlin] ne aliggen.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)38/354 : Hit ne me neauer mare lutlin [L nullam diminutionem..habebunt] ne wursin.
- (1423) RParl.4.249a : It muste litul and amenuse of verray necessite, to grete losse and harme.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)21b/a : Diminuo: lytlen.
b
- ?c1335 Elde makiþ me (Hrl 913)p.171 : I werne, i lutle; þer for i murne.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1500(?a1425) Boeth.Bk.Comfort (BodAuct F.3.5)234/234 : Summe tyme sche litild and schrynkid hirself, like to the comun mesure of men, and summe tyme hit semede that sche towched heuene.
Note: Additional quot. for rare sense 2.(b), 'to shrink'. However, it is not clear whether the verb here shares a reflexive object with 'shrinken' or is purely intransitive.