Middle English Dictionary Entry
liten v.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | liten v.(1) Also lit, litte(n, (early) litien & lẹ̄te. Forms: sg. 3 liteth, etc. & lẹ̄teth; p. litted; ppl. lit(t)ed, ilitet, ileitet & lit. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI lita. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To dye (cloth, garments), color, stain; also, impart (a color) by dyeing; -- without obj.: dye, practice the dyer's trade; (b) to paint (one's face); (c) to stain (sth. with blood); (d) to impart a natural color to (sth.); of sunlight: give color to (the earth); (e) fig. to give (sth.) the appearance of (sth. else); color (cruelty with the hue of righteousness).
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)126 : F. tistre drap et teynt: W. weuyth clothe and letyth.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)2690 : Son, þu sall lere to lytt [rime: itt].
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)2772 : Swylke colours saw we neuer are, Ne half so wele lyt þan.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)66a/a : Tinito: to lyt ofte..Tingo: to lyt or coleren.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)178a/a : Granum with which cloþ is litted [*Ch.(2): is coloured; L tingitur] is desiccatif without mordicacioun.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)308 : Lytyn [Win: Lytyn or lete; KC: littyn] clothys: Tingo.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)80/9 : We vse na clathes þat are littede of dyuerse coloures.
- c1450 Inf.Chr.(Add 31042)657 : Thies clathis sente he hedire to mee ffor to litte thayme.
- ?c1460 Medulla (Add 33534)308 : Tingo: to dye, to coloure, or to lytte.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)74b : To lytte: Colorare, jnficere, jnformare, tingere, jntingere, tinctare. Lyttyd: jnfectus, tinctus.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)67.25 : For the sall thaire fleyss in thaire aghen blode be made rede, as it ware, littid.
b
- c1230 Ancr.(Corp-C 402)103/25 : Her to falleð..heowin her, litien leor, pinchin bruhen.
c
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)67.25 : Of Basan torne, torne sal i In depnesse of þe se, for-þi Þat þi fote be lited [L intingatur] in blode o lim.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)67.25 : That thi fote be littid in blode.
d
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1422 : Ah mit se swiðe lufsume leores ha leien, se rudie & se reade, ilitet [vr. ileitet] eauereuch leor as lilie ileid to rose.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3988 : Hir lippes were louely littid with rede.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7374 : When the light vp launchit, littid the erthe, The derke ouer-done..All the grekes..gedrit to feld.
- a1500 BodAdd.A.106 Lapid.(BodAdd A.106)p.46 : Ye Crisolyte oryentile..is lytted with gold in yt syde yt a man coueres hym.
e
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)138/16 : 'Rihtwisnesse,' he seið, 'mot beo nede sturne,' ant þus he liteð [Tit: lites; Cai: lited] cruelte wið heow of rihtwisnesse.