Middle English Dictionary Entry
lith n.(1)
Entry Info
Forms | lith n.(1) Also lithe, litthe, liyþe, litht & leth(e & (early pl.) liðu, lyþa, liþe. |
Etymology | OE liþ |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A joint of the body; bothe ~ and bon, both joint and bone; completely; eche ~ from the lire, every joint from the flesh; ~ bo and lire, both joint and flesh; out of ~, out of joint; (b) a bodily member, limb; bon nor ~, bone nor member, no part of the body, nothing; fro ~ to ~ (lim), ?in all parts of the body, ?limb from limb; leien leg upon ~, to lay one leg over the other, cross the legs; ~ from (fro) ~, limb from limb; of bon and ~, of bones and limbs, of body; of ~ and lere, in limb and flesh, in all of the body; (c) ?the limbs, the body; (d) fig. limb of faith, an article of faith; (e) a part, a bit; (f) bothe in ~ and lim, in all parts of the body, entirely; bothe) lim and ~, bothe) ~ and lim, all of the body, all of a person; altogether, completely, wholly; everi lim and ~, every part of the body; in (of) lim and ~, in (of) ~ and lim, in all parts of the body, all over; altogether, completely; ~ nor lim, nother ~ ne lim, no part of the body, not at all; with lim and ~, with all of the body; lif and ~, life and members; upon lif and ~, on pain of death.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)91.46/6 : Wið lyþa sore, nim þisse wyrt.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)109.83/1 : Gif man his liðu acen, oþþer onȝefloȝen si, nim fifleauen.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)22/2 : Wið sina & wið cneowa liþe sare, nim leon ȝelinde.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)18/292 : Al ham is to limet, lið ba & lire.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)19/200 : Þe rawen rahten of luue þurh euch lið of his limes.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)51/562 : Hit..to limede hire & to leac, lið ba & lire, bursten hire banes.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)71/764 : Wilde deor limmel to luken ham & to limeden eauer euch lið from þe lire.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)502 : Ðat ge ne falle niðer nogt, ðat is most in hire ðogt, For he ne hauen no lið ðat he mugen risen wið.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2163 : Hise fet he kisten an hundred syþes, Þe tos, þe nayles, and þe lithes.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1804 : Iacob..ðor wrestelede an engel wið; Senwe sprungen fro ðe lið.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2248 : Neymes..with his hand ȝyf him a strok ounride wiþ-inne þe neckes space; Such on a gurt him with is fuste þat sondrede al þe liþ.
- c1390 Talking LGod (Vrn)50/25 : Þi Ioyntes sturten out of liþ.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12612 : Weri was sco, bath lith [Trin-C: liþþe] and ban.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1917 : Þe rotes suld þan rayse þar-with Ilka vayn and ilka synoghe and lith.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)35b/b : He schal knowe..howe þat members owen to ben reduced ȝif þei be oute of her owne place, oþer oute of liþthe.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)125b/b : Þou schalt take þe childe with þi lefte honde by þe riȝt honde ȝif þe riȝt schulder be oute of liyþe, oþer oute of iointe.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)117/15 : Myn arme ys oute of lythe, wherethorow I muste nedys reste me.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)264 : Oute of lyth: dislocatus, luxus.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)5116 : He may lightly his necke breke Or hise ioyntes out of lith steke.
b
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)6/11 : Brekeþ liþ from liþe.
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1516 : Þe sinewes borsten, þe hide al so, Lithe fro lithe didin al so.
- a1325 SLeg.Patr.(Corp-C 145)624 : And þoru ech lim, him þoȝte, & þoru ech liþ it gan gon.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8494 : Wawains breþer, on & oþer, Smiten euerich liþ fram oþer.
- c1330 St.Greg.(Auch)109/574 : Gregori was feir of teyle, Strong and stef in eueri liþ.
- a1350 Opon a somer (LdMisc 108)92 : He leyde his leg opon liþ at his likyng.
- c1390 Talking LGod (Vrn)50/10 : His liþes breken out of Ioynt, þat non of hem may lasten.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4065 : Trewely she hath the herte in hoold of Chauntecleer, loken in euery lith.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1691 : And schortly to descrive hire al, Sche hath no lith withoute a lak.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23260 : Firend bandes..al þair limes ar bunden wit, Witvten leth of ain lith [Phys-E: ani liþe].
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)398 : 'Now blysse, burne, mot þe bytyde,' Þen sayde þat lufsoum of lyth and lere.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)303 : Lythe, idem quod Lym, infra.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)304 : Lythe fro lythe, or lym fro lym: Membratim.
- a1450 Castle Love(1) (BodAdd B.107)1626 : Wyth scorges ibetyn wiþoute gryth, That þe blode barst oute on ich a lyth.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)53 : We ought raþer to make al hir body to be rent lyth from lyth.
- ?a1450(?1350-75) Res.Dom.in Norris Anc.Corn.Drama (Bod 791)848 : Dre mur hyreth ythof pur squyth, h'am corf the weth, yscarn ha lyth.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1253 : Hast þow any þynge wroȝt or do..Clyppynge or kyssynge or towchynge of lyth, That thy flesch was styred wyth?
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)211/16 : Þai cuthe nowder fynd of hym bone nor lith.
- c1450 Falm.Squire (Cmb Ff.2.38)p.103 : Fendys bolde wyth crokys kene Rente hys body fro lyth to lythe [vrr. fro lyth to leme, lith fro lith].
- a1475 In place (Hrl 3954)151 : Euery lyth fro oþer was drawe.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)298 : I schall be bette euery leth [vr. lythe], Hede and body, wythout greth [vr. grythe].
- a1500(?c1400) Triam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)467 : He was mekyll of boon and lyth.
c
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)2931 : Þe lityllayke of hys lyth [Ashm: like] lothly þai spysyn.
d
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)135/22 : Þus, lo, þe articles þet beoð, as þah me seide, þe liðes of ure bileaue onont godes monhead.
e
- ?c1335 Elde makiþ me (Hrl 913)p.172 : Þe tunge wlaseþ wend þer wiþ, Lostles lowteþ in uch a liþ.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1724 : Sche..festened hire in þat fel wiþ ful gode þonges..þat no man vpon mold miȝt oþer perceyue but sche a bere were..so iustislich eche liþ ioyned.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)953 : Ryght faire shuldres and body long She had, and armes, every lyth Fattyssh, flesshy, not gret therwith.
f
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)11/116 : Þah ich cwic beo forbearnd baðe lim & lið ileitinde leie.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)579 : Þoruȝ euerech lime and lith of him, þat swete liȝt gan gon.
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.39 : Ȝeot schaltouȝ come wiþ lime and lyþ.
- c1330 Body & S.(5) (Auch)p.38 : Þou schalt com, lim and liþ, Oȝain to me at domesday.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)1945 : Grauen he sall be..And ryse þe thred day..And lyfe o-gayn in lym and lyth.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5092 : And þay traytours schulleþ be schent, Demembred lyme & lyþ.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24619 : On fote vnethes moght i stand, Sua lam in lime and lith.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)3335 : He made þaim hale in lyth & lym.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)23/206 : Als cold floures semid þai vnto him And confort wele both lith and lym.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)828 : He payede for us his owne body, In foorme of breed, boþe lyme and lith.
- a1425(a1400) Titus & V.(Pep 2014)1000 : Ther he was sore in lym and liþ.
- a1425 Arth.& M.(LinI 150)1973 : Best and mon, wiþ lym and lyth, Hit brente doun wiþ owte gryth.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)860 : The childe was large of lym and lythe.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)131/148 : Uppon peyne to lose both lyme and litht.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)1778 : Thay hyȝe hem to Charles faste And charke hym vppon life and lithe.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.92 : What þing is þat, þat lakkeþ lyf and lyth [L compage], Þat may be likned to a creature?
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)3080 : Sho rase vp and serued him, hale bathe in lyth and lym.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)40 : Large he was of leme and lethe, And wonder-well he wex there wyth.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)2409 : A blake stede come after hym, So well made of lythe and lym.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)2398 : He is so large of lym and lith, All the world he hath justid with.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)393/211 : Ye will dwell with hym That can..hele you, lith and lym.
- c1500 How GWife(3) (Ashm 61)217/38 : Loke þou mekly ansuer hym And meue hym noþer lyth ne lymme.
- a1500 Tundale (Adv 19.3.1)1160 : He myght not steron lythe nor lym.
- a1500 Tydynges I bryng (BodPoet e.1)9 : Þer tamyd I hym And reft fro hym both lyth & lyme.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. lith.