Middle English Dictionary Entry
līth(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | līth(e adj. Also (error) lyye & (comp.) lithere & (early infl.) lyþum, liþne. |
| Etymology | OE līþe |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Gentle, kindly, friendly; meek, obedient; content, happy [last quot.]; (b) smooth to the taste or touch, pleasant, agreeable; of medicine: bland, weak; of a country, shores: fair, attractive; of a day: favorable, propitious; also fig.; (c) of weather, a day: serene, calm; clear with gentle winds; of wind: light; of water: quiet, not turbulent; (d) lithe, supple, pliant.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)40/1 : God sylf is liðe ant mid liðnysse us steoræð.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)138/14 : He deþ forȝyfenesse..& heore mod onliht mid his liðe forȝyfenesse.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1177 : Shep iss all unnskaþefull & stille der & liþe.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4705 : Þatt tu beo þwerrt ut milde & meoc & soffte & stille & liþe.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)7754 : Forr lamb iss..liþe & meoc & milde.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)97 : Heo deð þere monnan heortan..þet heo beoð liðe.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)111 : Ðe lauerd scal beon liðe þan godan and eisful þan dusian.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10984 : Ich wullen..halden þe for hærre & beon þe ful liðe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11071 : Þenne he [Constantine] wes bliðe, he wes uule liðe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22190 : And þu, Lot, mi leofe freond, godd þe wurðe liðe [Otho: milde].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22519 : Arður þa liðe word iherde of þan leod-kinge.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27395 : Mahun eou beo liðe!
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)220/25,1 : Swuch ah wummone lare to beonne, luuelich & liðe & selthwenne sturne..Mare of liðe wordes þen of suhinde.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)4917 : Þou hart me swiþe liþe, and ich þe lofuie swiþe,
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)144.9 : Our Lord is liþe [L suavis] to alle.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9706 : The first..Was Vlyxes, the lord, with his lythe wordes.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)27/28 : So, for to make hem mor lith in her wecch, þis same bischop ded ordeyn swete songis..þat þe puple..schuld forgete þe heuynesse and þe perel.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)123.108/1 : Cnuca to swiðe smale duste, syle drincan on lyþum wine.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)130.126/1 : Nim þisse wyrt sædes fiftine corn, ȝecnucode on liþe beorre..he sceal ȝelomlice liþne wæte beores ðicȝean.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)18/21 : Wið scurfum, rammes smeru nim..& after smyre; hit byd eft liþere.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)129 : Ðet weter of egipte wes liðe and swete.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11774 : Ah loke wulche wæstres..whulche wurðliche wude..whul liðe londe on to libbenne!
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)24198 : Þat water wes liðe, and men gunnen spilien þat wes Mæi at tune.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)707 : Cloþ and bord was drain Wit mete and drink liþe.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1241 : A baþ þai made him sket So liþe.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1245 : Salues haþ he soft And drinkes þat er liþe [rime: swiþe, kiþe].
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)33.8 : Swelweþ and seþ, for our Lord is liþ [vr. swete; L suavis].
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)87/18 : If þat þe medicyn make þinne quytture & blodi..þanne is medicyn to scharpe, & if þe quytture be þicke & towȝ, þanne is þe medicyn to liþe.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)95/10 : Þat þe pacient..drinke good wiyn & cleer & lithe, & he muste leeue reed wiyn & troublid & þicke wiyn.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3762 : Thar no man aske if I was blithe, Whanne the savour soft and lythe Strok to myn herte withoute more.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)310 : Lythe, and softe yn felynge: Mollis, lenis.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)494 : Thay gafe hym metis and drynkis lythe.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1517 : O lawe in þe launde þane by þe lythe strandez, Sir Lucius lygge-men loste are fore euer.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3505 : Men brouȝten bred..Pyment, clarre, and drynkes lyþe.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)118 : I..fil on slepe wonder sone, As he that wery was forgo On pilgrymage myles two To the corseynt Leonard, To make lythe of that was hard.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)267 : Lythe and not sharp in tast: Suauis.
- a1500 Maysters that (BodAdd A.106)25 : Seuen dayes er noght lythe: Þe fyrst, þe secund, þe forth, þe fyft, The tente, þe fyftende, er fullkyn, And also er þe nentende.
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7242 : Þet weder wes swiðe liðe.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)2383 : Þe water bicom faire and liþe; Þemperour þerof was bliþe.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)106.29 : And he sete in winde his stormes stithe, And his stremes leften lithe [L siluerunt].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)310 : Lyye [Win: Lyþe], or lythe, stylle and softe: Tranquillus..Lythe, wythe-owte wynde, and calme: Calmus.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.8 : At places warme, in dayes lyth & drye [L clemens tempus et siccum], Is now the hilly londys vp to ere.
- c1440(a1400) Eglam.(Thrn)940 : The wynd was lythe; a bote þer stode.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2494 : Sayle we forþ wiþ wyndes [vr. weders] lyþe.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4895 : Þe wynd gan wexe lyþe [rime: kyþe].
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4586 : Winter was went, & windes were lithe.
- c1450(c1400) Emare (Clg A.2)348 : The wedur was lythe of le.
d
- c1300 Evang.(Dlw 22)83 : Ant he bi-comiz al ȝung ant lith, Þat helpe him muhte bi-fore nowiht.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)424/134 : For þat ys..wolde aswagi þe hote goute..þat ys huy leiden oft to is fot, and eche time it made him liþe and softe.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)28a/a : Þer ben two skillis whi þe neþere chekebonys beþ meuable & not þe vppere: The firste for þei ben more liþe and more to stirynge.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)30a/b : Þis boon ys grettere þan ony oþir of þe arme..Also it is crokid for he schulde be þe more able to bigripe þingis, and it is holden þat he schulde be þe more liþere and þe more obedient to þe stirynge of þe brawnys.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 172/32 : Drawe þoru a wyþe till þei be leþe and nesce.
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 178/6 : Loke he be not to styf ne to leþe.
Note: New spelling.
Note: Additional quotes, sense (d), postdate sense.