Middle English Dictionary Entry
nighten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | nighten v. |
| Etymology | From night . |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To spend or pass the night (in a place); also fig. remain in darkness; (b) impers. it grows dark; hit bigan (gan) to ~, it drew towards night; night nighteth, night falls; (c) to be overtaken by night; ppl. nighted, benighted.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7729 : He nyghtede yn a wasteyne.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)46/29 : Criste..in prayer allon in þe hyll nyghtyd [L pernoctauit].
- a1500 GRom.(Add 9066)205 : Crist..entred the gate of holy chirch, that is, the wombe of that blissed virgyn, and there he nyghted from the tyme of his Conception vnto his birthe.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4955 : Ayein Eve..A while er it began to nyhte, A povere man..Cam forth.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1983 : In-to an yle myddes of þe see We were dryve, whan it gan to nyȝte.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.515 : Into tyme that it gan to nyghte [vrr. nyght, nyȝt], They spaken of Criseyde the brighte.
- c1425 Evang.(BodAdd C.38)1628 : As sone as it bigan to nyght, ihu..ffro deeth to lyue he aros.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)209 : Ne nevere wolde it nyghte.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)153/23 : Nero..myght not Suffice the lordshupp..of galerne the baillie, ther as the nyght nyghtyth.
c
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)451 : Thare thow nyghttes on nyghte, nedez moste þou lenge, Be it foreste or felde.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)172/25 : By fortune they were nyghted.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)1435 : They were nyghtyd in a wode thyck.