Middle English Dictionary Entry
noughtī adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | noughtī adj. Also nouthti. |
| Etymology | From nought . |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Evil, immoral, unclean; hostile, wicked; ~ thing, evil practice(s; as noun: evil or hostile men; (b) ineffectual; bungling; (c) in want, needy.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1359 : Hit is not innoghe to þe nice al noȝty þink use, Bot if alle þe worlde wyt his wykked dedes.
- (1443) Proc.Privy C.5.247 : Of nowghty men in riotous wyse wer maad at Salesbury assemblees.
- (1444) Rec.Norwich 1115 : Item, for certeyn misruled people which by noughti men..yt yer may be sum wey found by ye kyng and his noble Counseill yt suche persones set not ye Cite in trouble.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)34/2 : If he [the king] yeue to myshappy peple that not deseruith it..he schall be so fulle of noughti peple þat he schal not canne delyuer hym of thayme.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)14/21 : Leue þe noughti lyf of bestis that euyr lyve in filthis.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)288 : Lest noughti shuld com nerre Thei sette hym to bataile.
- (c1460) Cart.Tropenell in BGAS 23226 : [The] mayntenaunce of Sir Richard Benet, parson of Estcodford, a nawghty man.
- (1461) Paston (EETS)1.268 : Item, at þe reuerence of God, be ware howe ye ryd or go for nowgty and euyll desposyd felachepys.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)167/6 : The labour of myn handes susteyneth the cowardes and noughty whiche persecute me with hunger and glayue.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)41/26 : I see the noughty and reproueable people hepid with richesse, and the good and honeste people beggars and nedy.
- -?-(?a1500) Cart.Tropenell in BGAS 23207 : The naughty lyf that the said Constance, his second wyf, lyved in with bisshop Wayvile and with other.
b
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)34/172 : Both veyn and nowthty and no thyng sounde, with what þing þou medele, þou xalt it shende.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)241/4 : The sapience..shuld be void..the wyles and cauteelys made noughty.
c
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)6.226 : Alle maner of men..That nedy ben and nauȝty [vr. noȝt han], helpe hem with þi godis.
- c1450 PPl.B (RwlPoet 38)7.72 : More nedyer and nauȝtier [Ld: he wolde ȝiue þat an other Þat were more nedy þan he].