Middle English Dictionary Entry
oth-the conj.
Entry Info
| Forms | oth-the conj. Also odðe, odde, oðe. |
| Etymology | OE oþ-þe |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
With two or more alternatives: or: (a) connecting nouns, noun phrases, or prepositional phrases; ~..~ (other), other..~, or..or; (b) connecting verbs or verb phrases; (c) connecting clauses or sentences; (d) connecting diverse elements.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1107 : Se cyng Henri..þær þa biscop ricen & abbod ricen geaf & sette, þe on Engle lande oððe on Normandige buton ealdre & hyrde [wæron].
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)68.4/7 : Wið sleȝe isernes oþþe stenges þeos ylcan wyrte..wunderlice ȝehælð.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)18/14 : Þa wearres..ðe beoþ on manes handum oþþe on oþrum lime oþþer embe þana utgang, smure mid þan waetan.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)88/17-18 : Þæt mynd oððe þæt anȝit oððe þe willæ beoð icwædene to summe þingæ edlesienlice.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)94/13 : Oft bið þeo sawle on ane þinge oððe on ane þohte swa bisiȝ, þæt heo ne ȝemeð hwa hyre ȝehende byð.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)132/7 : Efne heo bið smeke ilic, oððe rænæs scuræs.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)77/28 : Da riche menn ðe laneð here eihte uppe chierches..oðer uppe tunes oðe uppe oðre þinges þe rentes ȝiueð..hie bieð idemd for gouleres.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)73/28 : Be mynstres tolum odðe [oðer] kynnes þynȝes and ehte.
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)52/24 : Þa ðe her on life forhoȝiæð oððe forscamiæð þæt heo nellæþ reowsunge don..heo sceolon reowsiæn..on helle wite.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)110/10 : Þeo murhðe..wæs mare þenne æniȝ mennisc mon sæcgen maȝe oþðe forþan asmeȝean.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)39/34 : Gif..wraððe mid ðe ne wuneð ones daiȝes længe, ac alchne gylt forȝifst oðe midluue sahtlest..ðanne hafst ðu charite mid ðe.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)143/12 : Gyf hwilc heora þurh dyrstinesse on maran ylde yrsað..odðe [L uel] on þam sylfum cyldum mid unȝesceade ȝehatheortað, underlicȝe heo reȝollice steore.
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)8/4 : Ðu swaðeah nast hwanon ðe Gast cume oððe hwider he fare.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)28/23 : Sæȝe us..on hwæs mihte ðu wurcæst þas syllice wundræ, oððe hwa ȝeaf þe ðesne andweald þæt ðu swylce ðing makyȝe?
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)132/27 : Hwæt fremæþ þam men, þeah he al middæneard on his aȝene æht istreone, ȝif þe deofel nimæþ eft his sawle? Oððe hwæt, þeah he libbe her on life a þusend wintræ ?
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)18/7 : Hwæt beo ȝe, oððe hwanon cume ȝe?
d
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)111.85/5 : Ær sunna upgange oððe heo fullice siȝan onginne, ga to þara wyrt proserpinam.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)14/15 : Bide þe nu hæle on þæs Hælendes nome modes & lichame, oððe for leofne freond.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)30/5 : Heo mihten icnawæn..þæt nan mon ne mihte makiȝen swylce tacnæ butan Gode sylfum, oððe on Godes nome.
1b.
In correlative constructions: ~..~, either..or; ~..~..~, either..or..or.
Associated quotations
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1100 : Ealle he hi oððe wið feo gesealde oððe on his agenre hand heold.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)50/20-21 : Ðeo andetnes is to donne be allum þam synnum þe ðurhtoȝene beoð, oððe on þance, oððe on spæce, oððe on dæde.
2.
(a) Connecting synonymous words: or; (b) in expressions of approximate number: or; (c) as roughly equivalent to and; ~ (other)..~, and..and.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)90/30 : Ðæt feorðe mæȝen is Fortitudo, þæt is, strenhðe oððe anrednesse.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)92/15 : Heo is sensus, þæt is, andȝit oððe felnes, þonne heo fælæð.
b
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1128 : He hit dide forði þat he wolde þurh his micele wiles ðær beon, wær it tweolf monð oððe mare.
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1131 : Se man þa heafde twa hundred oðþe ðre hundred swin ne beleaf him noht an.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)32/24 : Hafe ðe to ȝewitæn ænne broðor oððe tweȝen.
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)42/1 : Sceal he eow ȝeornlice acsiæn mid hwylce ȝemete oððe mid hwylce intingum þeo synn þurhtoȝen wære.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)84/33 : Ge men sceolon witen..for hwi oðer for hwon ȝe beoð isceapene on þisse sceorte life, oððe to hwan ȝe worðæþ iwende æfter þissum life.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)90/6-7 : Alle þa þing þe æfre wæron, oððe nu beoð, oððe þa ðe towarde beoð, alle heo beoð on Godes sihðe andwearde.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)116/8 : Leofe men, hwylce sawedon heo heom, oððe hwæt specon heo to him?
3.
Connecting alternatives that are mutually exclusive or opposites: (a) or; also, nor; ~..~..~, or..or..or; (b) in correlative constructions: ~..~, either..or; whether the..~, whether..or; whether..~..~..~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)28/25 : Wæs Iohannis fulluht of heofenum oððe of mannum?
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)44/16-17 : Waciæþ on ȝeornesse, forþam ðe ȝe nyten hwænne Drihten cumende bið on reowsunge [read: repsunge; cp. OE] oððe to middre nihte oððe on hancrede oððe on ærne mareȝen.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)58/25 : Næs he blind acenned for his aȝene synnum, oððe for his maȝa.
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)123/1 : Come þu mit sybbe & mid soðre lufe, odðe mid unþwærnesse & licetunȝe?
b
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)56/5 : Waciȝæð; forðam þe ȝe nyten on hwylcere tide eower Drihten cymeð, hwæder he cyme on efen, oððe on middere nihte, oððe to hancrede, oððe on dæȝræde.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)58/24 : For hwæs synnæ wæs ðæs mon swa blind acenned, hwæðer þe for his aȝene, oððe for his maȝæ ?
- a1225 Wint.Ben.Rule (Cld D.3)117/25 : Heo moste er oðe ȝecheson odde awerpen on swa langsume fyrste.