Middle English Dictionary Entry
pith(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | pith(e n. Also pitthe, piþþe, peth(e & (early acc.) piþan & (errors) pid(h, pif, pight. |
| Etymology | OE piþa, infl. piþan. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The central column of tissue in the trunk or branches of a tree, or in the stalk or stem of a plant; pith; the spongy inner tissue of other parts of a plant; also fig.; (b) the flesh of a fruit, pulp; (c) interior tissue (of a part of the body); also, the inner portion of various objects or substances: ~ of bred, the soft inner part of a loaf of bread, crumb; ~ of a penne, the core of a quill; pile and ~, skin and flesh, completely.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)9/8 : Eft nim ellenes piþan and ecede and wull eall togadere.
- c1390(1377) Death Edw.III (Vrn)90 : Weor þat Impe ffully growe, Þat he had sarri sap and piþ, I hope he schulde be kud and knowe For Conquerour of moni a kiþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)208a/b : Some trees..haueþ weyes and veynes in þe whiche kynde moysture is y-kepte and..haþ also þe piþþe þer Inne by þe which þe humour is y-sode and defyed as it passe in to þe substaunce of leues, of fruyte, bowes, and twigges.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)209a/b : In a harde tre is neisshe piþþe [L medullam]..some men clepeþ þat piþþe þe moder of þe tre, for þer Inne þe semynal humour of þe tree is y-fedde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)229b/b : In euery grayne is boþe piþþe and rynde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)233a/a : Þe leues of lappates beþ neisshe and fatte..& cleuyng togidres wiþ a schort caulstok knotty wiþoute and ful of piþ [L carnosum] wiþinne.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)224/32 : If þe hole þerof be streit wiþoutforþ, þan þou schalt putt yn a tente of þe piþ of eldre.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)15b : Caste þe juis of caule in a manys nosse þrells..Also ete of þe pithe of þe stalkys, and hit kepiþ one from dronknesse.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)467 : Take the clene white of lekes wel wasshed, and sethe hom; and when thai byn sothen, draw oute the grene pith that is within.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)387/3 : Take yera ruffini, yera logodion, theodoricoun scharpede with þe pith [L pulpa] of coloquyntida.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)402 : Pythe: Medulla, vel pulpa. Pythe, of a stalke: Hilus. Pythe, of a tree: Hilum.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.243 : If hery wormys rede her feestis make Inwith the pith, vnhurt thy tre, thou take Out summe of hem, & brenne hem nygh biside.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)149/6 : Ye schall kytte..a feyr staf evyn of a vj fote long..of hasill, wilowe, or aspe..pers þe stafe..thorow þe pith of the seyd stafe.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)255a/a : Some grapes ben alle blak and wiþ þikke skynnes and piþþe [L carnis] but..grapeþ [read: grapes] þat haueþ lasse piþþe [L carnis] þan humour gendreþ bettre humours þan þilke þat haueþ more piþ.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)73/16 : Doth as he doth þat paryth ane apple, for þe parynges and the coor he casteth away, & þe pyght and the beste he kepeth to him-selfe.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)168/26 : Take of þe mary and pytthe of caroblys of Babylon þe fourth parte of a rotyle.
c
- c1330 Body & S.(5) (Auch)p.38 : Þei þou roti pil and piþ [Ld: pid; vr. pyþe]..Ȝete þou schalt com, lim and liþ, Oȝain to me at domesday.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)32b/a : Hile: Þe peþe of a pen.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)90/36 : Take of þe piþþe [L medulle] of soure brede..and putte it in scaldynge water.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking in Studia Neoph.16 (Hrl 2340)16 : Take a white lof sumwhat cooldere then it comyth oute of the ouen and kut her almoste a too in the peth, and ley þe haukes wyng þerin, and of the Cramp he is sauyd.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)36a/a : Þe lungis ben compouned of þe afornseid fleisch and of þe arterial veyne and of þe piþ of þe same lungis.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)96b : Þe pithe of þe penne: Ile, Ilus, Ilum.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)703/36 : Ilum: the pyf of the penne.
2.
(a) The essential part, essence, quintessence; substance of an exposition, a narrative, etc.; (b) value, importance.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.164 : Ne hadde oure elderis cerched out and souȝt The sothefast pyth..Of thinges passed..But thoruȝ writyng þei be refresched newe.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)318 : Now..ȝe wel knowe..the pith and exposicioun Of this mater, as clerkes can ȝou telle.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7172 : But now at erst I wole bigynne To expowne you the pith withynne.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)212/18 : Sich pacyence is callid þe riȝt pith or marowȝ of charite, þe which schewiþ þe vesture and þe clooþ of charite opinly.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)295/3 : For riȝt as charite haþ mekenes for his piþ and marow, so is vnpacyence þe piþ and marye of pryde.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)378/32 : But among alle vertues þei þat ben verry obedient ben verry pacient, which is þe piþ of obediens.
- (1434) Misyn ML (Corp-O 236)123/20 : In þis & slike oþer meditacions be þou glad, þat so þou may cum to þe pith of lufe.
- (c1467) Paston (EETS)2.382 : I prey you vnderstond the pyth of my seid wrytyng, and enfourme my seid maister..of the same.
b
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)4882 : So ful of pith is the matere That swich a book in Romaunce Was neuer yet made in Fraunce.
3.
Strength, force, energy, vigor; also, severity [quot.: c1450]; at the ~, in their strength; of ~, spirited, vigorous [quot.: Perceval 2nd.]
Associated quotations
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.475 : But age, allas, that al wole enuenyme, Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)709 : All thinges þat we here se..War o gretter strengh and pith [Göt: pidh] Ar adam had fordon þe grith.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)7090 : Þorou his hare his strenght was made; atte xx mens pith [Vsp: might] he hadde.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)18173 : So prisfil..art þou of piþ [Vsp: pight]..Þat þourȝe wreche of þi maieste Condempnest þou al oure pouste.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)20.116 : The paume is þe piþ of þe honde and profreþ forþ þe fyngres.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1456 : Þe poyntez payred at þe pyth þat pyȝt in his scheldez, & þe barbez of his browe bite non wolde.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)401 : She had..Ne wit ne pithe [F force] in hir hold, More than a child of two yeer old.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)1505 : I giffe the prise to thi pyth; Vnkyndely talked thou me with.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)1640 : The childe was of pith.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)403 : Þe piþþe and þe strengþe and vertu of preier stondiþ in þe desijr of hym þat preieþ or askiþ.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)5/32 : Herefor vs muste som tyme lowse our pithe, & suffre þaim hafe som recreacion & disporte.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)282 : A Pythe: vbi strenght.
4.
?Some kind of ornament.
Associated quotations
- (1455) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)11.369 : A Hoode of Scarlet Garnyshed with lyk Garters of Golde, with a rowe of Pitthes for the same.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.78ra (2.13) : 'Yle' is the pith and þe mayn of a þing, what þing it be.
Note: Antedates sense 2.(a).