Middle English Dictionary Entry
plēten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | plēten v. Also plet(e, pleite, plaite, pleat & (?error) plecte; p. pleted(e & plete; ppl. i)pleted. |
| Etymology | OF plaitier var. of plaidoüer. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. pleden.
1.
(a) To take legal action, litigate, institute legal proceedings; (b) to take legal action against (sb.), implead, sue; (c) to serve as an advocate, plead a case; answer a charge; also fig.; (d) to adjudicate (a case), settle legally; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325 *Rwl.Statutes [OD col.] (Rwl B.520)lf.31b : Iustice ȝiuinde to þe parties plaitinde in oure Curt.
- (?1387) Wimbledon Serm.(Corp-C 357)83/357 : Ȝif a gret man plete wiþ a pore to haue owt þat he holdeþ, euerich officer schal be redy.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)1 : Preestis and clerkis shulden not..pleete [L placitabunt] neithir stryue agens temporal lordis.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2701 : A ryche man and pore were at cuntek, And pleted [vr. motedyn; F pleiderent] a-boute a lytyl land.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1468 : False Poliphete Is now aboute eftsones for to plete, And brynge on yow advocacies newe.
- (1433) Reg.Spofford in Cant.Yk.S.23154 : A prest, and he plete for hys gode, he schulde rather..gete his gode be holy worchyng.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)47 : Be he receyved to pletene [ID(1): pleder] after the lawe and the vsage of the forseyd toun.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3055 : If a man stande acursede a ȝere, He is oute of the lawe..Ne in no corte schal he plete ne apere.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)405 : Pletyn: Placitor.
- c1450 Wimbledon Serm.(Hat 57)12/9 : If a pore man plete with a riche man, þanne þer schal be..many delayes.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2026 : Here is no place to plete..Also wee have no Iuge here of Autorite.
- c1465 As I fared in (Hrl 1704)58 : Sum with rooberye lese there good, Sum pletyng with fals entent.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)121/1 : Moolde, Abbesse of Godestowe, pleted in the kyngis courte by a breef.
- c1425 Wycl.Antichr.(2) (Dub 245)p.cxliii : Crist had noon seculer courtes to plete & to mote.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)283 : To Plete vbi to mute.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)415 : Crist & his apostlis neþer cursiden ne pletiden for þer dette.
- a1500 O ye lovers (Corp-O 61)1 : Ye lovers..pletyn for youre ryght in venus courte.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)4644 : Do þe riche man..And þe pore man..bothe yliche stande While þei ben in dome pletande.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.58.3 : Alle ȝoure detouris ȝee pleten [WB(2): axen; L repetitis]; lo to plees & to stryues ȝee fasten.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.86 : Ȝif he is ypleted [F enpleide] by wryt of plee of londe, so may he habbe, ȝif he wele, þre folwande somaunces.
- (1433) Reg.Spofford in Cant.Yk.S.23154 : Ther schuld no man pleet another.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)416 : No man shulde plete an oþer, and algatis þe curat his sheep, but for charite to þe pleted man.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.201 : He pletede [L peroraret] to fore a iuge and hadde þe maistrie.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)8910 : Hyt ys vyleynye..A lewed man to plete yn cherche, lay courte, or elles counte.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)prol.86 : Seriauntis..þat seruide at þe barre Pleten for penis.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)853 : For us schal plete no seriaunt.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)466 : Sir aduocate..Ȝe mote come plete a-fore the hye Juge.
- a1450(1410) This holy tyme make (Dgb 102)62 : Hit bryngeþ þe soule in gret drede, Aȝens goddis lawe to plete.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)17/25 : At þoo dayes..þe rethoricianes schuld pleten in court for euery cause whech was litigious.
- (1454) RParl.5.239b : In that Court..the seid Thomas wilfully appered, and..to the said Bille and Action aunswered and pleted not gylty.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2064 : Herist þow nat thy selve How sotilly he pletith?
- (?1461) Paston2.259 : Ȝeluerton cam doun fro þe benche and plete the mater.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)4846 : My wondys I geue..To plete for hem..I make ther vocat of my blood..thogh ther cause be nat good.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)3.315 : Diogenes pletenge [L causam agenti] afore a iugge, a man spitte in his face.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) Ctn.(Hrl 2261)436 : Hit was ordeynede..that men of lawe scholde plete in theire moder langage.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.779 : If þou wrathe oure lady, thyn aduocate..Who shell plecte [?read: pleite] for the þan?
d
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.86 : Hit be assoine, oþer hit be shewynge ys y-pleted [F pleide].
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)21 : The grete plees..shuld bene pleted [ID(1): pledez] at alle dayes a fore the ballives of the toun.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)29 : Foroneus..was the first that mad causes to be pleted before juges.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)100/10 : Hit was Ipleted bitwene them in the forsaid Courte..that the forsaid Aleyne knowleched the forsaid acre of mede..to be the right of the chirch.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.328 : Þey constrewed quarellis to quenche þe peple, And pletid with pollaxis and poyntis of swerdis.
2.
(a) To argue, debate, dispute; plead a cause; (b) to complain about (sb. or sth.); ~ ayen(es; (c) to pray, request, ask; (d) to prattle, chatter; pleted theire Latin, pleaded their case in a special language.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.99 : Scipio..pleted [L peroravit] so strongly in þe peple þat he made al þe array þerof [of a theater] was i-solde.
- (c1390) Chart.Abbey HG (LdMisc 210)349 : Goddys douȝtren pleteden for mannus soule aforn here fadur.
- a1400(?c1280) SLeg.Nativ.M&C (Stw 949)780 : Þere seten wyse men of here lawe and pleteden of her rihte.
- a1425 This is goddis (Wht)121 : A Lord! with þee we woten not plete.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.2.1 : I wolde pleten [L agitare] with the a fewe thynges, usynge the woordes of Fortune.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.287 : I dar weel putte in iupartie, With the to plete and holde chaumpartie.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)206/176 : Agaynste resoune I will noȝt plete.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)292/5 : Plextis [read: pleytis] for no plasis, but platte you to þis playne.
- c1450(a1400) Lavynham Treat.7 Dead.Sins (Hrl 211)11/30 : Hate of herte is..leef to plete & to strife.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.1189 : Graunte me..That I may plese and plete in thi cause.
- 1468 Medulla (StJ-C C.22)283 : Causor: to pletyn. Controuersor: to motyn, to chyden, or to pletyn.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)416 : Ȝif a man plete in goddis cause & alegge þat þou hast synned, [etc.].
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)106/204 : It is best that we trete; I lyst not to plete, To stand in thi dangere.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)287/248 : Thou shall parte from that pelfe; thar thou not pleyte.
- a1500 Bod.EMisc.Lapid.(BodEMisc e.558)27/128 : Calsidonye..makyth hym that bereth hir of fayre spekyng and full of eloquence; And yf he plete..she helpith moche his cause.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 31.13 : I dispisede to gon vnder dom with my seruaunt & handmaiden whan þei shulden pleten aȝen me.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.29.6 : He shal speken woordis of noȝe & of grucchings, & þe tyme he shal pleten.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Judg.21.22 : The fadris and britheren of hem schulen come and bigynne to pleyne and plete [L iurgari; WB(2): chiden] aȝens ȝou.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)175/198 : A-ȝens my [Death's] dredful dentys, it vaylyth nevyr to plete.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)353/6 : My lord ihesus will wyrk his will; pleatt we neuer agans his thoght.
c
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)99/31 : Þvs beginþ þet pater noster..Loke hou oure guode spekeman..Iesu crist..þe tekþ wel to playty and wyslyche and sotilliche an ssortliche to speke.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)563 : Watz not a pene þy couenaunt þore? Fyrre þen couenaunde is noȝt to plete.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9596 : Deffibus..Pletid vnto Paris with a pore voise, Whether the Duke were od dede.
d
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)1151 : Howe longe..wiltowe plete? Take thyn armes..And prove þat thou saiest..For boost thou blowest.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)83/2465 : An oost of fowlis semblid in a croft..and pletid ther latyne To haue with them..Ther makis.