Middle English Dictionary Entry
shiften v.
Entry Info
| Forms | shiften v. Also shift(e, sheften, shuften, (early) sufte; p. shift(e, chifte, shiftede; ppl. i)shift, shifte, shifted, shufted. |
| Etymology | OE sciftan, scyftan, p. scifte & gesciftan, p.ppl. gescyft. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. skiften v.
1.
(a) To divide, separate; share, go shares; distribute (sth.), share out; discriminate among (people), make distinction of; ~ atwo, divide lands between two men; also, separate (two stones), keep apart; also, divide (troops) into two parts; ~ o six; (b) to push, strike; scatter (troops), rout, destroy; refl. bestir oneself; ppl. shiftinge as adj.: impelling, impulsive.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)237 : Eter gate me his scyft and þer me hi to ȝesceodeð.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)37/20-21 : Gif ðu riht offrest and noht riht ne sciftst [L diuidis], ðu senegest mare ðan ðu god do. Ðu [ȝ]ifst ðine eihte gode, and ðe seluen ðe dieule; Þat nis naht riht iscift, for ðan betere is an god saule ðan all ðe woreld mid all hire eihte.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)77/7 : Þis is iwis on of ðe hali mihtes ðe godd scift mang his ȝecorene, ðat he ȝifð hem god ræd þurh ðe haliȝe writes.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)1482 : To stones þicke þai founde..Hem bitven a gret schode Of grauel and erþe also, Þat hem hadde schifted ato.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)2194 : King Ban hadde..Þe cite of Benoit..And Bohort hadde þe cite of Gaines..And þus þai hadde schift atvo.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)6805 : His men þer he schift ato; Half he tok himself and mo, And haluendel he toke Gaudin.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7833 : A-sex þai schift her compainie; Agreuein schuld þe first gie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.556 : Appolinus..Al freliche of his oghne yifte His whete, among hem forto schifte..He yaf, and tok of hem riht noght.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)446 : Schyftyn, or part a-sundyr: Sepero, disgrego.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)446 : Schyftyn, or partyn, or delyn: Divido, partior.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1213 : He somond þan þe schippemen scharpely þeraftyre, To schake furthe with þe schyre-men to schifte þe gudez.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)2704,2719 : With these meyne moste we shifte, To haue parte of here vitailes her, For therof us nedith by my thrifte..shift we wole, Gete the better, who gete maye.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.1141 : Who with loue woll make aliaunce, He must nedis yelde gyfte for gyfte, And thenne is frendship euenly shifte.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.477 : Þan wheþer seist þou is þis more riȝtful, mysbede men oþer defende hem and do hem right, to schede and to schifte [Higd.(2): disperse theim; L dissipare] oþer to kepe and to save?
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)97b/b : Swiche swellynge hatte..flegmon. Þe tokenes þerof by..hardenesse [read: hardenesse þat] comeþ of multitude of matiere & of hete þat wastiþ watry matiere; quappinge & lepinge of ventosite & fumosite schuftynge & puttinge [L fumositatem impellentem]; [etc.].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.166 : Elde hent good hope and hastilich he shifte [vr. chifte] hym, And wayued awey wanhope and with lyf he fyȝteth.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3847 : So they schyfte and schove, he schotte to þe erthe.
- a1500 Partenay (Trin-C R.3.17)2792 : He shifte And smote, here And ther, so faste That the yren dore persed at the laste.
2.
To dispose; decide; make ready; ordain (sb., sth., all things), set in order, arrange, control; decide (who should serve first); adapt (one's speech to evil ends), turn; refl. take care of oneself, shift for oneself; leten right ~, let right decide, let right prevail.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)497 : Þa tweȝȝenn prestess comenn, Shifftedenn hemm bitwenenn þa Wiþþ lott, whillc shollde serrfenn Allmahhtiȝ Godd att allterr firrst, Whillc siþþenn i þe temmple.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2061 : Nu ve sculle ræmen and ræisen to-gadere; Vnder þissen luften leten riht scuften [Otho: sufte].
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)133/83 : Þys ilke mytte..Bryngeþ forþe a wyt of swete aray..For al þat hys an heȝ and loȝe, Hit schift and ditteþ ase hys oȝe.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.278 : Witnesse Tiburces and Cecilies [read: Valerians] shrifte, To whiche god of his bountee wolde shifte Corones two of floures wel smellynge.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)16.270/849 : Heer mow ȝe seo hou God con schifte þat furst wol falle and siþen lifte.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4668 : I schal the branches schifte Be ordre so as thei ben set.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1518 : The hihe makere..The word to man hath yove alone..So scholde he be the more honeste..And loke wel that he ne schifte Hise wordes to no wicked us.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.104 : God clepeth folk to hym in sondry wyse, And euerich hath of god a propre yifte, Som this, som that, as hym liketh shifte [vr. skifte].
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)8715 : Thus haue thei her armes schiffted, Ther baneres are wel hye lyffted.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)725 : Schirreues scharply schiftys the comouns, Rewlys before þe ryche of the rounde table.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1717 : For thus vs schappes to daye..Whedyre we schone or schewe, schyft as þe lykes.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2456 : Thane the schalkes scharpelye scheftys theire horsez, To schewen them semly in theire scheen wedes.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3627 : Thus they scheften fore schotys one thas schire strandys, Ilke schalke in his schrowde, full scheen ware þeire wedys.
- a1450(a1400) Titus & V.(Add 36523)1552 : What with peynes, what with ȝeftes, All þat ilde at wille he shiftes.
- (?1459) Complaint Scrope in Scrope Castle Combe279 : I havyng no lyveloode wherewith to paie..Then was I feyn to schyfte me by marriage..God knoweth whate hynderaunce y hadde by that mariage with hys menys.
- (1461) Paston2.231 : Ye may conceyve that I was besy j-nogh to shifft my-self til now.
- a1500 Bevis (Chet 8009)30/502 : He sye it was no better paye, But shifte hym in the beste way.
3.
(a) To go, move, depart; move (sb. or sth.), transport, remove; dispatch (a messenger); refl. move oneself, go; (b) to change (sth.); ~ honde, of the world: undergo an abrupt change; of God: make an abrupt change.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)24807 : Vn-til ship sone was he shift.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)23390 : Þu sal be sua suift þat..alsuith als sunn mai fest Fra est hir lime vnto þe west, Als suith mai þu cum þider..Nu at erd, nu at lift, Or hu sum euer þu wil þe schift.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)23678 : Sunn and mone..þat ai wid stiring er nu schift..Fra þat time still þan sal þai stand.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6720 : Þe messagers aȝein he shiftes, And ȝaf hem swiþe riche ȝiftes.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1325 : Schape vs an ansuere and schunte þow no lengere, Þat we may schifte at þe schorte and schewe to my lorde.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)9822 : Vpon his hors men him lift, And thus this goode knight thei shift Euen to the Citie of Damas.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)121/479 : Make a þynne plaster..& schyft hit noȝt til þe corn arise.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1732 : Ten siðes ðus binnen vi ger Shiftede iacob hirdenesse her, And ai was labanes herte sor, For his agte wex mor & mor.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23703 : Þus-gat sal he schift his hand, þe werld [Göt: lauerd] þat es ai lastand.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)115/6 : Affecciouns are not abiding..but þei ben shuftyd from oon to a noþer.
4.
In surname.
Associated quotations
- (1195) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.6224 : Ædwardo Schifte-wai.