Middle English Dictionary Entry
spē̆ting(e ger.
Entry Info
| Forms | spē̆ting(e ger. Also spaiting. |
| Etymology | From spē̆ten v. & OE spǣtung. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The action of spitting out saliva; (b) spitting as a gesture of contempt; foul of ~, befouled from being spat upon; (c) saliva, spittle; phlegm; (d) physiol. the action of raising and ejecting phlegm or sputum.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450 Const.Masonry(1) (Clg A.2)19 : Fro spettyng & snetyng kepe þe also.
- a1500 Hisp.SSecr.(Rwl C.83)4/20 : Clense þi mouth, and..thou mayist more clerely speke withoute cowghing or speting.
b
- 1372 Is wan of (Adv 18.7.21)p.36 : Apparet mihi quod facies Christi..Is foul of speting.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)898 : Nicholas..spat on hym amyd þe face..And quyk away he is y-arned; For had he abiden any þing, He had abouȝth his spaityng [LinI: spittyng].
c
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Lev.15.8 : A man that suffrith the rennyng out of seed schal be vncleene..If sich a man castith out spetyng [L salivam] on hym that is cleene, he..schal be vncleene til to euentid.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)58b/b : Screa: spattynge..ordure, fulþe [Cnt: a spyttyng; Add 33534: spotyl, fylth].
- (1433) ?Phillip Serm.GF (BodLTh d.1)253 : Christus ducebatur per medium ciuitatis et..cum sanguine et spetyng and hert castyng fuit horribilis visui.
- c1440 Chaucer CT.Pars.(Eg 2726)I.258 : I shall haue remembraunce of þe travailes þat..Crist suffred in prechyng..of þe foule spettyng þat men spette in his face.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)48a/a : Tisik men alwey coghe, for..by spetynge he dischargiþ hamself of quyttir of þe bocche.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)67b/b : Þe olde man is I-traueiled & greued wiþ couȝynge & spettynge [L sputis] & wiþ oþir greues.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)87b/a : Quittir..is..I-put out & I-voided by strengþe of kynde or by kouȝinge and spetinge of quittir.
- a1400 Sluggy & slowe (Lamb 523)1 : Fleumaticus: Sluggy & slowe, in spetynge muiche, Cold & moyst, my natur ys suche.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)186 : Who-so chiewe ensence and puliole haunt to-gidre, it wole do a-wey alle wickyd humours to-gidere of þe heed by spetyng [vr. spyttynges].
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)51/11 : The signes of a bad stomak is..swellyng of face..bad rechyng..and therof ben engendred wyndes..Yf the thynge be in grete quantite, therof cometh spetyng [L excreaciones] and strecchyng of the extremytees, [etc.].