Middle English Dictionary Entry
swelten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | swelten v. Also swelt(e, sweltten, swalt(e, squelt & (early) sweltan, swælte, (infl.) swæltanne, swæltænne. Forms: sg.3 swelteth, etc. & (chiefly early) swelt, (early) swæltæð, swilt; pl. swelten, etc. & (early) sweltað; p.sg.1 or 3 swelt(e, swelde, swalt, (early) swælt, swealt & swelted; sg.2 swelte; pl. swelte, swelde, swalt(en, (early) swulten & swelted; ppl. swelt, isweld, swolten, (16th cent.) swalt & sweltid. |
| Etymology | OE sweltan; sg.3 swelteþ, swelt, swylt; p. swealt; pl. swulton; ppl. -swolten (cp. geswolten, p.ppl. of gesweltan). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. aswelten v., forswelten v.
1.
(a) To cease living, perish, die; ppl. sweltende as adj.: dying; ppl. swelt, dead; (b) to kill (sb.), strike dead; (c) in phrases: ~ bi hunger, to starve to death; ~ bi (thurgh, under) sword, die violently, be killed; ~ deth (adeth), suffer death, die; ~ in his ouen grese, die deservedly; ~ o rode (rode tre), ~ on the rode, ~ upon the tre, die on the cross, suffer crucifixion; (d) of a fire: to die down, be extinguished.
Associated quotations
a
- 1123 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1123 : Þa aseh dune se biscop of Lincolne & seide to þam kyng, 'Laferd kyng, ic swelte.'
- 1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1131 : Þær æfter swulten þa henne fugeles.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)112/7 : He hæfde genumen lytle ær sumne clað æt sumen sweltende mænn.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.VA (Vsp D.14)15/26 : Gyf..he nylle gecyrren fram his synnen þurh þe, he swylt on his unrihtwisnysse & þin sawle byð alesed.
- a1150(?OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)66/17-18 : Hit byð wæt winter & windig læinten..& wifmæn swelteð & scipes forfareð & cynges sweltað.
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Fest.Virg.(Vsp D.14)38/213 : He is arisen of deaðe and ne swelt næfre ma.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)76/4 : Ne ondræed þu ðe to swæltænne for his soðan ileafan.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)76/11 : Heom leofere wæs to swæltanne for þæs Hælendes namen.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)82/18 : Ðæh ðes monnes lichame swælte..ne mæȝ næfre his sawle endiæn.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)128/24 : Ne þær nan ne swæltæð, forþam ðe þær ne byð nan acenned.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)5321 : Þe Laferrd Cristess posstless..forr to reȝȝsenn Crisstenndom Full bliþelike swulltenn.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8069 : Wel biforenn þatt he swallt Wass himm þatt wa bigunnenn.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)225 : Adam..lefede nigon hundred ȝiere and xxxti and siððan swealt.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)13259 : Bos..smat hine buuen þan scelde..& þurh-ut þene sweore, þe swælt ful sone.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)111/24 : Ȝef þe kealche cuppe wallinde bres to drinken; ȝeot in his wide þrote þet he swelte inwið.
- a1250 Cristes milde moder (Nero A.14)104 : Ȝif þu milce nauest of me..ine helle pine swelten ich schal & beornen.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)242 : Sorwe it was to se, Þat leuedi swelted swiþe.
- 1372 Cristes bodi (Adv 18.7.21)p.34 : Cristes bodi, maltz, þe soule it sualtz; þe blod was spiltz For mannis gilt.
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)119 : His flesch is smite wiþ deþes þarmes, And swelteþ heer in a swemly swouh.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24175 : Bot ded, allas, qui dos þou sua, þat yerns þe þou fleis ai fra, Quen suet it war to suelt [Frf: squelt]?
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)108 : Þyse ilk renkez..Schul never..suppe on sope of my seue, þaȝ..þay swelt schulde.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1160 : I þoȝt þat noþyng myȝt me dere..To swymme þe remnaunt, þaȝ I þer swalte.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)7342 : Many in his armes swalt Er euen come and day was gon.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1465-6 : Swyftly with swerdes they swappen thereaftyre, Swappez doun full sweperlye swelltande knynghtez, That all swellttez one swarthe.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)428/56 : In to his harte thraly þei thraste..Þat swetthyng full swiftely he swelted.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4058 : Al þat he hytte anon þey swelte.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)184/9 : Þan he cryed..'Now takis þe fendis me & castis me into a frying pan to bole me þerin,' And with þat he swelte.
- a1500(a1450) St.Robt.Knares.(Eg 3143)865 : When I am sweltt..Monkes of Fountaunce..sall comme My body forto bere away.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5753 : The Grekes were gird doun & on ground lay, Mony swonyng & swalt, & in swym felle.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8319 : The grekes þan were gird back to þere grete tenttes; With Swym vnder swerd swalton full mony.
b
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)332 : Þis meyny of aȝte I schal save of monnez saulez and swelt þose oþer.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)6277 : Eueriche..saide heore lord was þe gult To brenne bront and to beo swelt.
- ?a1450 Add.Mir.Virg.(Add 39996)365/6 : So at þe laste fel a caas Vppon a felde he swolten was; Schrifte ne housel hade he noght.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)774 : Men wer wery, wepons to-breston, bonys y-brok and bernys I-sweld.
c
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)39/23 : Þonne sceal Daniel swelten deaðe.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)54/22 : Þyllice wundre ic wyrce ac swa þeah ic wylle deaðe swelten for mancynnes alesednysse.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)pref.31 : Jesuss iss Amminadab..For þatt he swallt o rodetre.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)5833 : Crist ras upp off dæþe..Fra þatt he swallt o rode.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)221 : Gif þu þanne þis litle behod to brecst, þu scealt deaðe sweltan.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)223 : God hus for-bead þes trowes westm and cweð þat we sceoldon deað swelten ȝif we his abiriȝdon.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)181 : Gief [þu] etest of þe forbodene trewe, þu shalt adeðe swelte.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)18/1 : Ȝef þu ne dest no, þu schalt swelten þurh sweord & al beo limmel to-loken.
- c1330 Þe siker soþe (Auch)85 : Þe war leuer swelt vnder sword Þan parti of þi peni hord.
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)111 : Þat Blosme Blomed vp in þi bour..for to winne al þis werld Þat swelte vndur þe deueles swerd.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)35/9 : Crist, þat swelt on þe rode..Hald þam in gude hele.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)9278 : He sclow that tyme a thousand Danes..Many on swalt In his owne gres.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1172 : Eleuen hundred þousand Jewes..Swalten, while þe sweng last, by swerd & by hunger.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)70 : 'Lorde,' he saide, 'als þou swelte appon þe tree..Late neuer my sawle be forlorne.'
d
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6629 : Þat snow for þat fire ne melt, Ne þat fire for þe snow ne swelt.
2.
(a) To become unconscious, faint, swoon; ~ and swounen, swounen and (or) ~; (b) to become faint, feel faint or weak; (c) to swelter, be overcome by heat; also, fig. be overcome by love, desire, or emotion; ben sweltid.
Associated quotations
a
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4268 : Sche swelt for sorwe and swoned rit þere, and afterward wept.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1776 : He was so rauysshed on his lady May That for the verray peyne he was ny wood; Almoost he swelte and swowned as he stood.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.154 : Hir were leuere swowe or swelte þan soeffre any peyne.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.104 : Many a louely lady and lemmanes of knyghtes Swouned and swelted for sorwe of dethes dyntes.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)333/384 : He swounes or sweltes..Late vs louse hym lightyly.
- c1450(c1385) Chaucer Mars (Benson-Robinson)216 : O lady sovereyne! For your disese wel oughte I swowne and swelte, Thogh I non other harm ne drede felte.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)357 : Liste vs neuer leue it for preste ne for frere: Or we fele þat we falle, we swelte and we swoun.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)47/27 : God..sent the ladi suche a sodein sikenesse that she swalt there she stode, and that no man wost whedir she shulde leue or deye.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)133/525 : I swelt! Outt, thefys, fro my wonys! ye com to rob vs for the nonys.
b
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1356 : Whan that Arcite to Thebes comen was, Ful ofte a day he swelte [vrr. swelde; swouned, swerede, sighed] and seyde, 'allas.'
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.347 : His olde wo, that made his herte swelte, Gan tho for joie wasten and tomelte.
- c1475 A philosophre (Hrl 372)p.38 : Aboute his hert he thoughte he gan to swelt, So loved he hir, he wex bothe colde and pale.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3703 : Wel litel thynken ye vpon my wo..No wonder is, thogh, that I swelte [vrr. swalte; swelle, mowrne] and swete, I moorne as dooth a lamb after the tete.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2480 : For all thine hete, Though thou for loue swelte and swete, Ne for no thyng thou felen may, Thou shalt not willen to passen away.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)93/13 : Þa also greuusly synnes..þat holy ordyr has takynn & gos too women as woars, sayand for þer lufe þa longe & nehand sweltis in greet desyre.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)844 : She mai be het, as I nov brenne & melt..she mai knowe bi feruence hou I swelt.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)7733 : Thow hert had be made of stele..The fyre of love So made ys [read: yt] swelt In lovyng of this Partanope.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3790 : All ware þai swollen of þe swete & sweltid on þe son; Sum in þaire harnais for hete.
- a1500(a1400) Libeaus (Lamb 306)2076 : Syr Lybeous swelt for swete [Clg: be-gan to swete]..As alle had ben in fyre.
3.
(a) In phrase: ~ awei, of substances in the blood: to precipitate out; (b) to separate (residues).
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)452/1704 : Becaus of dryinge of hyre floures..partys of þat blud malancolyk sweltys away with þe uryn & apperys..lyk poudre of askys blakkyssh or ellys blayssh.
b
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)449/1645 : Þe poudryssh & askyssh thyngys in þe bothum..are resolved, swoltyn, & moltyn of sanguin melancolico.