Middle English Dictionary Entry
thẹ̄̆ft(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | thẹ̄̆ft(e n. Also thefthe, theifte, thift(e, thifthe, (K) thiefthe, (WM) theuft, (SW and SWM) theofte, theofthe, (SW and WM) thufthe & (error) therst. |
| Etymology | OE þīfþ, þīefþ, þēofþ, þēoft, þȳfþ. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
(a) The habitual practice of stealing, theft; also in fig. context; don ~; (b) the act of stealing; an act of theft, a theft; also, glossing ML furabula: ?a deed or deeds done in darkness [quot. a1425]; dede of ~; don ~; beren ~ upon, to steal something from (sb.); (c) ben ifonge mid ~, ben nomen for ~, ben taken (overtaken) with ~, etc., to be arrested for theft, be convicted of theft.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)218/144 : Si lepre betokned þo grete sennen þet biedh diadliche, Ase so is lecherie..Roberie, þefte.
- a1325 SLeg.Becket (Corp-C 145)623/396 : For hore iugement was so liȝt, þe lasse hi wolde doute Ac do þufþe and robborye in al is lond aboute.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)34/33 : Of þe rote of auarice guoþ out manye smale roten..Þe uerste is gauelinge, Þe oþer þyefþe, Þe þridde roberye, [etc.].
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.74 : Þai..take no penaunce of his vnsiþes, ne of his hounters, ne of his leccherie, ne of his þifte.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4395 : Thefte and riot they been conuertible.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1952 : Þou fle reuelaic and therst [Göt: theft; Frf: thefe].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)3.92 : The countee of couetise he consenteþ to boþe..With þe borghe of þufþe, And al þe lordshep of lecherye.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)8/16 : Man ah ye noht at sla, na to licherie ga, Na til þifte.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)2/40 : Þre synns princypaly a man doþ mare, Murþyr, þeuft, and avoutre.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)60/6 : The theef dothe..delite hem in thifthe till thei be taken and putte to dethe.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38)1730 : Wolde ye graunt me to be my knaue, The thefe that ye thynke to hynge?..He was full lothe to leeve hys thefte.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)1418 : Whiche is þe worste þing of þise þre, Morther, or þefte, or baratour to be?
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)13 : Ne beo þu eubruche, Ne do þu þeofðe.
- a1225 Lamb.Hom.Pater N.(Lamb 487)57/48 : Ne þu naȝest for to stele, ne nan þefþe for to heole.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2127 : Alken farinde mon, ȝef slaht oþer hæfde þeofðe i-don..heo swulden habben are.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)445 : Ȝif a clerk hath ane Man a-slawe, oþur strong þeffþe i-do, And he mouwe þanne desordeined beo..heo wollez þanne mis-don al day.
- c1300 SLeg.Jas.(LdMisc 108)267 : Eche manere þeofþe huy fur-soken, ake þat folk ne liefde heom nouȝt.
- c1300 SLeg.John (LdMisc 108)387 : Aftur þe smale he tok þe grete, and strong þef he bi-cam; So þat he hadde gret de-deyn smale þefþes [Corp-C: þufþe] to do.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5405 : Ech man knewe oþer þat in teþinge were & wuste somdel of hor stat ȝif me þefþe vpe hom bere.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)145/455 : Suppose he þat schel hem spylle And hongeþ hy..Þaȝ hy neuere of þefþe neste: Þes hys a quead.
- (1348) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.4 : If any apprentise..be taken doinge harme to his master, of x d., by wey of theft, be..there amendes made to the master.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.9.25 : While þei bidyn þe comyng of hym, þei hawntidyn þeftys, takynge preyes of þe goaris besiden.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)11.280 : A goode friday..a feloun was sauid Þat hadde lyued al his lyf wiþ lesinges & þeftis [vr. theeftis].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.6178 : Grekis..han preied to han liberte..To make a-seth by oblacioun For þe þefte of Palladioun.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1136 : He wende to haue reproued be Of theft or moordre, if that he Hadde in his stable ony hakeney.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)29b/b : Furabula: þefþes [Hrl 2270: þefte].
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.426 : It sittith nat in no maner wise A theef for theffte to sitte in iugement.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)181/23 : He lukid & saw at no bodie had tuchid þe lokk bod hym selfe..at he mot know no suspecion of þifte.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5638-40 : When he had þis theft wrought, he did his warke as he had noȝt with na theft delt.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)665/5 : He willed and comaunded that the..abbesse of Godestowe..sholde have and holde hit..pleis and playntis..of Murthere and of theeft.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)134/6 : Þou schalt not do þeeft.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)599 : I thynke he rydyth on þe galouse, to lern for to daunce, Bycause of hys theft, þat ys hys gouernance.
- a1500 St.Brendan Conf.(Lamb 541)14/220 : I haue broke þi vii heest: doinge þe deede of þefte boþe bodili and goostli.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)7401 : She had a burdowne al of thefte That Gyle had yeue her of his yefte.
c
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)413 : Ȝif ȝe in þis londe mid þefþe beþ ifonge, Ȝoure dom is idemed, alle þe worþeþ anhonge.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10361 : Þe king anon..let prisouns vorþ bringe Þat uor þufþe were inome..& let hom honge heye.
- a1400 Comp.Our Lady (Pep 2498)91/5 : Barabas..was brouȝth bifore þe barre..bifore Pilat þe iuge, & two þeues were taken for þift.
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)96/5 : Barraban..was þeef, and for þifte and for mans[l]auȝttre..was nomen and done in prisoun.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)5/27 : A þeef þat is ouertaken wiþ þefte & ledde forþ to take his doom, he feliþ þat þing þat he haþ stoln hevy lyande trussid in his necke.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)52/5 : Þis childe was takyn with þis thifte & demyd to be hanged.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)316/21 : A thefe..at þe laste he was takyn with thift & hanged.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.10/21 : Owtefangenethefe is þat þefes of your lordeship or fee i-take with thefte be callyd agayne to your fee And there to be i-Juggyd.
1b.
(a) The acquisition or keeping of money or valuables by some dishonest means other than direct taking: withholding tithes, failure to return what someone has lost, violation of a lease, simony, etc.; (b) any of several acts described in terms of theft but not generally regarded as such: adultery; the charging of interest, usury; kidnapping; etc.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1225 Ancr.(Cleo C.6)155/7 : Teouðen mis, edhalde quide, fundles oðer lane, nis þis ȝiscunge, þeofðe [Nero: oþer þeofte]?
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2406 : Ȝyf a þyng be þe lent, And þou wyþ-oute hys asent lene furþer þat þyng to were, For þefte to hym þou shalt answere.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2414 : Ȝyf þou haue a þyng yn ferme To a certeyn day of terme, And ȝyf þou ouer þat terme day Trauelyst hyt aȝens hys pay, Þou hast synned yn a spece yn þefte.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2430 : Ȝyf þou haue founde a þyng, And makyst þerfore none askyng At cherche ne at þe market an hy..hyt is þefte.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.37/8 : Wher be thy mersmentis that thou by theifte hast take away deceyuyng the mynystrys of the Shereve with drawyng tol a thowsand tymes?
- c1450 In my ȝowþe (Lamb 853)61 : If he with wrong bigile his broþir..Bifore god, for þeefte it is take, Al þat with wrong he wynneþ so.
- c1475(1459) Pros.Yorkists in EHR 26 (Roy 17.D.15)517 : The largycion and yeft of eny other mann his good is called theft in the lawe.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.183 : Þei don sacrilege & þefte in þat þei fraudyn men of her good, & puttyn it nout in þe elmesse þat þei ȝouyn it to.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.194 : Ȝif..priouris sellyn out of her hous leuersonys..it is sacrilege & þefte wol nyh symonye, for why þe goodis of holy chirche so wel induyd ben ȝouyn to helpe of þe pore peple.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.801 : Espirituel thefte is sacrilege that is to seyn hurtynge of holy thynges or of thynges sacred to Crist in two maneres.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.878 : This is the fouleste thefte that may be: whan a womman steleth hir body from hir housbonde and yeueth it to hire holour.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.887 : Auowtrie..is thefte of body and of soule.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2154 : Ȝyf þou euer stale a chylde aweye, yn swyche þefte ys grete affraye.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)202/17 : Þei bidden God spede hem while þei dispisen his hestis, And so þei wolden haue God fauorable to here þefte, for þei stelen here soules and here bodies and al þat þei haue aȝenes Godis wil.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4225 : To take awey Eleyne from Parys..trow ȝe his þefte and cruel dede Schal passe þus?
- a1450(1414) Whanne alle a kyngdom (Dgb 102)81 : Syngulerte is sotyle þefte; Þey calle hit custom, trouþe to blende.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)5441 : But ofte I haue hard saye securly A woman to take be hyr own wille Ys thefte of curtessy.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.195 : Usure & gowyl..In caas..is wol gret þefte.
2.
An accusation of theft.
Associated quotations
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1352 : Hi..so hard vp þe were Þat a Paynym hi wolde deliuere þat of þeofþe ne miȝte him skere.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4200 : Of þeft Ich wil me defende, Aȝeins kniȝt, aȝeins baroun, Þat J was neuere no laroun.
3.
That which is stolen.
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)38/13 : Þe þyeues be uelaȝrede byeþ þo þet parteþ of þe þyefþe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)192/10 : Elmesse þet is y-do of þyefþe, of tol, of robbinge..hit ne likeþ noþing god.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6754 : If theif na gersum has ne gifte þat he mai yeild again his thift, He sal be saald.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)14/2 : Þere þe mysdoyng & synne is openliche y-knowe as hit is in takinge of robberie & of þeefþe..ȝe schal..vse youre power.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)32/12 : He..makez offrynge of raueyn, of vsure, or of thefte and falsly goten gude.