Middle English Dictionary Entry
tīt(e adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | tīt(e adv. Also titte, tith(e, tight(e, tiȝt(e, tiȝth, tiht & tid(e & (errors in combs.) stit, ttyt; comp. titer(e, etc. & titar; sup. titest(e, etc. & tit(t)es. |
| Etymology | From ON: cp. OI tīðr, tītt; the forms tīd(e perh. influenced by ME tīd(e n. or tīdelī adv. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Quickly, soon; also, hastily; (b) without hesitation, readily; (c) as (al, also, so) ~, immediately, right away, as quickly as possible; (d) as ~ as, as soon as.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)356 : Lif him tit þoruȝ þi red, Moder..Fram deþe to liue ichulle him a rere.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)447 : Ech man þat him iustez wiȝ tit Haþ of him a foul despit.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)4167 : Þe king..to spede þo nedes, as fast ches him fifty..lordes..and tid bitok hem þe letteres.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1751 : He began him haste And cam unto his fader tyt.
- c1400(1375) Canticum Creat.(Trin-O 57)31 : Þe deuel..seyde, 'eteþ an appel tyth, And beþ as wyse as god almyth.'
- a1425 NPass.(Cmb Gg.5.31)233/1966 : Þai sall hedyd be Bot if þai titt fro vs fle.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)13502 : They torned faste anon to flyht, To kyng mandelentes ost þey wenten ful tyht.
- a1450 Dux Moraud (BodPoet f.2)61 : To here my resun I prey þe wel tythe.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)914 : Aftir armours he askede tytte.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)9698 : He cald a knyght..and bad he suld tyte vengance take.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)157 : Felouse, go we hens tyght.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)296 : 'Goo bake, þou chorle,' he seyd, 'full tyȝt Without teryyng!'
- a1500(?c1400) Gowther (Adv 19.3.1)562 : Gwotheyr To god..con prey, Schulde sende hym hors and armur tyte [vr. tyghte].
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2992 : Tite, with outyn tariyng, atirit were all.
b
- a1450(?1348) Rolle FLiving (Cmb Dd.5.64)91/56 : Þai þat er wys, and wil not tyte trow till all spirites..he may not begyle þam.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)256 : He hedit not the harme þat in his hert lurkyt..Þen he trist hym full tyte in his tried strenght.
c
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.510 : Anon he schal ben to-drawe, Als tite he schal ben y-slawe.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)3550 : He swor..is oþ as tit to his fader, þat he fro þe bodi have his hed sone.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.319 : He torned hym as tyte [vr. tijt] and þanne toke I hede.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.61 : I shal telle þe as tite [vrr. tid, stit] what þis tree hatte.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1099 : What so he towched, also tyd torned to hele.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)471 : A best when it es born may ga Als tite aftir, and ryn to and fra.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)503 : Hercules..hadde not folk y-nowe, That he als-tide..Might not ffyght with Lamedon.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)3587 : Þou foule wyth, Lete go þat soule so tyth!
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)23/6 : Whanne it hadde floun aboutyn the cete..as tyd the cete sank doun.
- ?c1475(?a1400) LChart.Chr.B (Cmb Ii.3.26)46/14 : Nowe ye schull hyre..Howe criste spekyth to vs all tyȝt [vr. as-tyȝte] Wordis of a chartour þat he haþe wrowȝt.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)832 : Elene, also tyte [Lamb: tiȝth]..Anoon sche gan her tyre.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)640 : Theff! yeld the asttyt [?read: astytt], As fast as thow may.
- ?a1500 Veynes þer be (SeldSup 73)54 : He cle[n]sythe the lyuer A-Ryȝtt, And al odir membres benethe as tyȝtt.
d
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)559 : As tite as þat gentil kniȝt Seiȝe þat bird..Oȝaines hir he gan wende.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1590 : As tyt as þei had told..how realy þei were resceyued..þemperour..was gladed in herte.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)100 : He..Maches hym wyth þe maryneres..For-to towe hym in-to Tarce, as tyd as þay myȝt.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)30/4 : Als tite als to belle es herde, ilkain sal leue þe werke þat es in þaire hende.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)275/19 : He made hys prayer vnto Saynt Iohn..& als tyte as he had made þat he mot speke.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)73.16 : Ill men..here godis worde; bot als tite as the hete of temptacioun cumes thai forget it.
2.
In the comparative: (a) more quickly, sooner, earlier; very quickly, immediately; also, earlier; the titere; (b) more readily, rather; titere than.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22481 : Þe sterns..fall sal þai dun fra heuen..And titter sal þai rin on grund þan fire-slagh dos.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)231 : He watz no tytter out-tulde, þat tempest ne sessed.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1852 : Had I noght bene titter boun To tak my palfray bi þe mane, Þe water sone had bene my bane.
- a1425 Benj.Minor (Hrl 1022)166 : Gad is titter borne, & Assere latter.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)84/280 : Go, saie we salle no lenger greve; But þai sall neuere þe tytar gang.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)203/60 : The beestis are comen..We may þame take tyter.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)128b : Titter: Cicius, maturiue.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)73/293 : Go, say to hym we wyll not grefe, bot thay shall neuer the tytter gang.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28120 : Titter wald i lesyng make þan man my worde vn-treu to take.
- a1400 12 PTrib.(1) (Roy 17.B.17)58 : Hit is not in þo custome in þo sight of god þat he put agayne þo prayer of þo trobild, but titter þat he here hit.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)1/15 : He þat was king of glory..wald in þat place suffer þe deed titter þan in anoþer.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2519 : Quat sall I take of him my temes tittire þan he myne?
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.73.52b : Þou schuldist moun titere slen þi self þan þou schuldist slen fleschli..lustes.
- a1500 ?Rolle De Passione (Tit C.19)44 : I shal titter chese for to dye in that mannes soule be sauede than I shal chese for to eschape it.
3.
In the superlative: most quickly, soonest; also, first.
Associated quotations
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2176 : His travayle schold nouȝt tyne þat tittest hem founde.
- c1390 Frenschipe faileþ (Vrn)68 : Trust on non such frendschup..Ho sannest do is tytes bi-trayed.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21136 : Man..Sua mikel halines..þat folk ilkan wald oþer stemm, Qua rin moght titest [Göt: tittist] on his hem.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22129 : Lauerdinges Turn þai sal til him titest [Göt: tittest; Phys-E: titeste].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)26368 : Your dische yee wasche tittes.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)62/11 : I will schew how men may passe tittest, and in schortest tyme make þaire pilgrimage to Ierusalem.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)23/34 : Qwhere sonest þai suld gayn-stand, þere tityst ar þai brokyn.