Middle English Dictionary Entry
biswīken v.
Entry Info
| Forms | biswīken v. Forms: p. sg. biswōk, -swāk, -swīked; pl. biswike; ppl. biswike(n, -swīked. |
| Etymology | OE beswīcan; -swāc, -swicon; -swicen. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
To deceive, delude, mislead (sb.); betray, defraud, cheat.
Associated quotations
- 1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1131 : Þæt he mihte get be swicen anes Crist & eall Cristene folc.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)754 : Nis nawer nan so wis mon Þat me ne mai bi-swiken [Otho: bi-swike].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3412 : Hu þu [Fortune] bi-swikest monine mon! þenne he þe treoweðe alre best on, þenne biswikes tu heom.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4453 : Wa wurðe a þon broðer þe biswikeð þene oðer!
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29017 : Þa wes Karic biswiken al mid heore craften.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)61a : He heafde iseid him eauer soð forte biswiken him sariliche on ende.
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Mdst A.13)109/332 : Mani haueþ fikel muþ..Scal he þe neuere cuþen hwanne he þe bi-swiken.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)158 : Þu þoȝtest..Mid faire worde me bi swike.
- ?a1300(c1250) Prov.Hend.(Dgb 86)st.28 : Ful baldeliche biswikeþ he me þat of mi katel makeþ him fre.
- ?a1300 Thrush & N.(Dgb 86)19 : Hy biswikeþ euchan mon Þat mest bi-leueþ hem ouppon.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)667 : Ne schal iþe biswike, Ne do þat þe mislike.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)335/394 : He himseolf, ase euerech swyke doth, him-seolf he bi-swok.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1249 : She wende she were bi-swike.
- a1350 Prov.Hend.(Hrl 2253)210 : Þah vchmon byswyke me [etc.].
- ?c1350 Why werre (Peterh 104)p.20 : Thus he bereth awey that selver And the gode-wyf biswyketh.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4164 : Herkne, sire, what y schal sayn; y wil ȝou noȝt be-swyke.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.498 : In wommanysshe vois thei singe..Wherof the Schipes thei beswike That passen be the costes there.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.760 : I finde ensample in a Croniqe Of hem that love so beswike.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3734 : First me fedd and sythen me kist, And me be-suak [vrr. be-trayed, bigilid] þat i ne wist.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)8632 : Qui has þou me bi-suiken sua O mi barn?
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19231 : Ilk suik it-self bisuikes.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)23838 : He þat me seiþ moost þat me likeþ..moost he me bi swikeþ.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)568 : I am goude & non byswykez [rime: lykez].
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)132/21 : Þir two mawmettes..Biswiked so both king and quene, And all folk wend þai goddes had bene.
- c1425 Evang.(BodAdd C.38)1840 : Þer nys king nor erle..pore ne riche þat may þan god biswiche.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)31/69 : For þou [Eve] beswyked hym [Adam] swa, Trauell herto shalle þou ta.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5962 : Þe duke off Ostryke King R. he þouȝte to beswyke.
2.
Of the devil, the flesh, and the world: to seduce (sb.), lead into sin or to perdition.
Associated quotations
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)9/4 : Weila, þine fule iwill..hwi hauest þu me biswiken?
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)5190 : Þu leȝhesst, & biswikesst swa Þin aȝhen wrecche sawle.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11640 : Adam allre firrst Biswikenn wass þurrh æte.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)12478 : He biswac þa firrste twa.
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)12 : Þa muchel fulieð his wil, hine solf he biswikeð.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)3/8 : Giet is an oðer derne senne ðe me..hafð beswiken.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)51/20 : Ðe dieuel..him beswoc.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)14a : Hwen þeo þe wes riht ta iwraht wið godes honden wes þurh a sihðe biswiken.
- c1275 Mon may longe (Clg A.9)41 : World and weole þe bi-swikeð, Iwis heo beoð þin ifo.
3.
To deprive (sb.) of life, slay; ~ to dethe; pillage (a land).
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2150 : He hefde moni lond a-west & leodene bi-swikene.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)17161 : Bi Amberes-buri..þer wes..þi cun idon of liuen, þer wes moni bald Brut biswiken to þan deðe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)17456 : On uæst Ambres-burie, þer Hengest biswæc Bruttes mid sæxen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)17930 : Costanz..Uortigerne biswac [Otho: bi-swok] mid his swike-dome; Nu haueð Vortigernes cun Aurilien aquald.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)28775 : Conan..his æm he biswac to deðe.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3561 : If he nu her wurðen slagen, Egipte folc sal..seyen ðat he ben bi-swiken In ðe desert wel liderlike.
4.
To take away or withhold what is due.
Associated quotations
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)20.2 : Þou gafe him gerninge ofe hert and thoghte, And ofe wille ofe his lippes biswiked [L fraudasti] him noghte.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)4288 : Yll may me lyke, my long trauele to be beswyked.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Lordyngis leue (Bod 48)81/294 : "Dame," he seiþ, "drede þe noȝt, þe maister is wonne," And likket; But þus he bereþ awey þe siluer and þe wif beskikket [Why werre (Peterh 104): biswyketh].
Note: New form: 3rd present sg: beswikket, (error) beskikket.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.
Note: ?This word may be derived from MED skekken v.(1) (which ultimately derives from OF)although the semantic range of this entry does not include the meaning of "beskikket." Since there is no ME "beskekken" v., it seems doubtful to create a new entry ("beskikken" or "beskekken") based on a lack of clear morphological and semantic evidence.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL