Middle English Dictionary Entry
unthriftī adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | unthriftī adj. Also unthrefti, untrifti, unnethriftie, onthrifti, onthreffeti, ? untriftẹ̄ & (error) unþrysty. |
| Etymology | From thriftī adj. or unthrift n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Evil, wicked, foul; unvirtuous, immoral, sinful; dissolute, wanton; also, immodest, unchaste; also, as noun: evil practices, vices [quot. a1449];
(b) unhealthful, unwholesome, noxious;
(c) not thriving or flourishing, unprosperous, wretched;
(d) unprofitable, useless, worthless; idle, vain, foolish; also, valueless, cheap [quots. 1419, a1460];
(e) unworthy of respect, dishonorable, ignoble;
(f) of a color: pale, washed; ?sickly.
Associated quotations
a
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)73 : Frere Randolff…wrouht…by sorcerye and nygromancye fforto haue dystroyed the kyng; But as god wolde, alle his vnthryffty werkyng was espyed.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Diet.(Sln 3534)55 : Suffur no surfettes in thy house at nyght…Voyde all dronkelew, lyers, and lecchours; Of all vnthrifty [vr. unthriftes] exile þe maystres [vr. And alle hem þat vsen suche vnþriftynesse]; Galauntes, disepleyers, and hasardours.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)267/12 : Ȝonge men beth vnthryfty, For…he leueþ all þe vertevous desires of þe soule and ȝeueþ hym to þe foule lustus of þe foule and vnclene parte, the body.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)220/5 : Peccata Britonum…Oute of reule araymente of clothynge, of tyres, and of other vnthrifty aray, both of men and wymen.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)30/19 : The good women…of this cuntre…hath not take the state of the unthrifti women that bene euell women of her body.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)103/28 : Wommen…comounly flee fro the goode and do the euell; And…an vnthryfty fellowe shulde neuer be withoute a wyffe.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)88/8 : Ther is non vnthrifty thyng [F nulle mauvaistié] but it will drawe vnto the courage of man at som tyme.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)163 : Thankyde be Gode, we haue a fayer dylyuerance Of þes thre onthryfty gestys.
- a1500(?1388) Syng I wold (Dub 516)p.272 : Unthryfty lust and yois, steriles et luxuriosi, Gentyl, gromys, and boyys, socii sunt atque gulosi.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)2.18.43a : Thu þat alle thi liffe tyme leuedest in delicacies…madist to stoppe alle my wittes, þat I schuld not se nor knowe of thin horrible levyng, thy nyce wordes, thi wanton dedes, and suche other vnthrifti occupacions.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)75 : Judas Skaryoth…yn dyspeyre of the mercy of God hynge hym-self wyth a corde; And so…ended hys vnthryfty lyfe.
b
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)128a/b : Þe vnneþriftie mater þe whiche abideþ in þe place holdeþ alle þe bodie in yuel dispocicioun, þat is to seien in feuer and akkeþ.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.129 : Childryn in ȝougthe…etyn and drynkyn and reseyuyn inward mechil vnthryfty thyng and venymyn hemself and hurtyn hemself in many wyse.
c
- a1450(c1400) Wor.Serm.(Wor F.10)36/485 : Þis kursid peple [thieves], & tey se a man þat is but a wretche, þat is but vnþrifti, haþ noyþer fruit nor leues vp-on hym, is nat able to come to non estat, no degre of wrschepe her-afterward, hym þei pas ouer.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)24/18 : Þer was nothyng left bote broke wallys on euery syde, and a litel cave vndir erþe and a litil vnthrifti [L paruum, vr. paruum vel vile] hows tofore þe cave.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)9/26 : Atte the yongest doughtres hous it was turned up-so-doun, and all unthrifti [F nice et malostru], and she oneyed.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)385 : Wn Thryfty: deuigens.
- 1486 ?Berners Bk.St.Albans (Blades 1881)leaf b vii/b : It is better to a man to fede his hawke…With hoote meetis, to make hir good With somme cost then to fede hir With euell meetis to make hir vnthrefti With lytyll cost.
- a1500 How schal a mann (Hnt HM 183)30 : Auyse gyile, abacke dere: an hegeful of frute Makith yn euery howsholde an onthrifty sute.
d
- (1384) Appeal Usk in Bk.Lond.E.24/46 : The ful entent was that al the ordinances…wer they neuer so badde, sholden haue be meigtened…And, in thys wyse, whan the worthy & wysest of the town had left such vnthrifty conseilles, the forseyde mair…drogh to hem the comun poeple.
- c1400 Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)56/1272 : Tu autem proiectus es…quasi stirps inutilis pollutus…þu art icast out…as a foul and vnþrysty [read: vnþryfty] drye stycke þat is not wurþ bote to þe fuyr.
- (1419) Let.Bk.in Bk.Lond.E.(Gldh LetBk I & K)99/6 : Many gret…daylych vsyn within þis Citee þair wyne of spayne, Rochell & oþer remenauntz of brokyn, sodyn, reboyllid, and vnthrifty wynes of oþer Contrees, whan þei are feblyd in colour & noght in value, to put yn diuers buttys and oþir vessels.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1530 : Ywys, my deere herte trewe, We may wel stele awey, as ye devyse, And fynden swich unthrifty weyes newe; But afterward, ful soore it wol us rewe.
- ?c1425(c1412) Hoccl.RP (Roy 17.D.6)p.89 : Rightwisnesse…out of this ile Purposethe fully for to fare and wende, So is our reule unthrifty and unthende.
- (1443) Proc.Privy C.5.278 : Þer is unthrifty & straunge & sedicious langage in divers parties of London not sownyng to þe good of þe pees but rather to þe unreste, trouble & mocion of þe poeple.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)29/20 : A reprovable aduocatt…was seke & lay in his bed…& sayd, ‘I will nott resayve þe sacrament bod if it be de[m]yd at I resayfe itt’…And emang þis vnthrifti language he gaff vp his gaste.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)139.142 (v.2:p.390) : A kyrtyl and an vnthryfty mentyl was euene curyng of hyre body owtward, the bare ground or to-cuttyng of wynys at the moste was hyre matras, a blokkis ende hyre pilwe.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)687 : Man knowith nat what he bygynneth, Howe fortume of vntrifty werre endith.
e
- (1466-7) Acc.Howard in RC 57172 : I have very kwolage that ȝe have mekel on setenge langwache aȝenste me…and nowe be ȝowe senester labor aȝenste al ryte and konsyense ȝe kawese dayly grete trobel…I wolde avysse ȝowe to sese bothe of ȝower labore and of ȝowere spendenge and also of ȝower onthreffety lanqwage.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)681 : I wold fain ye wolde…be right wele aduised by goode sadnesse…Er ye begynne werre…I mene nat for vnthrifty Cowardise, Whiche is in al Realmes abhominable.
- ?a1500 Walton Boeth.(Hrl 43)p.108 : Hym vntryfte [vr. vnthrifly; Chaucer Bo.: unworthy and undigne; L indignos; Walton Bo. (Lin-C): Dignite in wicked folk be-stowen…makeþ thaire vnþrift to be knowen].
f
- (a1475) *Sln.73 Recipes [OD col.] (Sln 73)fol.201 : Whanne þi bagge chaungiþ clene out of þe rede colour…in to a manere of an vnþryfty wan colour.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 25/25 : Loke wel whanne þy bagge chaungeþ clene out of reed colour þat hit hath byfore tyme into a manere of an vnþrifti wane colour.
Note: Antedates sense (f).