Middle English Dictionary Entry
blīthe adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | blīthe adj. Also blide, bliht. Pl. (early) blithen. |
| Etymology | OE blīþe |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Joyful, happy, glad, gay; wroth or ~, angry or glad, pleased or displeased; ~ and glad (merie), fain and ~; (b) ~ of (for), glad of (sth.), happy about, pleased with (sb.); (c) maken ~, to make (sb.) glad; refl. make merry, rejoice; (c) glad (to do sth.), eager; obedient; (e) of tidings: causing joy, joyous; (f) blithe ~, a favorite toast or saying..
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)4/16 : Sonæ swa he ðes wateres swetnysse ifelde, þa wearð he swiðe bliðe on his mode.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8141 : He warrþ swiþe bliþe þa & toc to lahhȝhenn lhude.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)139 : Beo we bliðe and glade [L exultemur et letemur] on þis dei.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11145 : Þa weoren Rom-leoden bliðen on heore þeoden.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)50/8 : Wið bliðe heorte beoreð me genge for te herien þe king.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)472 : Him þuȝte þat he was bliþore þen þauȝ he were in heuene.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)339 : His men he tolde of þat cas wiþ wel bliþe mod.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)2.128 : Þenne was Fals fayn and Fauuel also bliþe.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.338 : Ful glad and blithe this..kyng Repeireth to his reuel.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2251 : Quedur godd be wrath or blyth.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10377 : Sir Ioachim was fain and blith [Göt: glad and blith].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1213 : Gawayn þe blyþe..bourded a-ȝayn with mony a blyþe laȝter.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6773 : Be wroth or blithe whoso be.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)622 : Whoso be wroth or blythe.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)40 : Blythe and mery: Letus, hillaris.
- a1450(a1400) Athelston (Cai 175/96)378 : Blyþe schal I neuer be Tyl I my weddyd broþer see.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.277 : Forbede I no burne to be blithe sum while.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)5/109 : Tho was all Rome gladde and blyde.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)14/160 : Wheder that he be blithe or wroth.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)796 : Mani mann Wass off hiss come bliþe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1636 : He wes swiðe bliðe for his muchele biȝate.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3624 : Aganippus wes bliþe þet Leir wes cumen.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)33 : Iacob bihalt his sones; of hem he was bliþe.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)471 : Of hir ichil þatow be bliþe.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)385 : Þemperour, bliþe of þe barn, on his blonk rides.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1472 : Eche a rynk was bliþe þat þe milde meliors so mariede scholde bene.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.846 : The cut fil to the knyght, Of which ful blithe and glad was euery wight.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.18 : Whanne I have sen an other blithe Of love.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1399 : Adam was for þis tiþand blith.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.54 : Þei gaf him þe coroune & were of him fulle bliþe.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1706 : His barounes boȝed hym to, blyþe of his come.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)981 : For bale of þe botelesse, blythe be I neuer.
- a1500 Trental St.Greg.(2) (Adv 19.3.1)21 : Of þis tyþandis was he not blythe.
c
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)233 : Se hlaford..et and dranc and macede hine wel bliðe mid his.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.929 : The yifte of al this worldes good Ne scholde have mad hir half so blythe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10553 : Anna..þou ma þe blith [Göt: make þe blith], þi lauerd es comand.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1398 : Þay laȝed & made hem blyþe.
- a1450(a1400) Athelston (Cai 175/96)206 : Þis lettre ouȝte to make þe blyþe.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)520 : Þus fysshers..etone and drongone and made hem blythe.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)1563 : Is it youre wille to..Ete and drynke and make you blythe?
d
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9065 : Jesu..Wass..bliþe & fus To follȝhenn heore wille.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)85/19 : His herte is zuo bliþe to [Vices & V.(2): enioyned to; F governe selom] þe wylle of gode, þet al þet god deþ, al hit is him uayr.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2393 : Lest þe segges wold haue sesed here seute to folwe, he wold abide..þe bliþer hem to make.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2422 : Bliþe were þei boþe þanne to bi-hold on oþer.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1383 : Was ther nevere herte yet so blithe To han his lif.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)811 : I wolde have karoled..As man that was to daunce right blithe.
- c1460 Chaucer CT.WB.(Bodmer cod.48)D.220 : Blithe [crit.ed.: Ech of hem ful blisful was and fawe To brynge me gaye thynges fro the feyre].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)39/130 : This dede ffor to do, be bothe blythe and bolde.
e
- c1300 Assump.Virg.(1) (Cmb Gg.4.27)104 : Wel bliþe bode [Add: Bliþe tiþynges] ihc þe bringe.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)20160 : Bliþ bodeworde I þe bring.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)3955 : A blyth bodword to þem scho broyȝt.
f
- (a1300) MS Dur-C.B.1.18 in Wenzel ME Lexicon (Dur-C B.1.18)472 : Edom…signat potatorem qui ex nimia potacione habet faciem rubeam; quorum prouerbium, idest blithword, est in taberna ‘Sope, and drope, and driberd’.
2.
Mild, gentle; merciful, gracious.
Associated quotations
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)128/28 : Heo dæȝhwamlice þene heofenlice kyng bliðne iseoð.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)10945 : Crist Iss meoc & milde & bliþe.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)828 : Soone bigan he vengeaunce kiþe As lord þat first was meke & bliþe.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1131 : Best watz he [the Lamb], blyþest and moste to pryse.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1228 : His beryng so badde agayn his blyþe Lorde.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1318 : O blisful nyght..How blithe unto hem bothe two thow weere!
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2342 : Your biddyng to obey, as my blithe ffader.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)624 : God is..a spryt clene, Boþe blessed and blyþe þat blendeþ all sorwe.
3.
Bright, shining; beautiful, fair.
Associated quotations
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)48/34 : Heo stod up, alre burde blidest.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2970 : Ysonde for to se In halle briȝt and bliþe.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)13 : Þe meiden was schast & bliþe [Vrn: feir] of chere.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1337 : Cherubin, þat angel blyth [vrr. bliht, briȝt], Bad him ga.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)162 : Oþer blyþe stones..were richely rayled in his aray clene.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)629 : At Bareflete apon þa blythe stremes.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)411 : Hure face to enoine For to bliken of hur ble, þe bliþure of chere.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)377 : A noble countenavnce he hade, A blyther and a better made Before they had not sayne.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1028 : The theff had non ey but on, Soche sawe I neuer none, Blyther be nyght and be day.