Middle English Dictionary Entry
wishen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | wishen v. Also wishe, wische, wis(sen, wieshe, weche, wuschin, whishen, whischen, whushen, (17th cent.) wichen & (early) wiscen, wushen, (infl.) wiscenne; pl. wischin, etc. & woschen, (K) wesseth; p. wished, etc. & wischeid, wischte, wesched, woshid; pl. wishide, etc. & wisht, wiȝschid, wīschedin, weschte, weste, (early) wisten; ppl. wished, etc. & iwisched. |
| Etymology | OE wyscan, wīscan. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To feel intense longing of a spiritual or an emotional nature, suffer unfulfilled desire; also, give voice to one’s longing; ~ after, long for (sb. or sth.), yearn for;
(b) to long intensely for (sth.), desire fervently;—also without obj.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)3 : Men…wisten gerne after ure lauerd.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)5 : Of ure louerd ihesu cristes openliche tocume, þe forme was of mildhertnesse, and alle bileffulle men þe waren þo and ðar biforen wissede swiðe ðar after.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.115 : Ther I gan my wo compleigne, Wisshinge and wepinge al myn one.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3171 : Al one I mai…sighe and grone And wisshen al the longe nyht.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)2592 : Sare was childeles ȝet wiþ þis, al if ho ȝorne ofter hit con wys.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)553 : I haue wisshed after dethe ful ofte.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)125/8 : Sydone swoned often tymes and weped and whisshed aftre hym.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)615 : Þanne ho waryeþ & wepeþ & wicheþ after heuen.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.467 : Ȝee men knowe clerkes þat han cursed þe tyme, Þat euere þei couth or knewe more þan credo in deum patrem, And pryncipaly her pater noster; many a persone hath [vr. haþ it] wisshed [vrr. I-wisched; þis dysyred].
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)14 : Ofte haf I wayted, wyschande þat wele.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)97/17 : Þat faire lady schal ȝeuen him whan he hath don the first wyssch þat he wil wyssche of erthely thinges.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)535 : Wuschyn, or gretely desyryn: Opto, exopto.
- c1500 Alone walking (Trin-C R.3.19)7 : All desolate—Me remembryng Of my lyuyng, My deth wyssyng Bothe erly and late.
2.
(a) To experience a desire for possession or acquisition of some good; ?also, be covetous [1st quot.]; ~ after, desire (God-given bounty or unearned goods);
(b) to desire to obtain (a nonmaterial gift from sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)384 : Homme suette et pecche: M. wischith and senegith.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.11 : Everemore he seith, ‘Tomorwe’; And so he wol his time borwe, And wissheth after ‘God me sende’.
- a1450 SLeg.Barlaam (Bod 779)422 : Beter Is to haue þan weche.
b
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)69 : Wordlich weiȝ, we wische of þei ȝifte.
3.
(a) To be eager for (the occurrence of an event, the inception of a state or circumstance); wish (a state, condition, etc. on sb.), eagerly desire (a situation, etc. for sb. or for oneself);
(b) to be anxious for (sth. to occur), want; hope (that sth. is or will be so, that sth. may occur); also, express one’s hope (to God that sth. might occur).
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)165 : Ðe sune wussheð þe fader deað.
- a1350 Ne mai no lewed (Hrl 2253)86 : Atte constorie heo kenneþ vs care, ant whissheþ vs euele & worse to fare.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5756 : Sche nevere kepte To ben a worldes womman more, And that sche wissheth everemore.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)20.328 : Þer ne is syk ne sory ne non so muche wrecche Þat he ne may…boþe whusshen and wylnen Alle manere of men mercy and for-ȝeuenesse.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)52/8 : Crist whischeþ hem woo.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.406 : Nece, I bidde wisshe yow namore sorwe.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)997 : When he had Iesu prayd of grace, He wyscheyd hyme a battell plase, Ther as hym lyst were [read: welle].
b
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)70/24 : Us is to wyscenne þæt we rædlice to þan faren.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)103/24 : Gyf þu bearn hæfest, þu wyscest þæt heo seon gode.
- a1450(a1400) Titus & V.(Add 36523)3638 : I wisshed [vr. wysshed to god] þat it shulde be thus.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)1178 : I…wisshe to God hit myghte so bee That she wolde holde me for hir knyght.
- c1450(a1400) Lavynham Treat.7 Dead.Sins (Hrl 211)6/25 : Þo þt willyn & wysschyn to be mad ryche fallyn in to temptacion.
4.
To wish (that sth. contrary to fact were so, that sth. which is could be otherwise, for sth. contrary to fact to be so, etc.); also, express a fervent wish (to sb. or God that sth. were otherwise); wish for (sth.) to be (in a place other than where it is) [quot. 1451].
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)56/13 : Efterward hi wesseþ [Vices & V.(2): woschen] þet hi hedden nykken of crane and wombe of cou.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.383 : He…wesched [vr. wisschede] þat Tyberius…were dede.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3164 : Sche wissheth forto ben unbore.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.192 : Alle þat herden þat horn…wisshide [vrr. weschte, wyȝschid, wyschedyn, wyisschedyn, wysht, wissyd, wyssedyn] it hadde be wexid wiþ a wysp of firsen.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)23.194 : My wif…wisshede [vr. wyschte] wel whiterlyche þat ich were in heuene.
- c1400 St.Alex.(2) (Trin-O 57)53/335 : Þeȝ clepude him ‘waste bred’, And weste þat he were ded.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4490 : Adrastus myghte not sustene To byholde the ladyes so compleyne, whisshing his herte parted wer on tweyne.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)755 : Every day this wal they wolde threte, And wisshe to God that it were doun ybete.
- (1451) Paston (Gairdner)2.206 : Sir T. T. lost hes primer…and a good felaw wyshed hit in Norffolk, so he wold fetch hit there.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2192 : He wosshid…he had be in Room.
- (c1476) Paston (EETS)1.497 : I wysshed to hym þat he and I hadde been at Norwyche.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)113 : He wolde hym helpe so that the moste hardy of hem…sholde wiesshe to be at home in his owne contree.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)47/272a : I haue wyschyd very oftyn þat I had lernyd to pley on the horgans…when I was yowng, for by seyd þei be a plesure to them þat haue them.
- a1500 Amis (Dc 326)1560 : A lyves man wysched he were non.