Middle English Dictionary Entry
with(e n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | with(e n.(1) Also withth(e, wethe, withti, wit, witthe, (early) wiþþe & (in names) wit(e)-, witte-, wid(d)e-, wich(e)-, wigh-, wih-, wi-, wete-, wed-, we-, wyve-, whithe, whit(e)-; pl. withes, etc. & (chiefly early) wiðen, witthene, withþene, withthin & (error) wypthes. |
| Etymology | OE wiþþe, LOE (in place names) withe-, wide-, wi-. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. withen n., withi n.
1.
(a) A tree of the genus Salix, a willow;
(b) a pliant branch or shoot of a willow, a withe, an osier; in a ~ wise, in the manner of a withe;
(c) a scourge made of willow branches; a rod of willow;
(d) a rope presumably made of willow branches twisted or plaited together; pl. bonds of twisted withes; war ~, q.v.;
(e) a horse’s halter made of willow branches twisted or woven together;
(f) ?a garland or wreath of woven or twisted willow shoots;
(g) ?a ceremony held at Easter in which a willow wand or garland is carried into a noble or royal house, or the festivities surrounding this ceremony.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)671 : Arderne, genette, et coyner: Wyth, brome, and quincetre.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15563 : Crist himm wrohhte an swepe þær All alls itt wære off wiþþess.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12963 : Þat weore twælf swine iteied to-somne mid wiðen swiðe grete y-wriðen al to-gadere.
- c1390 Psalt.Mariae(1) (Vrn)875 : To him-self of wiþþes gret Smart scourge made.
- ?c1400 PPl.Z (Bod 851)5.160 : A bar a bordoun ybounde wyth a brode lyste, In a wethewyse ywowden aboute.
- ?a1450 Mem.Cred.(Tan 201)123/5 : Þenne bihulde he…saw a man stonde and wynde a wiþþe and…make a garlond of bowȝes.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)2548 : Oliuer ther they fownde, with foure wythes harde y-bownde, And ded he lay vndyr a tre.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15822 : Þeȝȝ wrohhtenn rap þurrh sinnfull lif To draȝhenn hemm till helle…& tatt wass hemm bitacnedd wel Þurrh Jesu Cristess wiþþess.
- a1475 Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)6843 : A ȝerde…may be writhe while it is grene…And it were drie, it wolde crake; A withþe shulde no man þerof make.
d
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)195/57-8 : Hokes and witthene [Corp-C: wiþþin] he let nime and faste to hire breoste binde, And let is tormentores with þe withþene hire breostene of wynde.
- c1400 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Hrl 490:Koch)p.76 : Wethys [vr. wypthes; glossing AF (Cmb): becheus].
- (1447-8) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1399 : Item, in monee assigned for Coles for the forge Ropes, Barowes…scafoldes, tymbre, withes, And othere diuerse thynges…xxx li.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)12/66b : Restis: wyth.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)628 : Wythe: retorta.
e
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)423 : Brydill hase he righte nane…Bot a wythe hase he tane And keuylles his stede.
f
- a1500 Dream Bk.(2) (Trin-C O.9.37)80 : To se weþes betokeneþ joie; To se bones fiȝte betokeneþ fiere.
g
- (1465) Acc.Howard in RC 57509 : Item, on Ester day my master gaff to John Kooke to the wythe, xx d.
- (1467) Acc.Howard in RC 57393 : Item, on Estyr day, my mastyr gaffe to the wythe in the Kenges howse, vj s., viij d.; Item, the same day my mastyr gaffe to the wythe at Braye, iij s., iiij d.
2.
(a) A noose, halter; also, a twisted neck chain or fetter [quot. 1440; may belong to sense 1.(d)];
(b) a hoop or ring;
(c) a currier's stake for softening leather, perhaps formed from twisted iron wire, a withy iron.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11394 : Nimeð me þene ilke mon þa þis feht ærst bigon & doð wiððe an his sweore & draȝeð hine to ane more.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)135/25 : Oþer þet he by ase is þe þief yproued…þet heþ nieȝ þe wyþþe [Vices & V.(2): roope] ine þe nykke.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11551 : Þou cumst laghyng to þe prest; Euyl oghtest þou laghe, coudest þou se How þou bryngest þy dome with þe; Aboute þy nekke hanggeþ a wyþþe, Þat haþ þe departed fro Goddys gryþþe.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4705 : Of pese-buȝth was her coroune; Hij waren led aboute þe toune; A wiþþe was her stole…And wiþ an oþere hij weren girt.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)531 : Wythe [Win: Wythth], bonde: Boia.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)1923 : He shal than taken be And hongid an hie vppon a tree With a withe…And so he shal haue his iewise.
b
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)541/3 : Circus, uel circulus: wiþþe.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)161/36 : Whyle an hooke is a yonge Spyre, hit may be wonde into a wyth, but when hit is a wixen tree, an hundrid oxyn vnneth hit may bowe.
c
- c1375 Bod.177 Artist.Recipes (Bod 177) 261/12 : Smere þe skyn with ȝolkes of eyrene..and þenne temper hit vp yn þyn hondes or at þe wyþþe, and schaue þeron a litel chalke and wyþþe hit vp, and hit is chuirel god ynow.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 12/21 : Frote hit well to and fro vpon a wulle herdel vntil þe alum be clene drunken ynne to þy skyn, þan take and vnknytte þy skyn, and go to a wytthe and wrynge clene out all þe watre.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 37/30 : Whanne þu hast dyȝt þyn alum skyn..hange hit vp to drye..and whanne hit is drye go to a witthe and witthe hit wel þerynne.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 41/14 : Drawe hit wel þurwe a stronge witthe a gode longe while vntil þy skyn be as sowple and as softe as þu wylt haue hit.
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 172/32 : Drawe þoru a wyþe till þei be leþe and nesce, and þen hast þu good chaverell.
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 175/3 : Hange þy skyn in þe wynde, and whan it is drye tawe þe flesche syde yn a withe or yn a glouerse yre till it be softe.
- a1500 Sln.7 Artist.Recipes (Sln 7) 303/7 : Whan jt ys wel dryid than labyr hym a brake or jn a wythty tyll yt be ryght softe.
- a1500 Jul.Artist.Recipes (Jul D.8)143/29,33 : Hold þe skyn in þe sonne .., After þat chaufe hit a witthe.., þe flesshe .. inward .., and þanne turne þat ylke syde and chauf hit aȝeyn in þin hondes or in the wytthe., þat better is for drying.
- ?a1525 Dc.54 Artist.Recipes (Dc 54) 263/28 : Rub them with flower tyll they be dry and tyle the grayne ryse,and than drawe them trow a wyt tyl they bene lyȝth and nesce.
3.
(a) In surnames;
(b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.272];—sometimes used with reference to willow trees as topographical markers.
Associated quotations
a
- (1175) EPNSoc.13 (War.) ()227 : Wiðelega.
- (1196) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames383 : Geoffrey de Widecumbe.
- (1201) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames379 : William de Whitecumbe.
- (1246) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)1.10 : William Witheman.
- (1251) Close R.Hen.III545 : John atte Wythes.
- (1296) Sub.R.Lewes in Sus.AC 2296 : Thoma le Wythes.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3209 : Thomas atte Wythe.
- (1327) Sub.R.Stf.in WSAS 7210 : Robertus le Wythe.
- (1332) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames379 : Isoda Wytecoumbe; Robert de Wythecoumb.
b
- (c1125) in Ekwall Dict.EPN502 : Wittok.
- (1167) in Ekwall Dict.EPN502 : Witecoc.
- (1196) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.209 : Wideslad.
- (1209) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.()209 : Widdeslade.
- (1276) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York) ()223 : Wideleye.
- (1285) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)205 : Wychton.
- (1290) Deed Yks.in YASRS 69 ()46 : Le Wythbusk.
- (1297) in Ekwall PNLan.()153 : Wyhton.
- (1299) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)205 : Wycheton.
- (1320) Deed Yks.in YASRS 69 ()77 : [A certain land called] le Wythes.
- (1324) in Ekwall PNLan.153 : Wetheton.
- (1330) Deed Yks.in YASRS 65 ()14 : [A plot of meadow called] le Wytheholme.
- (1341) in Ekwall PNLan.153 : Weton.
- (1346) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.209 : Wedslad, Whitslad.
- (1349) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)205 : Wyveton.
- (1360) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.209 : Weteslade.
- (1362) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.) ()526 : Whithecombe in the More.
- (1367) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York) ()205 : Wyton.
- (1407) Deed Yks.in YASRS 6931 : [On] lez Wythes [towards the south].
- (1443) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.) ()333 : Wydecombe in Stokenham.
- 1454 Extent in Scrope Castle Combe203 : Ex parte boreali dictae ripae erga arbores vocatas le wyth and ashe trees, in le Hachclose situatas, pertinentes dominio de Castelcombe.
- 1454 Extent in Scrope Castle Combe204 : Ubi situatur una arbor antiqua, vocata le Wythetre.
- (1460) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.209 : Witteslade.
- (1466) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)205 : Wighton.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: For sense 2.(c), see Clarke's glossary: "witthe, with(e, wytthe, wythty, wyþe, wyþþe, wyt n. 'hoop or hook (not necessarily of willow wicker)'" and compare R. A. Salaman, Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools (1986), p. 315, s.v. 'withe iron,' who quotes Randle Holme's Academy of Armory (1688): "A Glovers With[e] ... is a square Iron, writhen (as it wear) like a Wreath... Upon this they do use to rub and fret their Leather Skins to make them soft and plump, which kind of work from the name of the Instrument, they term Withing."
Note: For a possible anomalous form, see MED swethes n.pl.