yitsere - Middle English Compendium

Middle English Dictionary Entry

yī̆tsere n.

Forms	yī̆tsere n. Also (early) ȝitsere, ȝiscere, ȝiscare, ȝissare, gitsere, gissere, (error) þissare; pl. (early) ȝitseras, etc. & ȝitseræs, ȝietceres, ȝetseres, ȝeseres, (errors) ȝitteres, witteres.
Etymology	OE gītsere, gītsare, gīetsere, gȳtsere; form with w- perh. influenced by ME wisher(e n.

(a) A covetous or an avaricious person; (b) the word ‘yitsere’.

a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)5/36 : Se unhale gitsere ah þæt feoh, & ne ah hine sylfne.
a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.VA (Vsp D.14)18/5 : God nyle þæt we beon grædige gitseres [Lamb.Hom.VA 105: ȝitseras].
c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Dom.2 Quadr.(Bod 343)56/13 : Þa unrihtwisæn ȝitseræs and reaferæs ȝeond weorulde…heoræ sceattæs syllæð…hwanon heo maȝon þa teoriȝendlican gold ȝeeacniæn.
a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)109 : Vniseli bið þe ȝitsere þe þurh his iselhðe leosað, and þurh his ahȝene ehte forwurð a on echnesse.
a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)29 : Rubberes…and þa morðslaȝa, and ȝitteres [read: ȝitseres]…and þa oðer sottes alle heo habbeð an þonc fulneh.
a1200 PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)271 : Þo…waren ȝietceres [Eg(1): ȝysceres; Eg(2): witteres; Dgb: ȝetseres; McC: ȝeseres] of þis wereldes aihte And dude al þat þe loðe gost hem tihte to and taihte.
c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)105/25 : Alswa ȝisceð aȝiscere [Nero: aȝissare; Cai: a-gissere] þet tet moni þusent mahten bi flutten.
c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)110/23 : Þe ȝiscere [Nero: ȝiscare] is his eskibah, feareð abuten esken & bisiliche stureð him to rukelin to gederes muchele & monie ruken.
a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)74 : Caym…was þissare [read: ȝissare] strong, for he was unlede; He gaif to touþinke þe worst þat he hedde.