(a) A thing deposited as security, a pledge; leien feith (trouth) to ~, to pledge (one's) honor; (b) a ransom; leien hed (lif) to ~, give (one's) head (life) as a ransom; withouten ~, not to be ransomed; (c) a loan; to ~, as a loan; (d) a debt; yelden ~, pay a debt; iron. punish; (e) ?usury [Cp. OE borg-gelda].

Law A surety: (a) one who becomes legally responsible for the behavior of another, one who guarantees that another will perform an oath or fulfill an agreement; guarantor, surety; ~ of bale, one who goes bail for another; ~ for (of) the pes, one who binds himself to see that another keeps the peace; finden borewes, to provide guarantors of one's conduct, find sureties for oneself; putten be wed and ~, to require (sb.) to put up security and provide sureties; taken borewes, to require sureties (of sb.); (b) one who guarantees that another will appear in court or return to receive judgment or punishment; also, a hostage; finden ~, to provide a surety, give a hostage; putten to wed and ~, to require (a defendant) to deposit security and provide sureties that he will appear in court, etc.; (c) one who vouches for a plaintiff's claim as an honest claim; given wed and ~, pleten bi wed and ~, suen pleint bi wed and ~, to bring suit by depositing a security [to be forfeited if the claim proves false] and providing sureties; (d) a surety for a debt, one who becomes responsible for another's return of money or borrowed property; finden ~, to find one who will act as surety for one's debt; withouten ~ and wed, without surety or security; (e) a surety for a ransom.

A sponsor, guarantor [often fig. uses of 2a]: (a) one who promises to see that another's behavior is acceptable; (b) a sponsor at baptism; (c) one who vouches for the truth of a statement; I dar ben ~, I dar (shal) ben his (thi) ~, I guarantee (that sth. is true, that sth. will happen, etc.), I'll be bound, I warrant you; maken ~, to call (sb.) to witness; (d) St. John to ~, St. John be your sponsor or protector; -- usually as a farewell; taken St. John to ~, to invoke the protection of St. John; Venus to ~, may Venus be favorable.

(a) Suretyship; finden to ~, to find (sb.) to be one's surety; leten to ~, to let (a prisoner) go when he has provided a surety that his ransom will be paid; nimen to ~, to accept (sb.) as guarantor of a loan; taken to ~, to take (sb.) as one's surety; (b) sponsorship at baptism; ben in ~, to act as sponsor; (c) condition of having a surety; under ~, protected by a surety, set free through a hostage; (d) testimony to the truth of something, witness; taken to ~, to take (God, someone's word, etc.) as one's witness, call upon (sb.) to witness.

Law A group of householders, each of whom is answerable for the behavior of all, a tithing; -- esp. Kentish.