| 释义 |
▪ I. † methe, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 mǽþ, 3 maþe, mæþ, meaþ, 3–5 meþ, 4–5 methe, 5 meeþ.
[OE. mǽþ fem.:—OTeut. type *mæ̂þi-z (not found outside Eng.) = Gr. µῆτι-ς counsel, Skr. māti measure:—Indogermanic *mēti-s whence L. mētīrī to measure; f. root *mē- (Teut. *mæ̂-) to measure, whence OTeut. *mæ̂lom meal n.2]
1. Measure, proportion, fixed quantity.
c1000ælfric Exod. xxii. 17 ᵹif se fæder hiᵹ him syllan nelle, ᵹilde be þære ᵹiftan mæðe. c1205Lay. 977 Ȝif we sceoteð to heora mæðe [c 1275 meþe] Þat bið ure imone deað. a1300E.E. Psalter lxxix. 6 Þou salt..gif vs drink in teres in meth [Vulg. in mensura].
2. Moderation, temperance.
c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 29 Cune sume meðe þenne þu almesse makest. a1240Sawles Warde in Cott. Hom. 257 Mi þridde suster meað spekeð of þe middel sti bituhhe riht. c1357Lay Folks Catech. (MS.T.) 440 The seuent vertu and the laste is methe or methefulnesse,—Temperancia.
3. Respect, consideration; kindness.
c1000Inst. Polity c. 25 in Thorpe Laws II. 338 ælc cristen man ah mycele þearfe þæt he on þam griðe mycle mæþe wite. c1250Gen. & Ex. 2498 Alle he fellen him ðor to fot, To beðen meðe and bedden oc. a1310in Wright Lyric P. 103 Ȝef ich the buere to muche meth, Thou wolt me bringe to helle deth. c1320Cast. Love 318 Heo him duden in prisun of deþ, And pynede him sore wiþ-outen meþ. 13..Propr. Sanct. (Vernon MS.) in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LXXXI. 102/315 But þer as God, ful of meþ, ffleih to Egipte from his deþ [etc.]. a1400–50Alexander 816 All..on knese fallis, And in his mercy & meth mekely þaim put.
4. Modesty, gentleness.
c1325Know Thyself 35 in E.E.P. (1862) 131 With þi maistrie medel þi meþ For vche mon ouȝt hym self to knowe. c1325Metr. Hom. 107 And Mari ledd hir lif with methe, In a toun that hiht Nazarethe. 13..Metr. Hom. (Vernon MS.) in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LVII. 269 But heo hedde Meth, as worschipful wyf, ffor heo nas nout to hastyf. c1375Cursor M. 7858 (Fairf.) Of him come Iesse meke of meth. c1450Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 157 Amos spak with mylde methe.
▪ II. † methe, a. Obs.
Cf. myth a.
[? From the attrib. use of prec.]
Gentle, courteous.
a1300Cursor M. 10152 Elizabeth, An hali leuedi mild and meth, Þat spused was to zachari. a1440St. John Evang. (Thornton MS.) 57 Thou was methe and meke as maydene for mylde.
▪ III. † methe, v. Obs.
[OE. mǽðian, f. methe n.]
1. trans. To spare, have mercy upon. (In OE. with dative.)
c1000Wulfstan Hom. 59/17 He sylð arleasnysse þæt he ne ariᵹe ne eac ne mæðiᵹe his underþeoddum ne his ᵹelicum. c1250Gen. & Ex. 1046 Quad god, ‘find ic ðor ten or mo, Ic sal meðen ðe stede for ðo’.
2. To moderate, regulate, temper.
c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 13 Ðet foremeste is riht medeme mel þe man þe hit meðeð riht þe suneð aleð gestninge [etc.]. Ibid. 139 He..meðede þo his liflode swo þat he was bicumelich to swiche wike. c1330R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 13615 Ȝyf þey hem self couþe haue meþed & als þer strokes couþe haue leþed..Gret prowesse of þem had ben told.
▪ IV. methe
variant of mathe, mead n.1 |