Middle English Dictionary Entry
kīte n.
Entry Info
| Forms | kīte n. Also kijt, kitte, kute, cut(e, kuite, kete, keite. |
| Etymology | OE cȳta |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Any of the European kites; esp. Milvus milvus; ~ ei, a kite's egg; (b) in proverbial expressions, comparisons, etc.; ~ paun, a kite's claws; wenden loue for the ~, to crouch to escape the kite; -- used fig.; (c) in surnames & place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.124].
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.155 : Hail seint Franceis wiþ þi mani foulis, Kites and crowis, reuenes and oules.
- ?c1325 A levedy and my (ArmsAr 27)p.19 : The cokeu ad the kite keyt.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)52/36 : Þe ilke byeþ propreliche glotounes þet al uorzuelȝeþ ase deþ þe kete of his sperringe.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)790 : Coufle, chowe, et loriole; Kyte, ko, and wodewale.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.11.14 : Þees been þat ȝe sholen not ete of briddes..amerlyon & akute [vr. kijt; L milvum] & a gripe.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.14.13 : Vnclene ete ȝe not..gripe & kute after his kynde.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.34.15 : There ben gedered kites, the tother to the tother.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.624-5 : So ferde this tercelet allas the day..He saw vpon a tyme a kyte flee, And sodeynly he loued this kyte so That al his loue is clene fro me ago.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)149b/a : The kyte is neissche in fleische & in strengþe..þere is a manere kyte þat takeþ briddes in þe bigynnynge, and aftirward he etiþ guttis of beestis.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)324b/b : Kyte eiren beþ fewe and smale and ȝelowe.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)92b : Hyt were as gret synne..to sle a kuyte [L mergum] as an hors.
- c1450 Wimbledon Serm.(Hat 57)15/19 : Þeise wommen haddyn wynggys like to kytys.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)5857 : Vnnethe myghte An hungry kyte..Ther-off han a ful repast.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking in Studia Neoph.16 (Hrl 2340)11 : Put him in a groue, in a Crowys neste other in a kuytes.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.158,161 : Thus foulyd þis faukyn on fyldis abouȝte, And cauȝte of the kuyttis a cartffull at ones..Ȝit was not þe fawcon full fed at his likynge, For it cam him not of kynde kytes to loue.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)625 : Miluus: kyte.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)145 : Pyes and crowys can skratte and byte, kyttes [vr. Kytes], bossardes, and suche boystous fowllys.
- c1500 Friar & B.(Rwl C.86)p.69 : At euery keyte þat þou mete, Loke þou kepe þi pylt.
b
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1179 : Ther cam a kyte [vrr. kete, kuyte] whil they were so wrothe, That bar awey the boon bitwixe hem bothe.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3044 : Niltou neuere, late ne skete, A goshauk maken of a kete, Ne faukon maken of bosard.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1697 : Al watz gray as þe glede, wyth ful grymme clawres Þat were croked and kene as þe kyte paune.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5274 : He lay ther ded as a kyte.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)349 : The stare, that the conseyl can bewrye, The tame ruddok, and the coward kyte.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.2952 : With roial egles a kite may nat flee.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1478 : She hullid hym & mollid hym & toke hym aboute þe nekk, And went lowe for the kite & made many a bekk.
- a1500 Lord what is (RwlPoet 36)61 : Neþer for the kyte nor for the crowe, Encombyr not þyn owne neste.
c
- (1202) in Wallenberg PNKent1 : Ketebroc.
- (1230) Close R.Hen.III356 : Johannis Kyte.
- (1251) Select Pleas Forest in Seld.Soc.13101 : Henricus Kyte.
- (1259) Close R.Hen.III151 : Walterus Kyte.
- (1275-1332) in Sundby Dial.Wor.110 : Cute, Cut, Kute.
- (1333) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)263 : Kytelegh.
- (1383) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)398 : Kutecrofte.
- (a1400) EPNSoc.6 (Sus.)162 : Alan de Kiteherst.
- (1438) EPNSoc.7 (Sus.)328 : Ketebrokebregge.
- (1452) in Sundby Dial.Wor.110 : Messuagium vocatum Kuytes.
- (1454) in Sundby Dial.Wor.110 : Kytescrofte.
- (1463) in Sundby Dial.Wor.110 : Kyttes.