v. arch. Forms: Inf. 1 abycg-an, abicg-an; 2 abug-en, 2–4 abuggen, abigg-en; 3–4 abugg-e, abigg-e; 4 abegg-e, abedge; abey-e(n, abei-e, abé; aby-en, abi-en; 4–5 abaye, abaie; 4–6 abie; 5 (abyche); 6 (abygge), 4–9 aby, abye. Pa. t. 1–3 abohte; 3–4 aboȝte, abouȝte; 4–5 aboughte; 5– abought. Pa. pple. 1–3 aboht; 3–4 aboȝt, abouȝt; 4– abought. Abugge (ü) was s.w.; abegge, abedge s.e.; abeye, abye, abie mdld. and nor. [f. A- pref. 1 away, out, back + BUY, OE. bycgan; cogn. w. Goth. usbugjan to redeem: see BUY.]
† 1. trans. To buy, purchase, pay for. Obs.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 185. Nis nan blisse soþes in an þing þet is utewið . þet ne beo to bitter aboht.
c. 1200. Moral Ode, in Trin. Coll. Hom., 224. Swines brade is wel swete … Ac al to diere he hit abuið þe ȝiefð þar-fore his swiere.
c. 1300. in Wright’s Lyr. Poetry, xxxvii. 103. A thyng that is ful precious, ful duere hit ys aboht.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Compl. Mars, & Venus, 334. Thus dere abought is Love in yevynge.
1503. Stat. 19 Hen. VII., vi. § 1. Theves … bryng such stolen vessell unto theym … to sell … and abought they bryng it to pryve places … and ther sell much part of hit to straungers.
2. trans. To pay the penalty for (an offence), to redeem, atone for, suffer for, make amends for, expiate: commonly with sore, dearly, etc. arch.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 35. Þa wrecche saule hit scal abuggen.
1205. Layamon, 8158. Þu me smite bi þon rugge, Ah sare þu hit salt abuggen.
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 306. Bute ȝif he abugge þe sunne þet he wrouhte.
c. 1270. King Horn, 110. Wiþ swerd oþer wiþ kniue, We scholden alle deie And þi fader deþ abeie.
c. 1314. Guy Warw. (1840), 49. His deth thou schalt wel sore abigge.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2848. Abigge þow schalt þis wronge: þat þov ous hast y-don. Ibid., 3404. Þilke companye þo ful dere aboȝte: þat þay come þare.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XI. 233. Here abouȝte þe barn · hus belsires gultes.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 261. Thy false body shall abie And suttre, that it hath deserved. Ibid., II. 386. He wolde done his sacrilegge That many a man shulde it abegge [some edd. abedge].
c. 1400. Gamelyn, 810. He schal it abegge that broughte him thertoo.
c. 1430. Hymns to Virg., 118. Now lete my flesche my synnis abie!
1560. Thersites (Hazl., Dodsl., I. 406). They shall aby bitterly the coming of such a guest.
1613. Beaum. & Fl., Knt. of Burning Pestle, III. iv. 26. Foolhardy knight, full soon thou shalt aby This fond reproach, thy body will I bang.
1815. Scott, Lord of Isles, V. xxvii. By Heaven, they lead the page to die … They shall abye it!
1876. Bancroft, Hist. U.S., V. ix. 432. Dearly did the Cherokees aby their rising.
3. trans. To pay (as a penalty); suffer, endure. arch.
1374. Chaucer, Boethius, 39. Þou quod she abaist þus þe tourment of þi fals[e] opinioun. Ibid. (c. 1386), Knight’s T., 1445. Keep me fro the vengans of thilk yre, That Atheon aboughte trewely.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., III. iv. 38. Who dyes, the utmost dolor doth abye; But who that lives, is lefte to waile his losse.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., III. IV. 339. Certes thou wouldst abye A heavy fate if thou shouldst lie herein.
† 4. absol. To pay the penalty, to make restitution, to atone, to suffer. Obs.
c. 1300. Vox & Wolf, 208. Ȝe, quad the vox, al thou most sugge, Other elles-wer thou most abugge.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Doctor’s T., 100. For I dar wel seye, If that thay doon, ye schul ful sore abeye.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXI. 448. Ac for þe lesynge þat þow, lucifer · lowe til eue, Þow shalt abygge bitere.
1400. Pol. Rel. & Love Poems (1866), 256. I am gylty & þou abeyst.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. viii. 331. Lete it Abie which is gilti.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par., Luke xii. 47. He shall abye with many a sore strype.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., III. vi. 24. If I catch him in this company … he dearly shall abye: Ile clip his wanton wings that he no more shall flye.
† 5. absol. To endure, remain; or trans. to endure, experience. In this sense ABY came to be identical with senses of ABIDE, and was formally confused with it: see Note ¶ under ABIDE. Obs.
1450. Past. Lett., 134, I. 179. Knowlage of myche more thyng than he myth have … because of short abyng.
1591. Spenser, Ruines of Time, 101. For warlike power, and peoples store, In Britannie was none to match with mee, That manie often did abie full sore. Ibid. (1596), F. Q., III. vii. 3. But nought that wanteth rest can long aby.
