Obs. exc. Sc. and north. dial. Forms: 1 witan, 2–4 witen, 2–7 wite, 3–5 (6 arch.) wyten, 4–7, 8–9 Sc. wyte (3 hwite ?, 4 wytte, pa. t. and pa. pple. wijt, wit(t, 4–6 wit, 4–7 white, 4–8 chiefly Sc. wyt, 5 wytt, wiyte, wijte, wyet, wyth, 6 wiht, Sc. wyit, veit, vyit, 7 Sc. pa. t. wate). [OE. witan, pa. t. *wát, witon (superseded by weak inflexions in ME.), also ætwitan (-wát, -witon, pa. pple. -witen, ME. pa. t. atwiste, pa. pple. atwist) ATWITE v.1, edwítan (pa. pl. -witon, and wk. -wítte, Vesp. Ps.) EDWITE v.: OS. wîtan, MLG., MD. wîten (Du. wijten), OHG. wîȥan (MHG. wîȥen, G. verweissen to reproach), Goth. -weitan in fraweitan to avenge; f. Teut. wīt-: see WIT v.1 The sense-development is paralleled in L. animadvertere to observe, consider, censure, blame, punish.]
1. trans. To impute the guilt or lay the blame of (something) to or upon a person (his action, conduct or character) or a thing, condition or event (orig. dat., later also with to, on, upon).
Beowulf, 2741. For ðam me witan ne ðearf waldend fira morðorbealo maʓa.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., VI. iv. Romane witan Claudiuse þone hunger.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 304. Ȝif þu witest eni þing þine sunne bute þi suluen, þu ne schriuest þe nout.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1249. Schal he his mishap wite me?
13[?]. K. Alis., 1725. Thou konst no gode; Y wyt hit all thy yonge blode.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 369. Her sorwen and her care Þai witt þat frely fode.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 456. Allas Fortune … Thy false wheel my wo al may I wyte. Ibid., Miller’s Prol., 32. If that I mysspeke or seye Wyle it the Ale of Southwerk.
a. 1400. Leg. Rood (1871), 134. His wo I wyte hit sinne.
c. 1400. Beryn, 2016. I may wit it þe, þat I have lost my siȝte.
14[?]. Sir Beues (M.), 1893. Thou sholdiste on me be awreke And not wite on hym the gilte.
c. 1430. Hymns Virgin (1867), 35. Y wiyte my silf myne owne woo!
c. 1436. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 148. White thi owne falsnes alle thi myschance.
1481. Caxton, Godfrey, xx. 51. This felonnye that this fewe dyde was wyted alle the hoost.
c. 1500. Melusine, 308. It shal not be wytted me to haue a brother of myn a monke.
1571. Golding, Calvin on Ps. xl. 9. After the miseries which he abydeth are wyted vppon his owne fault. Ibid. (1587), De Mornay, xii. (1592), 181. They … reteine the faultines of that first fault, and cannot wit it vpon any other than the first Man.
1826. Galt, Last of Lairds, xxx. 268. He wyted it a’ on the liberty and equality speerit o’ the times.
† b. To impute as guilt; also in neutral sense: To impute. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Judges iv. 9. In this while victory shal not be witid to thee [Vulg. non reputabitur tibi]. Ibid. (1382), Rom. v. 13. Synne was not wyitid, [gloss] or rettid, whanne lawe was not.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., x. 332. Wyte thou no wyrkyng of Werkys wast, She hase consauyd the holy gast.
1533. trans. Erasm. Playne Expos. Com. Crede, 31 b. Vnto it is to be wihted or imputed what so euer thynge … hathe ben done … vertuosly.
2. To impute the guilt or fault to, blame (a person).
a. 1000. Ælfred’s Boeth., Proem. Þæt he … him ne wite ʓif he hit rihtlicor onʓite þonne he mihte.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 67. He [sc. Christ] setteð þe synfulle on his lifthalf, and witeð hem þat hie bi here lif daȝes ne wolden him quemen.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17445. If ani man yow witte, We sal yow saue and mak yow quite.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 619. Þe porter gan him wite And seyd:—‘Cherl! go oway.’
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 933. And though þat I be Ialous, wyte me noght.
c. 1400. 26 Pol. Poems, xvii. 119. And þou be lost, whom wiltow wyte?
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. i. 5. The errouris … bi which holding thei vniustly … wijten and blamen the clergie.
1469. Paston Lett., II. 348. And they myght pulle downe the howse on our hedys, I wyet hem not.
c. 1500. Melusine, 310. He … blamed & wytted hym self.
1530. Palsgr., 783/1. Why wyte you me, and I am nat to blame?
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xii. 16. Scoffing at him, that did her iustly wite.
1721. Ramsay, Prospect of Plenty, 133. Nor can we wyt them, since they had our Vote.
1721. Kelly, Sc. Prov., 357. Wite your self if your Wife be with Bairn.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xxvi. It wasna my faut; he canna wyte me.
1826. Galt, Last of Lairds, xviii. 161. She had got an injury and wyted me.
absol. 1340. Ayenb., 69. Zuo hit is huanne god his … chasteþ, and maugre hy wyteþ.
c. 1430. Chev. Assigne, 136. Moche mone was therfore but no man wyte moste.
† b. Const. obj. and inf. (see TO prep. B. 8): To blame a person for doing so-and-so. Obs.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. iv. 155. Wijting … vsers of ymagis to be gilti of vntrewe feith.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxxiv. 20. Quha sould thame wyte To serue thair beistlie lust?
c. 1560. A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), xi. 51. To lure ȝour ladeis quho can wyt ȝow?
a. 1585. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 759. Quhat tyme he wytit Will To be maist cause of his mischeif.
c. Const. of, later for, with, that in respect of which blame is incurred.
c. 1290. Beket, 2087, in S. Eng. Leg., 166. Non oþur gulti nis of þat ȝe witez me.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17772. He o mani plight was wijt [Gött. witt].
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 501. Wyte not me for þe werk þat I hit wolde help.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 110. Ther nas no lacke with wiche he myght her wite.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, viii. (Arb.), 17. None shal wyte me therof.
1533. Gau, Richt Vay (S.T.S.), 90. Lat vsz noth veit the deuil … of ony aduersite quhilk cumis to vsz.
1549. Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. Rom. ix. 19–26. Nothyng had Pharao to wyte God withal.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, Prol. 197. Thay say it is fals destenie And wyitis Fortoun of thair misgouernance.
17[?]. Gil Morrice, xxv. in Child, Ballads, II. 273. Neir wyte a man for violence That neir wate ye wi nane.
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, ix. A’ the wrang he can wyte me wi.
3. To lay the fault or blame upon (a thing). † Also with const. as in 2 c.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 27769. He wites werd [MS. wend] and waris his time.
c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 2304. Alasse, my wyckydnesse, that may I wyte!
1528. Tindale, Obed. Chr. Man, Prol. 22. To wite Gods worde and the true preachers of all the mischeve which their lying doctrine is the very cause of.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 64. Allace i vyit ȝour tua fayr ene.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. xi. 57. Albe he earst did wyte His wauering mind.
a. 1598. D. Fergusson, Scot. Prov. (S.T.S.), 12. All thing wytes that well not faires.
1603. Philotus, clxx. Wyte ignorance that I did not invent.
4. To wite was freq. used predicatively in senses 2 and 3 = to blame, blameworthy, in fault, culpable.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl. (Camb. MS.), 723. Of al þis gilt ihc am to wite.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 76. More to wyte is her wrange, Þen any wylle gentyl.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 116. Ha fol, how thou art forto wyte.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 876 (Trin.). Þat þou hast þus don þis mis Þi seluen is to wite [Cott. þiself þou wite þi wa].
c. 1480. Henryson, Test. Cress., 134. O fals Cupide, is nane to wyte bot thow.
Hence Witer, Witing vbl. sb.1
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. ii. 143. Alle such ouerhastie iugers and wijters God amende. Ibid., II. iv. 155. Thilk doom and thilk wijting … is vntrewe.
1825. Jamieson, Witer, one who blames another, Clydesd.
