Obs. Forms: 1 witan, 2–5 wite, 4 wit(t, 4–5 wyte, 5 witte. Pa. t. 3 wot, 4–5 wat; 4 wited, 5 wyted, wit. Pa. pple. 3 Orm. witenn, 4 wite. [OE. wítan (rare), usually ʓewítan I-WITE v.2, q.v.] intr. To go, go away, depart; to perish, vanish away.
a. 1000. Boeth. Metr., xxiv. 52. Nylle ic æfre hionan ut witan.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 239. Witeð into ece fer.
c. 1200. Ormin, 8222. Affterr þatt Herode king wass witenn ut off life.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 109. Abacuc, þe wunede on þis weorlde and eft þerof wot. Ibid., 123. Hider he cumeð on wowe and heðen wit on wowe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8968. Hu all þis werld sal wite awai. Ibid., 10551. Quen þis angel a-wai was wite. Ibid., 11262. Þir angels wited þam ewai.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, Prol. All gladnes & delite of erth … wytes til noght.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxii. (Justin), 229. As a reke away he wat.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 708. I may noghte wit of this woo.
c. 1400. St. Alexius (Laud 622), 191. Þe kniȝttes waten on & on To her owen cuntre.
c. 1420. Prose Life Alex., 90. Bi þe son settynge þay wyted a-way in-to þe erthe agayne.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., cxii. 1187. Quhen þis wes said he wit away.
c. 1425. Thomas Erceld., 327. Whene a tree rote es dede The leues fadis þane & wytis a-waye.
c. 1480. Henryson, in Poems Gray MS., vi. 65 (S.T.S.), 56. Full oft Is sene thir emotis in ane hillok ay Rinnand oute befor þin ene; with litill weit þai wit away.
