arch. Forms: 1 arédan, arǽdan, 2–3 areden, 3–9 arede, 6 areede, 6–7 arreed, 7–9 areed, 6–9 aread. Pa. t. 1 arǽdde, 4 arad(de, 6–9 ared. Pa. pple. 1 arǽded, arǽd, 6–9 ared, (9 areded). [OE. arédan, WSax. arǽdan, f. A- pref. 1 out + rédan: see READ. Cogn. w. OHG. irrâtan, mod.G. errathen, to guess, divine; orig. a strong vb., but already in OE. with weak inflexion: pa. t. arǽdde. Although aread is a derivative of READ, yet having been more or less archaic for 300 years, it is found in modern writers in various ME. spellings: the regular conjugation is area·d, are·d, are·d.]
I. Regular senses.
† 1. trans. To determine by counsel; to decree.
c. 885. K. Ælfred, Bæda, IV. v. (Bosw.). Ðá dómas ðá ðe fram fæderum arǽdde and ʓesette wǽron. Ibid., II. xvii. [He] sende ʓewrit, on þam he ʓesette and arǽdde.
† 2. To declare by supernatural counsel, oracularly; to divine, augur, soothsay, prophesy. Obs.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke xxii. 64. Arǽd, hwylc ys se ðe þe slóh.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 121. Hehten hinc aredan hwa hit were þet hine smite.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 158. He feigneth him to conne arede Of thing which afterward shuld falle.
1526. Tindale, Luke xxii. 64. Arede who it is that smoote the?
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxii. (1617), 368. Fauna whom the good huswiues call Fatua of Fate, that is to say, Destinie, because shee was wont to areede their fortunes.
1600. Holland, Livy, I. xxxvi. 27 b. Come on Sir Soothsayer areed, and tell me by the flight of your birds, whether that may possiblie be done, which I now conceive in my mind.
† 3. In a more general sense: To declare, make known, utter, tell (things unknown to others). Obs.
c. 885. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxiii. Ðá se Wisdom þis spell arǽd hæfde.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 5115. No man ne couthe areden The nombre bot the heuene kyng.
1613. W. Browne, Brit. Past., I. iii. (1772), I. 87. Sad swaine areade, What cause so great effects of grief hath wrought?
1622. Wither, in Farr’s S. P. (1848), 216. Areed Of whom thou learn’dst to make such songs as these.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, I. II. lxv. Aread then Psittaco what sights these be.
4. To divine, guess, conjecture (things unknown to oneself). arch.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 1456. What it is, I leye I kanne arede.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 525/1. To geasse & arede vpon his dark ridles … which of these two eleccions he meaneth.
1796. Southey, Joan of Arc, Wks. VII. 34. Rightly he ared the Maid’s intent.
1847. Barham, Ingol. Leg. (1877), 373. Areed my counsel aright.
5. To divine the meaning of (obscure words), interpret (a dream), solve (a riddle or enigma). arch.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Daniel (Gr.), 734. Ne mihton arǽdan men engles ǽrend-béc.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 24. Hy that aredeth thyse redeles.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4474. I shal arede wel þi sweuene.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 25. The sweven … That Daniel anone arad.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, G ij b. They myȝt not arede a certayne deuynal.
a. 1535. More, Wks., 552 (R.). Arede my riddle, what is that?
1654. Gataker, Disc. Apol., 28. We have need of some Oedipus, to aread us his riddles.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., II. III. 348. So is thy dream areded.
† 6. To interpret or solve (written symbols); to READ. Obs.
c. 885. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past., Pref. 7. Ðeah moniʓe cuðon Englisc ʓewrit arǽdan.
c. 1340. Alisaunder, 573. Let write euery worde … that more folke myght hit arede.
b. intr.
c. 1205. Lay., 22719. Her mon mai arede [1250 reade] of Arðure.
II. Later archaistic senses, formed on READ.
7. trans. To counsel, advise.
1559. Myrr. Mag., James I., xviii. I arede therfore all people to be wise.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., Introd. Me … the sacred Muse areeds.
1643. Milton, Divorce (1851), Introd. 5. Let me arreed him, not to be the foreman of any mis-judg’d opinion.
b. intr. or absol.
1599. Bp. Hall, Sat., VI. i. 69. Let him that hath nought, feare nought, I areed.
1763. Churchill, Poems, I. 114. What cant be cur’d, So Donald right areeds, must be endur’d.
8. To decide, decree advisedly, adjudge. arch.
1593. R. Harvey, Philad., 1. We may best areede who is most credible.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. iii. 35. Thereby Sir Artegall did plaine areed That unto him the horse belong’d.
1863. Ld. Lytton, Ring of Amasis, I. 288. The king areads the monarchy to him that shall read the riddle of the ring.
