[Origin unknown. Used by Shakespeare, whence by some modern writers.]
1. In Aroint thee! (? verb in the imperative, or interjection) meaning apparently: Avaunt! Begone!
1605. Shaks., Macb., I. iii. 6. Aroynt thee, Witch, the rumpefed Ronyon cryes. Ibid. (1605), Lear, III. iv. 129. He met the Night-Mare … Bid her a-light, and her troth-plight, And, aroynt thee, Witch, aroynt thee.
1816. Scott, Antiq., vi. Aroint thee, witch! wouldst thou poison my guests with thy infernal decoctions. [Also in Quentin D. (1823), II. xix. 364.]
1831. Heidiger, Didoniad, IX. 248. Aroynt, thou lingering, long-drawn mortal Strife.
2. Used by Mr. and Mrs. Browning as a vb.: To drive away with an execration.
1850. Mrs. Browning, To Flush, xviii. Whiskered cats arointed flee.
1878. Browning, Two Poets Croisic, 156. That Humbug, whom thy soul aroints. Ibid. (1880), Dram. Idyls, Pietro, 22. Aroint the churl who prophesies.
[The origin of Shakespeare’s aroynt has been the subject of numerous conjectures, none of which can be said to have even a prima facie probability. (Cf. also ARUNT.) The following passages are usually cited as pointing to the same word:
Ray, North C. Wds. (1691) has: Ryntye, by your leave, stand handsomely. As ‘Rynt you, witch, quoth Bessie Locket to her mother’: Proverb. Cheshire. Thoresby, Lett. to Ray, 1703 (Yorksh. Words) has: ‘Ryndta, used to cows to make them give way, and stand in their stalls or booyses.’
[In parts of Cheshire (and ? Lancashire) ou (au) is pronounced ī, ȳ (āi, i.e., āu has been umlauted to āū, and delabialized to āi; elsewhere it is reduced to āə, ā’, or ā); so that round becomes rȳnd. Rynd-ta! is thus merely a local pronunciation of ‘round thee, = move round, move about!’ The local nature, the meaning, and form of the phrase, seem all opposed to its identity with Shakespeare’s Aroynt.]
