Forms: 1 cyþþo, cyþ(þ, 2 ceþ, cheþ, 3–4 cuþþe, (4 cuþþhe, kuþþe, cuth), 4 keþþe, kiþþe, kiþ, kyþ, (kyþthe, kitth, -e, kiyth, kuith, kuythe, kygth, kid, kidh), 4–5 kithe, kythe, (kyght, -e, 5 kyghth, kide), 4–6 kyth, 4– kith. β. 6–7 kiffe, 6–8 kiff. [OE. cýðð, cýð, earlier cýððu = OHG. chundida:—OTeut. *kunþiþā, abstr. sb. from *kunþ- known, OE. cúð, COUTH. In ME. the u(ü) forms were s. w., the e forms Kentish.]
† 1. Knowledge, acquaintance with something; knowledge communicated, information. Obs.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xxii[i.] Of minre sylfre cyþþe.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 396. Þe nane cyððe to Gode næfdon.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 1281. So kyndly takes he that kyth, That up he rose and went hym wyth.
c. 1450. Rel. Ant., I. 308. Spare noȝth an hauke yf he lye in thy kyth.
† 2. Knowledge how to behave; rules of etiquette. Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 331. Whanne þou komest to kourt among þe kete lordes, & knowest alle þe kuþþes þat to kourt langes.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 320. The king cumly in kith, couerit with croune.
1804. Tarras, Poems, 32 (Jam.). But nature, thy feature, An’ mien o’ various kythe.
† 3. The country or place that is known or familiar; one’s native land, home; hence gen. country, region, quarter. Obs.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxvii. § 4. Þæt hi on heora aʓenre cyþþe ealne weʓ mæʓen. Ibid., xxxiii. § 4. Þæs wæteres aʓnu cyþ is on eorþan.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 231. Þa sende se king his ærndraches of fif ceðen to alle his underþeoden. Ibid., 235. Isent of fif cheðen.
c. 1205. Lay., 2435. Guendoleine he sende into hire fader londe,… into hire cuððe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5452 (Cott.). Drightin þan was our eldres wit, He mon yow bring in to your kyth [Gött. kid]. Ibid., 9074 (Cott.). Far wil i fle In vncuth kygth [Fairf. kiþ] fra þis cuntre.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 197. He hedde beo lord of þat lond … And eke kyng of þat cuþþe.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3997. Þe kyng … kayres furthe with þe cors in kyghte þare he lenges.
c. 1440. York Myst., xviii. 91. Us most flee Owte of oure kyth where we are knowyn.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. iii. 59. Sers and inquyr … of this kith quhair standis the cheif citee.
† 4. The persons who are known or familiar, taken collectively; one’s friends, fellow-countrymen or neighbors; acquaintance; in later use sometimes confused with kin: see 5. Obs. or arch. exc. as in 5.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke ii. 44. Hiʓ … hine sohton betux his maʓas & his cuðan [Lindisf. cuðo, Rushw. cyððo].
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 108. Thai him soht Imang thair kith.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8443. Þe men of kuythe þat he wel knewe, Þat he wyste were gode and trewe.
c. 1615. W. Browne, Yng. Willie & Old Wernock (R.). My near kith.
1825. Brockett, Kith, acquaintance…. Not obsolete as stated in Todd’s John.
1848. Lytton, Harold, III. iii. High persons of his own kith.
5. Phr. Kith and kin: orig. Country and kinsfolk (see 3); in later use, Acquaintance and kinsfolk, one’s friends and relatives; in mod. use often taken merely as a pleonastic phrase for Kinsfolk, relatives, family connections. (Formerly sometimes corrupted to kiff and kin.)
α. 1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 497. How riȝtwis men … Fer fro kitth and fro kynne yuel yclothed ȝeden.
a. 1400. Octouian, 1822. I-dryne Ywas,… From ken and kyghth.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 23. Of saynt cuthbert kyth and kynne.
1570. Levins, Manip., 150/36. Kith or kin, cognatio.
1794. Burns, ‘My Lady’s gown,’ ii. My lady’s white, my lady’s red, And kith and kin o’ Cassillis’ blude.
1824. Byron, Juan, XV. xxxi. Daughters, brothers, sisters, kith or kin.
1872. Black, Adv. Phaeton, viii. If any extra bit of comfort or kindness is wanted for their own kith and kin.
β. 1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 22. For kiffe nor for kin.
1584. 3 Ladies Lond., I. in Hazl., Dodsley, VI. 250. They forsake … prince, country, religion, kiff and kin.
1620. Middleton, Chaste Maid, IV. i. 86. A mayd that’s neither kiffe nor kin to me.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, IV. 151. To visit Kiff and Kin.
fig. 1851. Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., I. 888. Mark the natural kiths and kins Of circumstance and office.
1861. Max Müller, Sci. Lang., iv. 156. That Greek and Latin were of the same kith and kin as the language of the black inhabitants of India.
