Pa. t. and pa. pple. lisped. Forms: 1 *wlispian, (áwlyspian), 4 wlispe, 4–6 lysp(e, 4–5, ? 7 lipse, (5 lyspyn), 6–7 lispe, 7– lisp. (Also 7–9 jocularly lithp.) [OE. *wlispian (known only in comb. áwlyspian), f. wlisp, wlips adj., lisping; cf. MLG. wlispen, wilspen, LG., Du. lispen, Sw. läspa, Da. læspe to lisp, OHG. lisp adj., stammering, OHG., MHG. lispen to trip in speaking, lisp, mod.G. lispeln to lisp.]
1. intr. To speak with that defect of utterance which consists in substituting for s and z sounds approaching þ and ð; either by reason of a defect in the organs of speech or as an affectation. Also, loosely, to speak with child-like utterance, falteringly or imperfectly.
a. 1100. MS. Junius 23, lf. 142 b (in Mod. Lang. Notes (1889), May 279/1). And seo tunge awlyspaþ, seo þe ær hæfde ful recene spræce.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 393. In spek wlispyt he sum deill.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 264. Som what he lipsed, for his wantownesse To make his englissh sweete vp on his tonge.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 306/2. Lyspyn yn speche, sibilo.
1530. Palsgr., 612/2. He lyspeth a lytell, but it becometh hym well.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 323. He can carue too, and lispe. Ibid. (1600), A. Y. L., IV. i. 34. Looke you lispe, and weare strange suites.
1604. Middleton, F. Hubburd’s Tales, Wks. (Bullen), VIII. 80. She had a humour to lisp often, like a flattering wanton.
c. 1680. Beveridge, Serm. (1729), I. 111. As a nurse to a child … lisps in broken language.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 492, ¶ 4. I can move with a speaking mien, can look significantly, can lisp, can trip, can loll.
1735. Pope, Prol. Sat., 128. As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame, I lisp’d in numbers, for the numbers came.
1786. Mad. D’Arblay, Diary, 13 Aug. Lady Charlotte is very handsome,… she unfortunately lisps very much.
1827. Keble, Chr. Y. 3rd Sund. Lent, As little children lisp, and tell of Heaven.
2. trans. To utter with a lisp or lispingly (also with out). In extended use, to utter with childlike, imperfect or faltering articulation; to give imperfect utterance or articulation to (lit. and fig.).
1620. Sanderson, Serm., I. 157. As nurses talk half syllables, and lipse out broken language to young children.
1651. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., II. xxx. 239. The Statute of Henry the fourth concerning Heresie doth lispe some such Power.
1661. Boyle, Style of Script. (1675), 28. Vouchsafing to lisp mysteries to those that would be deterred by any other way of expressing them.
1702. Pope, Dryope, 81. When first his infant voice shall … lisp his mother’s name.
1718. Freethinker, No. 17, ¶ 6. Her Maid trips in, and lisps out to me, that her Lady is gone to Bed.
1750. Gray, Elegy, 23. No Children run to lisp their Sire’s Return.
1818. Cobbett, Pol. Reg., XXXIII. 64. Pray send me the Report that you speak of, in which they begin to lisp their intentions.
1819. Metropolis, III. 174. Lady tho and tho, lithpth out an Insipid.
1834. Macaulay, Pitt, Ess. (1887), 319. Newcastle sent for Pitt, hugged him,… and lisped out the highest compliments.
1838. Lytton, Alice, 62. ‘And me, too,’ lisped Sophia—the youngest hope.
1855. Browning, Cleon, 3. The light wave lisps ‘Greece.’
Hence Lisped ppl. a.
a. 1851. Joanna Baillie, Basil, II. iv. Wks. (1851), 27. The lisp’d flattery of a cunning child.
