Forms: α. 1 lýðre, (hlýðre), léðre, (2 leoðre), 2–3 luðere, 3 leðere, luðre, (lui-, luyþer), 3–4 liðere, luther(e, 3–5 luðer, 4 luthur, luþur, lyþere, lythyre, 4–5 lethur, 5 lether, lethir(e, lethur, lithur, lythyr, (5 leither, 6 lytheir, liether, 3– lither. β. 5 ledyr, liddyr, lyder, -ir, -yr, 6 lidder, lydder, -ir, -yr. [OE. lýðre:—prehistoric *liuþrjo-; the first element of MHG., G. liederlich lewd (in early use also slight, trifling, pretty), and related by ablaut to LODDER. Some scholars regard the Gr. ἐλεύθερος and L. līber, free, as ultimately connected.]
A. adj.
† 1. Of persons, their actions, dispositions, etc.: Bad, wicked; base, rascally unjust. Also of an animal: Ill-tempered. Obs.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., VI. xxxvi. Ac se ealdormon hie betæhte lyþrum monnum to healdonne.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke xix. 22. Of þinum muðe ic ðe deme la lyðra þeowa.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 241. Iudas and þat leoðre folc hit repen.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 256. He is umbe, deies & nihtes, uorte unlimen ow mid wreððe, oðer mid luðer onde.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 1873. A luþer emperour biuore þat het maximian.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 272. Al luþur bi-leue we loþen in herte.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 98. Þus I liue loueles lyk A luþer dogge.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 840. Sa he lost has þe lyfe for his leþer [Dublin MS. lether] wordis.
a. 1529. Skelton, Agst. Garnesche, 146. The follest slouen ondyr heuen, Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 39. All folke thought them … to lyther, To lynger bothe in one house togyther.
† b. absol. (quasi-sb.). sing. Evil in the abstract. pl. Bad men.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 3. Ne ne let tu neauer mi sawle forleosen wiþ the forlorne ne wiþ the luðere mi lif.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 566. Oþer ellez þyn yȝe to lyþer is lyfte. Ibid., B. 163. For alle arn laþed luflyly, þe luþer & þe better.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 629. Lede clanly ȝour lif & no luþur wirche.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVIII. 82. Thus are þe lithere lykned to lussheborue sterlinges.
† 2. Of things: Bad (in various senses, chiefly physical); poor, sorry, ill-conditioned, ill-looking, worthless; hurtful. Of a part of the body: Withered, paralysed, impotent. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. xli. 27. Þa seofon hlænan oxan and þa seofon hlyðran ear ʓetacniað seofon hungerʓear.
c. 1050. Suppl. Ælfric’s Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 179/45. Lolium et cetera adulterina genera Boþen and oðre lyðre cynn.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 258. Þeo ilke reouðfulle garcen of þe luðere skurgen.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 621. So þat a luþer beuerege to hare biofþe hii browe.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 156. For be monnes lode neuer so luþer, þe lyf is ay swete.
a. 1330. Otuel, 942. Sore he fel oppon þe grounde, & hadde a fol luþer wonde.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 868. Þere-fore no like no lud of his luþur fare.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 342. As in lussheborwes is a lyther alay and ȝet loketh he lyke a sterlynge.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 599. He passed … mony a playne, Til he come to that lethir sty, That him byhoved pass by.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. v. 17. His smotterit habit, our his schulderis lidder.
1549. Chaloner, Erasm. on Folly, F ij b. They … still daube theyr lither chekes with peintyng.
1556. Abp. Parker, Ps. xxxvi. Argument, He careth and carkth for his lytheir gayne.
1567. Golding, Ovid’s Met., XII. 152 b. And in his lither hand he hilld a potte of wyne.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., II. 7. I like them [radishes] better … being thus lyther, and withered as you see, then when they are fresh and cripsie.
† b. of the air: Foul, pestilential. Obs.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVI. 220. Founde ich þat … hus [the pope’s] bulle myghte Letten þis luþer eir … Thenne wolde ich [etc.].
3. Lazy, sluggish, spiritless; also absol. Now dial.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xiii. 147. Crystys curs, my knaue thou art a ledyr hyne!
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., III. xxxiv. Behald ȝe men that callis ladyis lidder.
1529. Lyndesay, Complaynt, 75. Thocht I be, in my askyng, lidder.
c. 1560. A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), ii. 68. Thair lanciss come to lidder & slaw.
1600. Look About You, xi. c 4 b. Ile bring his lyther legges in better frame.
1611. Florio, Badalone,… a lubbard, a lither, a loger head.
1632. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Eromena, 143. The qualitie of the Princesse her servants, was not so lither and effeminate … as [etc.].
1675. Hobbes, Odyss. (1677), 217. The man to see to was both great and tall, Though but a lither fellow.
1820. Scott, Abbot, iv. Thine own laziness … that dost nothing but drink and sleep and leaves that lither lad to do the work.
1884. J. C. Egerton, Sussex Folks & Ways, iv. 61. ‘Lither’ … was quite familiar to him in the sense of ‘idle, lazy.’
b. Lither lurden: = ‘lazy lout.’ Hence the lither lurden: the disease of laziness = FEVER-LURDEN.
a. 1590. Marr. Wit & Wisd. (Shaks. Soc.), 13. I am alwayes troubled with the litherlurden.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 129. What Iockie (lither lurden) lesse for wea, Thou’st be so tattert.
4. Pliant, supple; (of the air, sky) yielding. arch. Also, in mod. dialects (influenced by LITHE a.): Agile, nimble.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Brachium, Cerea brachia, Nice and liether armes.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., IV. vii. 21. Thou antique Death … Two Talbots winged through the lither Skie, In thy despight shall scape Mortalitie.
c. 1600. Day, Begg. Bednell Gr., IV. ii. (1881), 82. Vanish, I know thou art but lither ayr, Thy hand fell lightly on me.
1643. Burroughes, Exp. Hosea (1652), 102. They have wide, checker, lyther consciences.
1658. Rowland, trans. Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 957. The Butterfly is a volatile Insect, having … two lither cornicles growing forth from before his eyes.
1807. Hogg, Mount. Bard, Mary of Moril Glen, 103. With limbs as lydder and as lythe As duddis hung out to dry.
1860. Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea, iv. § 239. We see, as in a figure, the lither sky filled with crystal vessels full of life-giving air.
1891. ‘Maxwell Gray,’ In Heart of Storm, I. 38. Boys … are made that lither and sprack they can’t bide quiet long together.
† B. adv. Badly, wickedly; ill, poorly. Obs.
c. 1000. Christ & Satan, 62 (Gr.). Habbað we alle swa for ðinum leasungum lyðre ʓefered.
c. 1205. Lay., 2785. Ah toward his lifes ende him ilomp wel luðere [1275 luþre].
a. 1225. Juliana, 33. Þu biwistest daniel bimong þe wode liuns ilatet se luðere.
c. 1300. Proverbs of Hendyng, in Rel. Ant., I. 114. Lyht chep luthere ȝeldes.
Hence † Litherback, a slothful person. † Litherhead, wickedness.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9488. Þe godemen of þe lond hire luþerhede iseye.
c. 1305. St. Kenelm, 88, in E. E. P. (1862), 50. Heo turnede to folie & to liþerhede al hire þoȝt.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 269. Hee must be no litherbacke, vnapt, or slothfull fellow.
