Teach

v. Pa. t. and pa. pple. taught. Forms: see below. [OE. tǽcan, tǽcean, pa. t. tǽhte, pa. pple. *(ȝe)tǽht:—OTeut. *taikjan, cognate with OE. táen, Goth. taikns, OS. têkan, OHG. zeihhan, TOKEN, from an ablaut series teik-, taik, tik- to show, pre-Teut. dig-, deig-, also deik-, in Skr. diç-, Gr. δεικ-νύναι, δεῖγμα. Not found elsewhere in Teutonic; Ger. zeigen, OHG. zeigôn to show, has the same root. The vowel of the OE. pa. t. and pple. tǽht(e was apparently shortened before the two consonants, giving the Early ME. tahte, taȝte, whence the later taught, which appears already c. 1300 dialectally as taut(e. But in the pa. t. a form with the long vowel survived to c. 1300 as tǽhte, têhte, teihte, taihte, teite, taite. A normalized form teached (cf. reached) has been in partial use since the 14th c., but is not now accepted in educated speech.]

  A.  Illustration of Forms.

  1.  Infin. 1 tǽc(e)an, 2–3 tachen, 3 teachen, (Orm.) tæchenn, 3–4 tache, (theche), 3–5 techen, 3–6 teche, 4–6 tech, teiche (4–5 teyche, 5 techyn, 6 teich, teache, teatch), 6– teach.

c. 888.  K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxviii. § 3. Ic þe mæȝ ȝiet tæcan oðer þing.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 109 Him tæcean lifes weȝ.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 3468. To tæchenn hemm.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 17. Ic wile … tachen hit ew.

c. 1205.  Lay., 2419. He … sculde … tuhlen him teachen.

c. 1325.  Spec. Gy Warw., 141. Tweie þinges it wole þe teche.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 115. Of þe bisshop Thurston haf I comandment, Þe clerkes forto tech.

c. 1375.  Cursor M., 18710 (Fairf.). Þe trauþ to teiche [other MSS. teche]. Ibid., 27391. Þen agh þe leche Calde medicine þar to teyche.

c. 1375.  Theching [see TEACHING vbl. sb. 2].

1535.  Coverdale, 2 Sam. i. 18. To teach the children of Iuda the bow.

1536.  Wriothesley, Chron. (Camden), I. 55. The curates should … teatch their parishiones the ‘Pater noster.’

1538.  Starkey, England, I. iv. 132. Schold prech … and tech the pepul.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., I. (S.T.S.), 125. Our prædecessours … appoyntet sik magistratis … to teiche thame … to the people.

  2.  Imper. 1 tǽco, tǽc, 3 teke, 3–5 teche, tech, 4 teyche, 6 teache, 6– teach.

a. 1000[?].  [see B. 6 c].

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., I. 258. Leof, tæce us hu we maȝon us ȝebiddan.

a. 1240.  Ureisun, in Cott. Hom., 183. Ihesu teke þet tu art se softe and se swote.

a. 1272.  Luue Ron, 198, in O. E. Misc., 99. Tech hit oþer maydenes wel.

13[?].  Cursor M., 20795 (Cott.). Teche til him þat all might.

c. 1400.  Cato’s Morals, 188, in Cursor M., p. 1671. Teyche þou þe vnwise.

1564–78.  Bulleyn, Dial. agst. Pest. (1888), 53. Teache me a Pomeander.

1573.  Tusser, Husb. (1878), 137. Troth twise to thee teached, teach twentie times ten.

  3.  Pres. Indic. a. 1st pers. sing. 1 tǽce, 3–5 teche, 6 teache, 6– teach.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gram., xxviii. (Z.), 173. Ic tæce sumum men his weȝ.

a. 1272.  Luue Ron, 83 in O. E. Misc., 95. Ich teche þe enne treowe king.

  b.  2nd pers. sing. 1 tǽcst, 4 teches, teychis, 4–5 techest, 6– teachest.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Exod. xix. 12. Þu tæcst Israhela folce ȝemæro.

13[?].  Cursor M., 12189 (Cott.). Þat þou teches [F. teychis; Tr. techest] til oþer men.

  c.  3rd pers. sing. 1 tǽcp, tǽhð, 2 tecð, 2–5 techeþ, 3 tekeðe, 4 tekþ, teychis, 4–6 techeth (5 -ith, 6 -yth), 6– teacheth (now arch.), teaches.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gen., Pref. 4. Se þe tæcþ of Ledene on Englisc. Ibid. (c. 1000.), Hom., I. 322. Se Halȝa Gast ðe tæhð rihtwisnysse.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 50. Þe blake cloð also tekeðe bitocnunge.

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 13. & techeð her on eorðe … þe liflade of heouene.

1340.  Ayenb., 54. To huam þe holy gost tekþ to hyealde ordre. Ibid., 56. Alle uelþe he tekþ þer.

c. 1375.  Cursor M., 12250 (Fairf.). Sum angel … teychis him alle atte he melis.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. I. 13. As his worde techeth [v. r. thecheth].

1388.  Wyclif, Prov. xiii. 24. He that loueth him, techith bisili.

1538.  Starkey, England, I. ii. 38. Vertue hyt ys that techyth vs al.

  d.  pl. 1 tǽcað, 3–5 techen, 3–6 teche, 5–6 Sc. techis, 6 teache, (-en), Sc. teiche, 6– teach.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 5159. As ye me teche.

a. 1425.  Cursor M., 12192 (Trin.). What þei teche her feres.

1456.  Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 16. Quhilkis … techis othir symple folk … errouris.

c. 1460.  Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 198. Whanne þei þee techen.

1563.  Homilies, II. Peril Idolatry, III. (1859), 242. As the Scriptures teachen.

1580.  J. Hay, Demands, § 40, in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.), 44. As ye teiche.

  4.  Past tense. α. 1–3 tǽhte (1 ȝe-), 1 north. táhte, 2–4 tahte, tachte, (2 tahhte, tochte), 3–5 taȝte, tauhte, taute, 4 tawhte, tawghte, (taghtte), 4–5 taghte, tauȝte, taughte; 4–5 taȝt, tauht, taght, tauȝt, tawht, trwȝt, tawght, Sc. tacht, 5 taut, tawt, 5–6 Sc. taucht, tawcht, 5– taught; (5 toght, towght, 6 tought).

a. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. viii. [x.] (1890), 180. Him mon setl tæhte.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Mark xii. 38. And tahte vel lærde ðæm vel him [et docebat eis]. [So 975 Ruskw. Gosp.]

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., I. 68. Symle ðu tæhtest mildheortnysse.

c. 1050.  Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia (1885), VIII. 304. An snotor wita me ȝetæhte þisne cræft.

a. 1200.  Vices & Virtues, 27. Ðis ne tahte ðe non eorðlic mann.

a. 1200.  Moral Ode, 268. Al þet þe laþe gast hechte to and tachte.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 1071. Hiss boc himm tahhte.

c. 1205.  Lay., 804. Brutus heom taute [c. 1275 tehte].

a. 1225.  Juliana, 62. Þat te engel to þe tahten.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 3392. God taȝte hem weie.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 196. God þat þam it tauht.

13[?].  Cursor M., 741 (Cott.). Graitli taght [v.rr. taȝt, tauȝte] he him þe gin. Ibid., 17074 (Fairf.). Ther tawghtyst [T. tauȝtest] þou vs the way.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, II. 130. He taucht him siluer to dispend.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Pard. T., 36. As thilke hooly Iew oure eldres taughte [v.rr. taghte, tauȝt, tauȝte, tauht].

1390.  Gower, Conf., I. 285. Nature … tawht hem so.

c. 1400.  Apol. Loll., 42. Þus He tawt hem to do.

c. 1400.  Emare, 973. Emare thawȝte her sone ȝynge.

1447.  Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 12. And tawth hyr the feyth of Crist Jesu.

1451.  Capgrave, Life St. Gilbert, 87. He taute hem ferþermor oþir vertues.

a. 1500[?].  Kyng & Hermyt, 324, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 25. And taugȝt hym priuely to a sted To feche the hors come and bred.

1568.  Grafton, Chron., I. 15. Those also be taught his invention.

  β.  2–3 têhte; 3 teihte, taihte, taite, 3–4 teiȝte, teite.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 107. He us tehte.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 83. Þe tehte … alle wise witeȝe here wisdom.

c. 1200.  Moral Ode, 272, ibid., 228. Al þat þe loðe gost hem tihte to and taihte.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 158. He reihte us openliche.

a. 1275.  Prov. Ælfred, 634, in O. E. Misc., 136. Wel worþe þe wid, Þad þe first taite.

c. 1290.  Christopher, 173, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 276. Cristofre heom teiȝte þe riȝte bi-leue.

c. 1300.  Harrow. Hell, 233 (Digby MS.). Þou teitest me þene riȝte wey.

  γ.  4–5 teched, -id, 5–6 Sc. techit, 6 Sc. teichit, -et, -ed, 6–7 (–9 dial.) teached.

13[?].  Cursor M., 12180 (Cott.). Maister leui, þat ald man, Teched [Gött. Techid] him a letter þan.

1456.  Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 38. [He] techit the folk of that contree to mak housis.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. IV. (S.T.S.), 232. Godlie men … quha … teiched the Scotis. Ibid., 242. Sigenie, a Scotis Preist … teichet his peiple.

1608.  Willet, Hexapla Exod., 714. They were taught, and teached not.

1890.  W. A. Wallace, Only a Sister, x. 75. Old Mary Morley teached me that when I was growed up.

  5.  Past pple. α. 1 *ȝetǽht, 2–4 taht, (tahht), 3–4 (i)taȝt, 4 itawt, 4–5 taght, tauht, taut, tauwȝt, (i)tauȝt, (y)tawȝt, itaught, tawht, tauwȝt, (y-tawȝtte), Sc. tawcht, 5–6 Sc. taucht, 5– taught; (5 toght, towght, 6 tought).

c. 1200.  Ormin, 18741. He þuss haffde uss tahht.

a. 1300.  Floriz & Bl., 404. Floris hath iwroȝt As daris him haþ itaȝt [v.r. itawt].

13[?].  Cursor M., 24243 (Edin.). Ik haf him taht [v.rr. tagh, taȝt, taght] to þi seruis.

1340–70.  Alex. & Dind., 217. We weren tauht Of oure doctourus dere.

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 169. I grette … his wyf … And tolde hire þe tokenes þat me I-tauȝt were. Ibid. (1377), B. XX. 185. Euelytawȝte elde.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paulus), 201. To thre knychttis þane wes he tawcht.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 157. No man schulde here goddis lawe tauwȝt.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 300. Whiche of hem han … taught yow best conseil.

1390.  Gower, Conf., I. 118. The king hath … His brother tawht.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 881. The tokyn hym taght. Ibid., 9232. When he hade … toght hym to go.

14[?].  Six Ballads (Percy Soc. No. 50), 14. I wyll nowyse be towght.

14[?].  in Babees Bk. (1868), 357. The wyse man hath hys sone y-tawȝtte.

1570.  B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., 6. That Christ himselfe had tought.

1573.  Satir. Poems Reform., xlii. 20. His toung weill taucht.

1746.  Francis, trans. Hor., Sat., II. vii. 125. But should not you with heavier Stripes be taught?

  β.  4 techid, 4–5 -ed, 6 Sc. techit, teichit, 6–7 (–9 dial.) teached.

13[?].  Cursor M., 18760 (Cott.). Quen iesus had … teched þam al þat he wild. Ibid., 6450 (Gött.). Grete chargis … þat fell to gastlines, Suld techid be thoru moyses.

1544.  Suppl. to Hen. VIII., in Four Supplic. (1871), 34. He hathe enstructe and teached the people.

1560.  Rolland, Seven Sages, 31. Is this ȝour sone … [That] hes bene teichit?

1560–78.  Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot. (1621), 38. Experience hath teached us what pestilence hath been ingendered in the Kirk.

  B.  Signification.

  1.  To show, etc. [OE. or early ME. (exc. 3 b).]

  † 1.  trans. To show, present or offer to view.

a. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. i. § 2 (MS. T). Tæhte þa þam biscope … sumne ȝedefne munuc, þæs noma was Andreas.

  † 2.  To show or point out (a thing, the way, a place, etc.) to a person. Obs.

a. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. viii. [x.]. Him mon setl tæhte, and he sæt mid him æt þæm symble. Ibid., V. xvii. [xix.] § 4.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 109. Þa men þe bearn habban … him tæcean lifes weȝ.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gram., xxviii. (Z.), 173. Ic tæce sumum men his weȝ.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 3392. God taȝte hem weie, wis and pert.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 7836. He … went with þo worthy, & þe way taght.

  † 3.  To show (a person) the way; to direct, conduct, convoy, guide (to, from a place); to send away; also, to direct or refer (to something). Obs.

  Orig. with dative of person and prep. (to, into, over, from), as if elliptical for teach him (the way) to a place.

c. 893.  K. Ælfred, Oros., III. iii. § 1. Ic ȝehwam wille þærto [= to þinum bocum] tæcan þe hiene his lyst ma to witanne.

925–35.  Laws of Athelstan, II. c. 22. Non mon ne tæce his ȝetihtledan mon from him.

c. 961.  Æthelwold, Rule St. Benet, lviii. (1885), 97. Tæce him mon siððan to niȝcumenra manna huse.

a. 1000.  Cædmon’s Gen., 2900 (Gr.). On þære stowe þe him se stranga to, wærfest metod wordum tæhte.

13[?].  K. Alis., 5204 (Bodl. MS.). He shulde hem teche to sum Ryuere. Ibid., 5206. He hem tauȝtte ouer a wode.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Nun’s Pr. T., 129. I shal my self to herbes techen yow That shul been for youre hele.

c. 1425.  Cast. Persev., 553, in Macro Plays, 93. Þou art a nobyl knawe to techyn men fyrst fro goode!

a. 1440.  Sir Degrev., 914. Damesel … Teche me to that ylke place.

c. 1450.  Merlin, xx. 316. Oo hym taught in-to a chamber wher thei were.

a. 1500[?].  Kyng & Hermit, 136, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 18. Late thy knave go, To teche me a myle or two.

  b.  Ship-building. (absol.) Of a line: To point in a particular direction.

c. 1850.  Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 155. We say, ‘let the line or mould teach fair to such a spot.’

1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., To Teach, in marine architecture, is applied to the direction which any line or curve seems to point out.

  † 4.  To show what is to be observed or done; to direct, appoint, prescribe, decree, enjoin. Const. as in II. Obs. or absorbed in II.

c. 897.  K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxi. 161. Eft he him tæhte to fultome ðæt he him ȝename ane iserne hearstepannan.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Exod. xix. 12. Þu tæcst Israhela folce ȝemæro abutan þone munt.

a. 1023.  Wulfstan, Hom., xxxiii. 165. Þæt hy betan heora misdæda, swa swa bec tæcan.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 107. Uten don elmessen swa he us tehte, gode to luue.

c. 1250.  Long Life, 23, in O. E. Misc., 156. Do ase he [Solomon] þe tahte [v.r. tauhte].

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 7. I lokede on þe luft half as þe ladi me tauhte.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 431. Cerimonyes of þe olde lawe … ben tauht to be left.

c. 1420.  Chron. Vilod., 3838. Þe whyche tauȝt hym euer to don amys.

1567.  Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 45. Syne he did his Apostillis teiche Throw all the warld for to pas.

  II.  To show by way of information or instruction. (Now the leading sense.)

  In this group the original construction had an accusative of the thing imparted, with dative of the person or recipient when expressed. The loss of the dative inflexion, or, as in the pronouns, its identification with the accusative, was sometimes replaced by the preposition to, but oftener left two objects, of which the indirect, denoting the recipient, became more and more viewed as the direct object, and as such was made the subject of the passive voice, not only when the original direct object was an infinitive, as he was taught to dance, but even when it was a sb., as he was taught Latin, in preference to Latin was taught him.

  5.  To teach a thing: To impart or convey the knowledge of; to give instruction or lessons in (a subject); † to make known, deliver (a message). With simple obj. or obj. clause.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 43. Þa mæsse-preostas … sceolan heora scrift-bec mid rihte tæcan and læran.

a. 1000[?].  K. Ælfred’s Boeth., xxxiv. § 9 (MS. B.). Þat þu … ne forʓite þæt þæt ic ær tæhte.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., I. 322. Se Halȝa Gast ðe tæhð rihtwisnysse.

a. 1175.  Cott. Hom., 229. [Christ] tochte richwisnesse and soðfestnesse.

13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1485. Þou hatz for-ȝeten ȝederly þat ȝisterday I taȝtte.

1340–70.  Alex. & Dind., 1077. Þis kariede sonde Þat þus tiþinge tolde & tauhte þis wordus.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 235. Crist & his apostlis tauten neuere … siche profession.

1451.  Capgrave, Life St. Aug., 12. He cam first hom … and þer taute he gramer.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 42. The Preachers shall teache the Gospell.

1563.  Winȝet, Four Scoir Thre Quest., xix. Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 85. Quhy tech ȝe that thai are all indifferentlie of ane efficacitie?

1653.  Walton, Angler, To Rdr. 4. To teach the Art of Fencing.

1790.  Paley, Horæ Paul., xvi. He was convinced of the truth of what he taught.

Mod.  What subjects does he teach in the school?

  6.  To teach a person a thing, a thing to a person (or agent): To communicate something to a person, by way of instruction; † to inform.

c. 888.  K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxviii. § 3. Ic þe mæʓ ʓiet tæcan oðer þing.

a. 1050.  in Sax. Leechd., III. 256. Eac ʓewisse dæʓmæl us swa tæcað.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 99. Ure helende sat ofte and tahte wisdom þan þe him folȝeden.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4827. Ȝif ȝe nolle englissemen godes lawes teche.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 24306 (Edin.). To techen þaim quat tai sul don.

1426.  Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 36. Thynges that I shal teche the.

1564–78.  Bulleyn, Dial. agst. Pest. (1888), 53. I praie you teache me one or twoo kinde of Pilles.

1715–20.  Pope, Iliad, VI. 108. Thou Hector to the town retire, And teach our mother what the gods require.

1741–2.  Gray, Agrippina, 135. Wrinkled beldams Teach it their grandchildren.

1820.  Scott, Monast., xxxv. I see it is ill done to teach the cat the way to the kirn.

1857.  Buckle, Civiliz., I. xii. 667. It was English literature which taught the lessons of political liberty, first to France, and through France to the rest of Europe.

1874.  Green, Short Hist., vii. § 1. 352. The sufferings of the Protestants had failed to teach them the worth of religious liberty.

  b.  The subject of the passive voice was originally the thing taught; it is now usually the person or indirect object.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 16324. Qui askes þou? it es þe forthwit taght.

1390.  Gower, Conf., II. 363. Upon the pointz, as we ben taught, Stant sacrilege.

1573.  Tusser, Husb. (1878), 30. As huswiues are teached, in stead of a clock, How winter nights passeth, by crowing of cock.

1637.  (title) Romvlvs and Tarqvin. First Written in Italian by the Marques Virgilio Malvezzi: And now taught [= translated into] English, by H. C[arey].

1745.  Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 276. It is true … children may be taught superstition, under the notion of religion.

1825.  R. H. Froude, Rem. (1838), I. 190. I am being taught French.

  c.  With the thing taught expressed by an infinitive (or sb. clause): To show or make known to a person (how to do something, etc.).

971.  Blickl. Hom., 43. Þa lareowas sceolan synnfullum mannum eadmodlice tæcan and læran þæt, hie [etc.].

a. 1000[?].  K. Ælfred’s Boethius, Final Prayer (MS. B.). Tæc me þinne willan to wyrcenne.

c. 1250.  O. Kentish Serm., in O. E. Misc., 35. Ne apostle ne prechur … ne hem tachte hu [h]i solde [etc.].

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 15373. I sal yow teche him for to knau.

a. 1352.  Minot, Poems (ed. Hall), ix. 3. Þe north end of Ingland teched him to daunce.

1470–85.  Malory, Arthur, VII. xvii. 238. His [the red knight’s] wyly fyghtyng taughte syr Beaumayns to be wyse.

1542.  Udall, Erasm. Apoph., II. 342 b. For which we saie in Englyshe to teache our dame to spynne.

1616.  Withal’s Dict., 575. You teach your good Maister: teach your grandam to grope her duck.

1750.  Gray, Elegy, 84. Many a holy text … that teach the rustic moralist to die.

1868.  Ruskin, Arrows of Chace (1880), II. 178. Education … means teaching children to be clean, active, honest, and useful.

  fig.  c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 3319. He tought it [my heart] so hym for to obey.

1625.  Bacon, Ess., Of Delayes (Arb.), 525. To teach dangers to come on, by ouer early Buckling towards them, is another Extreme.

1633.  P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., XI. iv. Thou … taught’st his heart to frame his Canto’s best.

1715–20.  Pope, Iliad, IX. 723. Is it for him these tears are taught to flow?

1825.  T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Sutherl. (Colburn), 35. James’s lank hair … was taught to curl gracefully à la Brutus.

  d.  Used by way of threat: To let one know the cost or penalty of something.

1575.  Gamm. Gurton, III. iii. C iij b. And I get once on foote … ile teach the what longs to it.

a. 1619.  Fletcher, Mad Lover, III. ii. I’ll teach you to be treacherous!

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Past., III. 76. I’ll teach you how to brag another time.

1778.  Miss Burney, Evelina (1791), I. xxxvi. 191. She will … teach you to know who she is.

1889.  A. Lang, Pr. Prigio, ii. 10. I’ll teach you to be too clever, my lad.

  7.  To teach a person or agent (with personal object only): To impart knowledge to, give instruction to; to inform, instruct, educate, train, school. To teach (a) school: see SCHOOL sb.¹ 1 d.

c. 1000.  Eccl. Instit., 20, in Thorpe, Ags. Laws, II. 414. Hiʓ sceolon swiðe Iustlice his onfon, and him estlice tæcan.

c. 1250.  Hymn Virg., 34, in Trin. Coll. Hom., 256. Maide dreiȝ & wel itaucht.

a. 1275.  Prov. Alfred, 442, in O. E. Misc., 129. He sal banne þat wiȝt Þat him first taȝte.

c. 1325.  Spec. Gy Warw., 570. Houre swete lord … Hise deciples began to teche.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 120. Ȝe sholde be here fadres and techen hem betere.

1484.  Caxton, Fables of Auian, iii. He whiche will teche and lerne some other, ought first to corryge & examyne hym self.

1558.  Peebles Burgh Rec. (1872), 244. The haill inqueist ordanis Walter Haldane to teche thair Grammare Scoill.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., VIII. (S.T.S.), 110. A wyfe … weil taucht and brocht vp.

1667.  Milton, P. L., XII. 446. All Nations they shall teach.

1722.  in Picton, L’pool Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 75. A charity school … for teaching and instructing poor children in.

1877–9.  Ruskin, St. Mark’s Rest, ii. § 18. There is nothing like a little work with the fingers for teaching the eyes.

1908.  [Miss Fowler], Betw. Trent & Ancholme, 21. Master Teanby … taught him and others.

  b.  With prepositional extensions (to teach of, etc.). † To teach to: to train to, to accustom to the use or practice of (obs.).

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2197. Men bet iteiȝt to ssofle & to spade.

1382.  Wyclif, Matt. xxi. 17. There he dwelte, and tauȝte hem of the kyngdam of God.

c. 1450.  St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6659. A clerke … Þat couthe teche his men to faythe.

a. 1553.  Udall, Royster D., I. iii. (Arb.), 24. I haue not bene taught to kissing and licking.

1660.  F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 166. These Lions … are taught to it, when they are young.

  8.  absol. or intr. To communicate knowledge; to act as a teacher; to give instruction.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., I. 242. Ȝif se lareow wel tæce … doð swa swa he tæcð.

1340–70.  Alex. & Dind., 237. Folk þat fain is to teche.

1382.  Wyclif, Matt. xi. 1. Jhesus … passide fro thennes for to preche and teche in the citees of hem.

c. 1440.  Gesta Rom., xlv. 178 (Harl. MS.). The whiche prophesied and tawte aȝenst synne.

1552.  Huloet, Teache in a schole, didascolo.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvii. 158. One that teacheth by publique Authority.

1674.  (Mar. 15) Warrant for appreh. Bunyan. One John Bunnyon … Tynker hath divers times within one month last past … preached or teached at a Conventicle meeteing or assembly.

1878.  R. W. Dale, Lect. Preach., viii. 226. He must learn how to teach.

  III.  † 9. To deliver, hand over, give; to give in trust, commit, entrust, commend to the keeping of some one. Obs.

  In OE. usually expressed by betǽcan, BETEACH; even quot. c. 1000 below is difficult to separate from sense 4.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom., I. 46. Ða ʓesetnysse ðe us Moyses tæhte [Vulg. tradidit nobis Moyses].

c. 1205.  Lay., 22599. Ich tache þe mine leofen sunen.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 15349. His bodi suld be taght His fas þat war felun. Ibid., 15411. In handes yur i sal him teche.

c. 1300.  Havelok, 2214. Hauelok his sone he him tauhte, And hise two douhtres, and al his auhte.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxii. (Laurentius), 84. To sancte Syxt þane tacht [he] It.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, X. 43. To the gud lorde of Douglas,… He taucht the archaris euirilkane.

c. 1420.  Anturs of Arth., 605. Swylke a touche at þat tyme he taughte hym in tene.

c. 1475.  Rauf Coilȝear, 772. Ane Chalmer with Armour the King gart richt than Be taucht to ane Squyar.

  † b.  To commend or commit (a person) to God; to bid adieu to; to wish (good day) to: cf. BETEACH v. 4, 4 b. Obs. rare.

c. 1400.  Rowland & O., 1268. Charlles … Taughte hym to godde.

a. 1425.  Cursor M., 8068 (Trin.). Þe kyng … tauȝte hem god & good day.