Obs. Forms: 1 þion, 1–3 þeon, 3–4 þen, þe, 4–5 then, 4–6 the, 5 thene, theen, 5–6 þee, (6 thye), 4– thee. Pa. t. 1 þah, þaʓ, þæh, 1–2 þeah, 1–3 þeh, 2–3 þeaȝh, 3 þeȝ, þeu, (5 thee); pl. 1 þungon; þiʓon; þuʓon. Pa. pple. 2–3 þungen; þiȝen; þoȝen, þowon, þowuen, 4 thowen. [OE. þíon, þéon, contr. from *þíhan (:—*þíohan, *þéohan) Os. thîhan, thêh—thigun, githigan (Du. gedigen), OHG. (gi)dîhan, dêh—digun, digan (MHG. (ge)dîhen, G. gedeihen), Goth. þeihan—þáih—þaihun—þaihans to thrive:—OTeut. *þinχ-, earlier *þeyχ- (*þanχ-, *þung-) of the 3rd ablaut series:—Indo-Eur. root tenk. With the elimination of the nasal before χ the verb came in prim. Germ. to be assimilated to the 1st ablaut series (ī—ai—i—i); but traces of the primitive conjugation survive in the OS. pa. pple. githungan, and the OE. forms þungon, -en. The OE. contracted form þéon began to follow the inflexional type of téon:—*teuhan (TEE v.1), whence þéah, þuʓon, þoʓen.]
1. intr. To grow; to thrive, prosper (arch. in 16th c. use).
Beowulf, 8. He … weox under wolcnum, weorð-myndum þah.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xix. Þeah hwa wexe … and þeo on eallum welum.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 104. His wæstmas ʓenihtsumlice þuʓon.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke ii. 52. Se hælend þeah on wisdome and on ylde.
a. 1050. Liber Scintill., lxxxi. 221. Sume soþlice on æʓþrum þeoþ.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 161. And hit wacxs and wel þeaȝh. Ibid., 177. Here tuder swiðe wexeð and wel þieð.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2012. Vnder ioseph his welðe ðeȝ.
c. 1275. Lay., 24272. Þe borh suþþe ne þeh.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 240. Þe child wax & wel iþeȝ [v.rr. thee, ythei]. Ibid., 7086. Þis chyld wax so wel & þeu.
c. 1300. Beket, 149. He fond his sone … Þeoinge [pr. Theonige] fair and manliche.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., 23. Ȝef he beth thryven ant thowen in theode.
13[?]. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems, 238. Ho þat me louit ssal þe no more.
c. 1400. Gamelyn, 234. Come þou ones in my hond þou shalt neuer the.
1426. Audelay, Poems, 4. Thai schal have grace to thryve and thene.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 490/1. Theen, or thryvyn, vigeo.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1874), II. 94. [He] is seldome sen to thye.
a. 1518. Skelton, Magnyf., 862. Abusyon Forsothe I hyght;… That vseth me,—He can not thee.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 19. Giue ouer to sudgerne, that thinkest to thee.
b. In imprecations and asseverations.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5150. ‘Sais þou soth?’ ‘yaa, sa mot i the.’
13[?]. Sir Beues, 2753. A swor, alse he moste þen, He nolde him neiþer hire ne sen.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 1067. Wel yvel mote they thryve and thee, And yvel achyved mote they be.
1377. Langl., P. Pl. B. V. 228. Ac I swere now, so the ik, þat synne wil I lete.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol. & T., 376. By cause our firne was nat maad of Beech, That is the cause, and oother noon, so theech.
c. 1425. Seven Sag., 1548 (P.). Quod the kyng, ‘So mot I the, Astow wylt hyt schal bee.
c. 1450. Mankind, 297, in Macro Plays, 12. Gode let hym neuer thene I [rhyme sene].
1586. Ferne, Blaz. Gentrie, 22. Full ill mought they both thee.
1598. E. Gilpin, Skial. (1878), 19 (Lydia). So mote I thee thou art not faire, A plaine brownetta when thou art at best.
a. 1600[?]. Old Robin of Portingale, xiv. in Child, Ballads, III. (1885), 241/1. If it be not true,… God let me neuer thye.
17[?]. in Ritson, Songs (1794), II. 132. He that spares, ne’er mote he thee.
a. 1800. in Edinb. Mag., June (1819), 527/1. But wearie fa’ the fairy wicht … May he never thee.
2. trans. To cause to prosper; to prosper. Obs.
c. 1250. Prayer, in Rel. Ant., I. 22. Þe lavird þieh þe in hevirilk place.
Hence † Thowen, þoȝen, þowun ppl. a., thriven; grown up, adult.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 39. Mid-niht ðe bilimpeð to frumberdligges, hanecrau þe bilimpeð þowuene men. Ibid., 41. Ðese herdes … wakieð biforen euen, þanne þe childre wuel þewuen … he þo ful þoȝene turneð to godes bihouþe. Ibid., 127. Alse wat se he was þoȝen on wintre and on wastme.
