dighten
Middle English
Alternative forms
- diten, dihten, disten, dithen
Etymology
From Old English dihtan, dihtian (“to set in order; dispose; arrange; appoint; direct; compose”), from Proto-Germanic *dihtōną (“to compose; invent”), of disputed origin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈdixtən/
Verb
dighten
- To prepare or ready:
- (transitive) To ornament, adorn.
- (transitive) To furnish, equip.
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter XV, in Le Morte Darthur, book II:
- And at the last he entryd in to a chambyr that was merueillously wel dyzte and rychely, and a bedde arayed with clothe of gold
- (please add an English translation of this quote)
- And whan balyn was wepenles he ranne in to a chamber for to seke somme wepen / and soo fro chamber to chamber / and no wepen he coude fynde / and alweyes kynge Pellam after hym / And at the last he entryd in to a chambyr that was merueillously wel dyȝte and rychely}}
-
- (transitive) To compose, make.
- 14thc., Anonymous, The Chester Mystery Plays, Noah's Flood:
- Japhet's Wife: And I will gather chippes here / To make a fyer for you in feare, / And for to dighte your dinnere / Agayne you come in.
- 14thc., Anonymous, The Chester Mystery Plays, Noah's Flood:
- (transitive) To have sexual intercourse with.
- 1387-1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Manciple's Prologue:
- Ne telleth nevere no man in youre lyf
- How that another man hath dight his wyf;
- 1387-1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Manciple's Prologue:
Conjugation
Conjugation of dighten (weak suffixless/in -ed)
infinitive | (to) dighten, dighte | ||
---|---|---|---|
present tense | past tense | ||
1st-person singular | dighte | dighte, dighted | |
2nd-person singular | dightest | dightest, dightedest | |
3rd-person singular | dighteth | dighte, dighted | |
subjunctive singular | dighte | ||
imperative singular | — | ||
plural1 | dighten, dighte | dighten, dighte, dighteden, dightede | |
imperative plural | dighteth, dighte | — | |
participles | dightynge, dightende | dight, dighted, ydight, ydighted |
1Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Descendants
- English: dight
- Yola: dieeght, deight
References
- “dighten, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.