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Wight vs Withsay - What's the difference?

wight | withsay |

As a noun wight

is a living creature, especially a human being.

As an adjective wight

is (archaic except in dialects) Brave, valorous, strong.

As a verb withsay is

to speak against someone or something.

wight

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) . See also (l). The meaning of the wraith-like creature is from barrow-wights in world.

Noun

(en noun)
  • (archaic) A living creature, especially a human being.
  • * circa 1602 , , act 1, scene 3:
    • O base Hungarian wight ! wilt thou the spigot wield?
  • * 1626 , , verse vi
    • Oh say me true if thou wert mortal wight
    And why from us so quickly thou didst take thy flight.
  • (paganism) A being of one of the Nine Worlds of heathen belief, especially a nature spirit, elf or ancestor.
  • (poetic) A ghost or other supernatural entity.
  • * 1789 , , lines 14-15-16
    • But I saw a glow-worm near,
    Who replied: ‘What wailing wight
    Calls the watchman of the night?
  • (fantasy) A wraith-like creature.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl), from (etyl) Merriam-Webster, 1974..

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (archaic except in dialects ) Brave, valorous, strong.
  • *:
  • *:I haue two sones that were but late made knyghtes / and the eldest hyghte sir Tirre // and my yongest sone hyght Lauayne / and yf hit please yow / he shalle ryde with yow vnto that Iustes / and he is of his age x stronge and wyght
  • Strong; stout; active.

    • See also

    * Isle of Wight

    References

    * English terms with homophones ----

    withsay

    English

    Verb

  • To speak against someone or something.
  • # (label) To renounce, to give up.
  • #* Rituale Ecclesiæ Dunelmensis (1840), 34:
  • Terrena desideria respuentes, eardlico lvsto wiðsæcgende .
  • #* (Geoffrey Chaucer), (The Seconde Nonnes Tale) in the (tales of Caunterbury) , 447:
  • Euery]] cristen wight shal han penaunce
    But if that he his [[Christendom, cristendom withseye .
  • # To contradict or deny.
  • #* (Ancrene Riwle) (Cleopatra C vi), 68:
  • ?ef an mon...deð swa muche mis. þet hit beo se open sunne. þet he hit ne ma?e nanesweis allunge wið seggen .
  • #* in W. P. Baildon, Select cases in Chancery, A.D. 1364 to 1471 (1896), 136:
  • He withseieth not the matier]] conteigned in the [[said, seid bille of complainte.
  • #* 1530 , (John Palsgrave), Lesclarcissement , 783/2:
  • Sythe]] I have sayd it, I [[will, wyll never withsay it.
  • # To gainsay, to oppose in speech (and by extension writing).
  • #* (w), 139:
  • Bi þo da?es luuede herod]]es...his wif, and binam hire him, and Seint [[John the Baptist, Iohan hit wið seide .
  • #* 1922 , (James Joyce), :
  • Let the lewd with faith and fervour worship. With will will we withstand, withsay .
  • # To forbid, to refuse to allow, give, or permit.
  • #* Merlin (1899), XIV 204:
  • I will in no wise with-sey that ye requere.
  • #* St. German's Dyaloge Doctoure & Student , VI f xiii:
  • I wyll]] not withsaye thy [[desire, desyre.
  • # To decline, to refuse to do or accept.
  • #* (Ancrene Riwle) (Cleopatra C vi), 175:
  • Þeo...wið seggeð þe grant þer of wið an wille heorte.
  • #* 1402 , (Thomas Hoccleve), Letters of Cupid , 108:
  • She...So lyberal]] ys, she wol no [[wight, wyght with-sey .
  • #* , Bk.XIII, Ch.iij:
  • ‘Sir,’ he seyde]], ‘I myght nat withsey myne unclis [[will, wyll.’
  • #* ordinance in Collection of Ordinances of the Royal Household - 1327–1694 (1790), 372:
  • This is in noe wise to bee withsaid , for it is the King's honour.
  • #* 2000 , , Morte D'Urban :
  • He was mild to good men of God and stark beyond all bounds to those who withsaid his will.

    • Derived terms

    * (l) * (l)

    Related terms

    * (l)

    Anagrams

    *