The Collaborative International Dictionary
Wit \Wit\ (w[i^]t), v. t. & i. [inf. (To) Wit; pres. sing. Wot; pl. Wite; imp. Wist(e); p. p. Wist; p. pr. & vb. n. Wit(t)ing. See the Note below.] [OE. witen, pres. ich wot, wat, I know (wot), imp. wiste, AS. witan, pres. w[=a]t, imp. wiste, wisse; akin to OFries. wita, OS. witan, D. weten, G. wissen, OHG. wizzan, Icel. vita, Sw. veta, Dan. vide, Goth. witan to observe, wait I know, Russ. vidiete to see, L. videre, Gr. ?, Skr. vid to know, learn; cf. Skr. vid to find. ????. Cf. History, Idea, Idol, -oid, Twit, Veda, Vision, Wise,
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& n., Wot.] To know; to learn. ``I wot and wist alway.''
--Chaucer.Note: The present tense was inflected as follows; sing. 1st pers. wot; 2d pers. wost, or wot(t)est; 3d pers. wot, or wot(t)eth; pl. witen, or wite. The following variant forms also occur; pres. sing. 1st & 3d pers. wat, woot; pres. pl. wyten, or wyte, weete, wote, wot; imp. wuste (Southern dialect); p. pr. wotting. Later, other variant or corrupt forms are found, as, in Shakespeare, 3d pers. sing. pres. wots.
Brethren, we do you to wit [make you to know] of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.
--2 Cor. viii. 1.Thou wost full little what thou meanest.
--Chaucer.We witen not what thing we prayen here.
--Chaucer.When that the sooth in wist.
--Chaucer.Note: This verb is now used only in the infinitive, to wit, which is employed, especially in legal language, to call attention to a particular thing, or to a more particular specification of what has preceded, and is equivalent to namely, that is to say.
Usage examples of "wiste".
And in this wise he served his intent, That, save the fiend, none wiste what he meant: Till he so long had weeped and complain'd, And many a year his service to me feign'd, Till that mine heart, too piteous and too nice,* *foolish, simple All innocent of his crowned malice, *Forfeared of his death,* as thoughte me, *greatly afraid lest Upon his oathes and his surety he should die* Granted him love, on this conditioun, That evermore mine honour and renown Were saved, bothe *privy and apert.
And though he were nat depe expert in loore, He wiste ti was the eightetethe day Of Aprill, that is messager to May.
Tho coome hir othere freendes many oon, And in the aleyes romeden up and doun, And no thyng wiste of this conclusioun, But sodeynly bigonne revel newe, Til that the brighte sonne loste his hewe, For thorisonte hath reft the sonne his lyght- This is as muche to seye as, ti was nyght- And hoom they goon in joye and in solas, Save oonly wrecche Aurelius, allas!
For he the dreames of the king expounded, Where in Chaldaea clerkes was there none That wiste to what fine* his dreames sounded.
With torment and with shameful deeth echon This Provost dooth the Jewes for to sterve, That of this mordre wiste, and that anon.
And to the tree she gooth ful hastily, And on this faucoun looketh pitously, And heeld hir lappe abrood, for wel she wiste The faucoun moste fallen fro the twiste, Whan that it swowned next, for lakke of blood.
Now wol I turne to Arcite ageyn, That litel wiste how ny that was his care Til that Fortune had broght him in the snare.