Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Louten


Louten (v.) - to stoop, bow down, kneel, or prostrate oneself.


If I lye on yow to my lewed wit, ledeth me to brennyng!
For as it semeth ye forsaketh no mannes almesse --
Of usurers, of hoores, of varouse chapmen --
And louten to thise lordes that mowen lene yow nobles
Aye in youre rule and religion -- I take record at Jesus,
That seide to hise disciples, "Ne sitis acceptores
personarum."

- Langland, William: The vision of Piers Plowman (1377-1379)


The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html