caitif
Middle English
Alternative forms
- caytyf, caitijf, caytif, chaitif, kaytif, caytyve, caytef, caytyff, kaytyff, caiteff, caytyffe, kaytiffe
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman caitif, from Latin captīvus. Doublet of captif.
Pronunciation
Noun
caitif (plural caitifes)
- A captive, prisoner or hostage.
- A miser, wretch, pauper or beggar; a miserable person
- Late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Knight's Tale", The Canterbury Tales
- For, certes, lord, þer is noon of us alle / Þat she ne haþ been a duchesse or a queene. / Now be we caytyves, as it is wel seene, / Þanked be Fortune and hire false wheel
- Late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, "The Knight's Tale", The Canterbury Tales
- A despicable or evil person.
- (rare) The state of being held hostage.
Descendants
References
- “caitī̆f (n.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-26.
Adjective
caitif (comparative caitiver, superlative catifest)
- In captivity or jail; kidnapped.
- Driven to despair; saddened.
- miserly, of little means.
- malicious, bad, sinful, heartless.
Descendants
- English: caitiff
References
- “caitī̆f (adj.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-26.
Old French
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Vulgar Latin *cactivus, from a crossing of Latin captīvus and a Transalpine Gaulish caxtos, from Proto-Celtic *kaxtos. Cognate with Old Occitan caitiu.
Noun
caitif oblique singular, m (oblique plural caitis, nominative singular caitis, nominative plural caitif)
Declension
Declension of caitif
Descendants
Categories:
- Middle English terms borrowed from Anglo-Norman
- Middle English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- Middle English terms derived from Latin
- Middle English doublets
- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English nouns
- Middle English terms with rare senses
- Middle English adjectives
- Middle English terms with quotations
- Middle English words suffixed with -yf
- enm:Emotions
- enm:People
- Old French terms inherited from Vulgar Latin
- Old French terms derived from Vulgar Latin
- Old French terms inherited from Latin
- Old French terms derived from Latin
- Old French terms derived from Transalpine Gaulish
- Old French terms derived from Proto-Celtic
- Old French lemmas
- Old French nouns
- Old French masculine nouns