Obs. [OE. (rare Northumb.) wiðsæcga: see WITH- and SAY v.1 Cf. OFris. withsedza.]
1. trans. To renounce. rare.
c. 960. Rituale Dunelm. (Surtees), 34. Terrena desideria respuentes, eardlico lvsto wiðsæcgende.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sec. Nun’s T., 447. Euery cristen wight shal han penaunce But if that he his cristendom withseye. Ibid., 457. We that knowen thilke name [of Christian] so For vertuous, we may it nat withseye.
2. a. To affirm the contrary of, contradict, deny (a fact or statement); also, to deny the existence of.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 86. Ȝif a mon … deð so much mis þat hit beo so open sunne þat he hit ne mei nones weis allelunge wiðsiggen.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2309. To londone he gan him bringe, & sede he was purost eyr to be icrouned to kinge. Nomon ne miȝte it wel wiþ segge.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9800. Syker ys, þat yn rolle ys leyde, For þan may hyt neuer be wyþseyde.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 19. Sawes þat wiþseiþ nouȝt oure byleue.
1443–50. in W. P. Baildon, Sel. Cases Chanc. (1896), 136. He withseieth not the matier conteigned in the seid bille of complainte.
1493. Cov. Leet Bk., 57. To which the Recordour … seid that he withseith not þe ffraunchis of Couentre, nor the allowance þerof had at Bristoll.
1530. Palsgr., 783/2. Sythe I have sayd it, I wyll never withsay it.
1567. Turberv., Ovid’s Ep., 136. That Dian witnesde thou canst not withsaye.
b. To contradict, deny the statement of (a person).
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10349. Wan þou seist, quaþ þe king, þat þat was mi þouȝt, So gret louerd as þou art, Ine wiþsegge þe nouȝt.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. ii. (Skeat), l. 184. To withsaye thilke men that of thee speken otherwyse than the sothe.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 5594. I ne may Suffre … But that I muste yow with-seyn.
1530. Rastell, Bk. Purgat., I. vii. As beyng and not beynge be two contraryauntys [etc.] the one alway doth denye and with saye the other.
c. intr. To make denial or contradiction; to speak in opposition to; also trans. to utter by way of contradiction.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17288 + 11. In witnes þai ros with him,… For þe Iews suld not with-say Þat gart to ded him bring.
1382. Wyclif, Job xvi. 9. The false seiere is rered vp aȝen my face, withseiende to me. Ibid., Judith, i. 11. To alle these Nabugodonosor … sente messageres; the whiche alle with o wil withseiden.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 341. Whan Nestor hath his tale seid, Ayein him was no word withseid.
a. 1400. Engl. Gilds (1870), 355. Þat euerych bakere habbe hys seal y-knowe vpon hys loff, þat he ne mowe wiþ-segge ȝif he is of take oþer þan weel.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. lxxiii. (1869), 48. I may not to that of no thing wel withseye.
1463. Cases bef. King’s Council (Selden), 113 b. Forasmoch as they withsey not by dedez and actez of their factours.
3. trans. To speak or act against, oppose, resist; = GAINSAY v. 3; occas. to say (a thing) in opposition. Also, to disallow, forbid. Also absol.
c. 1200. Ormin, 17826. Fele þede modiliȝ wiþþstodenn, & wiþþseȝȝdenn … heffness lihht.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 139. Bi þo daȝes luuede herodes … his broðer wif, and binam hire him, and Seint Iohan hit wið seide.
a. 1225. Ancr. R. 204. Hwonne þe schil & te heorte ne wiðsiggeð nout.
c. 1275. Passion our Lord, 422, in O. E. Misc., 49. Eueruych mon þat makeþ hym king … He wyþ-seyþ cesare.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 160. Þat no man dar wiþ-seie hem in here wrong.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 805. Who so wole my Iuggement withseye.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 312. Ther mai noman his happ withsein.
1471. Caxton, Recuyell (Sommer), 88. That ther be not oon man that is so hardy to withsaye ony thynge contrarye to my will. Ibid. (1483), G. de la Tour, xxix. c vj. He was … patron of the parysshe and the parson durst not withsaye hym. Ibid., cxxxiii. mij b. I defende and withsaye to them the kyssyng.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cclxxxiv. 174/1. I may nat nor dare nat withsay yor noble pleasure.
a. 1529. Skelton, Sp. Parrot, 395. Moloc, that mawmett, there darre no man withsay.
4. a. To refuse to do or perform. Also absol.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 338. Þeo … wiðseggeð þe graunt þerof mid unwille heorte.
a. 1225. Juliana, 26. Ȝet tu maht ȝef þu wult burhen þe seoluen, ant ȝef þu mare wiðseist [etc.].
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7689. To hom þat wolde is wille do debonere he was & milde & to hom þat wiþsede strong tirant & wilde.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 367. Or hym was bodyn make thilke tweye Of sum persone & durste it not with-seye.
1485. Caxton, Chas. Gt., 49. Gladly he wold haue doo the bataylle yf he had not wythsayed it … whan he was requyred.
b. To decline to give, grant or allow; to refuse. Also with dat. of person (sometimes without dir. obj.).
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4920 + 6. Þe byssop yt nolde grante ac outlych yt wyþ seyde.
13[?]. K. Alis., 2905 (Laud MS.). Homage nolde hym non wiþsaye.
1402. Hoccleve, Let. Cupid, 108. She … So lyberal ys, she wol no wyght with-sey.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 32. She … Halsethe and kissethe and wol hym not with-seyne.
c. 1450. Merlin, xiv. 204. I will in no wise with-sey that ye requere.
c. 1475. Partenay, 86. No man shall ther-of you werne ne withsay.
1531. Dial. on Laws Eng., I. vi. 10 b. I wyll nat withsay thy desyre.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph. (Arb.), 165. Thanke your selfe, whiche woulde haue me rather faulte … than … withsay your request.
16[?]. Eger & Grine, 589, in Furniv. & Hales, Percy Folio, I. 372–3. Soe he desired that sword soe bright That shee was loth to with-say that Knight.
1661–85. in Househ. Ord. (1790), 372. This is in noe wise to bee withsaid, for it is the King’s honour.
Hence † Withsayer, a gainsayer, opponent.
c. 1420. Wycliffite Bible, Pref. Ep. iii. 63. The withseieris to withstonde [orig. contradicentes revincere].
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 267. All withseyers and attemptours to breke this writyng.
