vbl. sb. [f. WITNESS v. + -ING1.]
1. The action of bearing witness or giving testimony. † In witnessing of, as a witness to; † to bear witnessing, to bear witness.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18894. O þis gadring be-houes us þan, In witnesing to ches a man Vn-to þe seruis of vr tale. Ibid., 27832. O couaitise … cums … fals wittnesing,… and lesing.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Cor. i. 12. The witnessinge of oure conscience.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 299. To this flour … Hire white corowne beryth the witnessynge.
1426. Lydg., in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 132. Gladly he chevith what so he begynne,… The fyne therof berith witnessing.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, III. viii. (1883), 150. I haue put on eche keye a bille & writynge In witnessinge of the thynges abouesayd.
1526. Tindale, Rev. i. 9. Iohn … was in the yle of Pathmos for the worde of god, and for the witnessynge of Iesu Christe.
1563. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 254. Diverse personis wer summond … to beir witnessing in the said mater.
1659. South, Serm. (1697), I. 117. The witnessing of the truth was then so generally attended with this Event, that Martyrdom now signifies … to witness by death.
1857. Dickens, Dorrit, II. xxviii. I have it on the witnessing of these two madmen … that you want me.
† b. In biblical use: = WITNESS sb. 2 d.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, cxviii[i]. 2. Blisful þai þat ransakis his witnessyngis.
1382. Wyclif, Ps. xcviii[i]. 7. Thei kepten his witnessingus, and the heste that he ȝaf to hem.
† 2. That which is uttered or stated in support of a fact or statement; evidence given. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16277. Vp þai ras and gaf a cri … Quat mister es o wijtnessing Again him for to lede?
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 1269. Telle ous now, what is þi name,… Þat we se sum witnesseing Of þi dede.
1476. Acta Audit. (1839), 52/1. Þe sadis partijs beand personaly present and þare allegations and witnessingis … herd.
1478. Acta Dom. Conc. (1839), 20/2. Johne … sall bring sic … document and witnessing or testimoniale of his sesing þat he has.
1561. Daus, trans. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573), 260 b. The Apostles in the gospell are called witnesses: and the Gospell, a testimony or witnessyng.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, Pref. p. viii. Vnto men we wil bring the witnessings of men, euen the things that euerie man readeth in his owne nature.
1616. W. Haig, in J. Russell, Haigs, vii. 158. His habitude of lying, his noted perjury, [etc.]: qualities for which any man’s witnessing were to be repelled in judgment.
3. Attestation (of a document). Chiefly in phr. † in or into (the) witnessing of = F. en témoignage de.
1405. Rolls of Parlt., III. 605/2. In Witnessing of whilk thyng, to thys presentes we have sette our forsaide Seal.
1422. in E. E. Wills (1882), 51. Into wytnessyng of which thyng, to this my present testament I haue put to my seell.
1561. in Exch. Rolls Scot., XIX. 481. Robert Hammiltoun … for the mare witnessing hes subscrivit this his obligatioun with his hand.
4. The fact of being present and observing something.
1855. Fitzj. Stephen, in in Cambr. Ess., 154. We must suppose the witnessing of the scenes to be as much a matter of choice as the reading of the novels.
1872. P’cess Alice, Mem. (1884), 288. The witnessing of your grief rent my heart so deeply.
So Witnessing ppl. a. (spec. in witnessing part: see quot. 1844).
1844. Williams, Real Prop., 143. The testatum, or witnessing part, ‘Now this Indenture witnesseth.’ [See WITNESS v. 1 b.]
1855. C. Davidson, Prec. Convey. (ed. 2), I. 64. When the instrument contains more than one witnessing part.
1859. Ruskin, Two Paths, i. § 4. Corruption festered to its loathsomest in the midst of the witnessing presence of a disciplined civilisation.
