sb. and a. Obs. Forms: α. 4 waþe (quaþe), 4–5 wathe (5 waghe, ? wauhte, Sc. vathe); 4 wath (quat, 5 Sc. vath); 4 wayth, 5 Sc. waith. β. 4–5 wothe, 5 woth. [a. ON. *wāðe (ONorw. and Icel. váðe, váði, Norw. vaade, vaae; MSw. vaþe, vadhe, Sw. våde, Da. vaade), perh. f. *wā (ONorw. and Icel. vá), harm, disaster.]
A. sb. The condition of being exposed to or liable to injury or harm; danger, peril; hurt or harm; a cause of harm or injury. Also const. of.
α. a. 1300. E. E. Psalter, cxiv. 3. Sorwes ofe dede vmgafe me ai, And wathes ofe helle me fand þai.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1846. Þe stormes starked wit þe wind, Wath vas bifor and sua bihind. Ibid., 29362. Quen man es in wath o ded.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1725), 293. If him com any scaþe, tinselle of seignorie, Tille ȝow it wille be waþe.
c. 1440. York Myst., v. 65. Nay, certis it is no wathe, Ete it safely ye maye.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 1737. Fast south thai went; to bid it was gret waith.
β. 13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 375. Bot much þe bygger ȝet was my mon, Fro þou was wroken fro vch a woþe.
13[?]. S. Erkenwolde, 233, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 271. Bot for wothe ne wele, ne wrathe ne drede … I remewit neuer fro be riȝt.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 6050. For to wacche and to wake for wothis of harme.
c. 1400. 26 Pol. Poems, xx. 143. She seyþ, þey go to helle woþes.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., iii. 416. Ye shuld not be so spitus standyng in sich a woth.
B. adj. Dangerous.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4213. Allas! þat i him [Joseph] ouþer oute-sent, þat wai þat was so wath to wend. Ibid., 28687. To fall in syn hu gret foly,—hu quat [Cotton Galba wathe] it es þar-in to ly.
Hence † Wothely adv. [Icel. váðaliga, MSw. vadhelika, vadelige], dangerously, perilously.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2090. This gentille … wondes alle wathely, that in the waye stondez! Ibid., 2186. I am wathely woundide, waresche mone I neuer!
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 8827. Achilles woundit full wothely in were of his lyffe.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 303 (Thornton). Arthure … Salle be wondede, I wysse, fulle wathely [Douce woþely; Irel. wothelik], I wene.
