Obs. Forms: α. 1 wrœʓan, wreʓan, 2 wreiʓen, 3 wreȝen, wreiȝen (Orm. wreȝ(h)enn); 2 uureien, 2–3 wreien, 3 wreyen, 5 wreyyn; 3 wreiȝe, 3–4 wreie, 3–5 wreye, 4–5 wreȝe (5 wreythe), wregh(e, 4 wreȝ, wrei, 4–6 wrey; 4 wroie, wroye, 4–5 wraie, 5–6 wray (6 Sc. vray). β. 3–4 wryghe, 5 wrigh, 4–5 wryen, wrye, 4–6 wrie, 5–6 wry. γ. 5 Sc. wre, 8 north. dial. wree. [Comm. Teut.: OE. wrœȥan, wréȥan, = OFris. wrôgia, wrêia (WFris. wroegje, EFris. wrögje, wrög, NFris. wröge), MDu. wroeghen (Du. wroegen), OS. wrôgjan (MLG. wrogen, wrugen, rogen, LG. wrogen, wragen, wrögen, rögen), OHG. ruogen (MHG. rüegen, G. rügen), ON. rœgja (Icel. rægja; Norw. røgja, Sw. röja), f. the stem wrōʓ- (ON. róg slander, strife), with a variant wrôh- which appears in Goth. wrôhs accusation, wrôhjan to accuse.
By normal dialectal developments, three main forms of the stem appear in ME., viz. wrey or wray, wry, and northern wrē.]
I. 1. To accuse, denounce, or inform on (a person); to expose (one) by revealing or divulging information, etc., to one’s harm, prejudice or discredit; to charge with a crime, offence, fault, etc.; = BEWRAY v. 2.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), D 74. Defferuntur, meldadun uel wroegdun.
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 10 Dec., 216. Ic cume eft on domes dæʓ ond þe þonne wreʓe beforan Crystes þrymsetle.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, ii. 184. Færde þa ardlice … to þam heah-ʓeræfan … and begann hi to wræʓenne.
a. 1122. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1069. Her man wræʓde ðone biscop Æʓelric on Burh, & sende hine to West mynstre.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 29. Ne mei þe deofel þe wreien on þan oðre liue.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2889. He [sc. Joseph] wass ædmod & milde, I þatt tatt he ne wollde nohht Unnshaþiȝ wimmann wreȝhenn.
c. 1275. Passion of our Lord, 84, in O. E. Misc., 39. Þe maystres of þe temple … For to vndernyme vre louerd … were euer abute … Þet heo hyne myhte wreye and don of lyf-daye.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 1090. Than told Sir Amis al that cas … And hou the steward gan hem wrain.
13[?]. Gosp. Nicodemus (G.), 204. Pilat … seþin to þe iewes … sayd: ‘Ȝe wrigh him wrangwisly.’
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 2859. Sho hyr talde … How wikkedly that sho was wreghed, And how that traytyrs on hir leghed.
c. 1450. Northern Passion (MS. Ad.), 609. Þe Iewes … ledde hym … vn to … cayphase And by fore hyme þay gune hym wrye.
1480. Caxton, Trevisa’s Higden (1482), 167 b. Cithero … borwede of one scilla, but he was wryed er þe bargayne was made.
refl. c. 1100. O. E. Chron. (MS. D), an. 1076. Walþeof eorl ferde ofer sæ & wreide hine sylfne & bæd forʓyfenysse.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 27. Ȝif þu wreiest þe seolfen to þine scrifte.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 304. Mon schal wreien him suluen ine schrifte.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 26706. Qua wil noght himseluen wrei … nu ar he dei. Ibid., 16466, 26701, 26716, 26967.
fig. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 306. Let … þouhtes munegunge wreie him, & bicleope him of misliche sunnen.
a. 1400. in Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., 741. In bremful bale he schal hit by, When concience his werk schal wrye.
b. Const. to (another), of (a thing).
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 8 Nov., 202. Þa wreʓdon þa oðre cræftiʓan hy to þam casere.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke xxiii. 14. Ic nanne intingan findan ne mæʓ on þisum men of þam þe ʓe hine wreʓad.
c. 1132. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1132. Þa com Henri abbot & uureide þe muneces of Burch to þe king.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 172. He was sone iwreied to þe kinge Salomon.
c. 1308. Pol. Songs (Camden), 200. Ic am i-wreiid, Sire, to the, For that ilk gilt.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 3303. Here wil we no longer duelle: To þemperour y-wraid we beþ.
c. 1400. Pepysian Gosp. Harmony, 95. Þe Jewes euerichon bigonnen hym to wryen of many þinges.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun (Roxb.), 134. Antipater … was wryed to the Emperoure Julian.
fig. a. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 141. Ȝif ure hierte … us ne undernemeð naht ne ne wreihð of nane senne.
refl. a. 1300. Cursor M., 26668. Þat þou … wrei þi-self and oþer noght O þi wicked werkes wroght.
2. To declare or assert (something about another) by way of accusation or denunciation; to bring forward as a charge.
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 25 Aug., 152. Þa foron þa hæðnan bisceopas ond þæt wreʓdon to þæs kyninges breðer.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 478. Þæt folc wrehton his modiʓnysse to ðam casere.
c. 1200. Ormin, 416. Þatt fand mann nan þing upponn hemm To wreȝenn, ne to tælenn.
c. 1350. Northern Passion (1916), II. 128. Somme … folwede [Jesus] þinges to here; Wat þey miȝte on him leye To þe Iuws vorto wrey.
3. To reveal or disclose (something secret) perfidiously or prejudicially; to divulge with breach of trust; to betray; = BEWRAY v. 3.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 26690. Þat þou sa wrei þin aun dede, Þat na soigne be for þe lede.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 3656. Non com oȝain … To wray þe kinges parlement.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, VI. 281. But his counsaile was i-wried, and he was … i-closed in an abbay. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., XVI. lxxxiii. (Tollem. MS.). Quyrin…; þis ston wryeþ and discouereþ in slep counsel and priuite.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 3546. Priamus has … spies That ȝoure consayl to him wries.
c. 1465. Eng. Chron. (Camden, 1856), 21. As sone as the said lordez wiste that thair counselle was discovered and wraid, they fledde.
1563. Mirr. Mag. Lord Hastings, xlvii. Alas, are counsels wryed to catch the goode?
1576. Gascoigne, Steele Glas, 128. Cut out my tong,… Least I should wraye this bloudy deede of his.
4. gen. To reveal, disclose or divulge (some fact, etc.); to declare, communicate or make known; = BEWRAY v. 4.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 533 (Camb. MS.). Hele ihc wulle, and noþing wreie, Ower beire cumpaignie.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xviii. (Egiptian), 1446. Ilke ȝere solempnyt fest … þai mad, one þat day scho deyt, fra þat he hyre lyf had wreyt.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 216. In his songes somwhat wolde he wreye His wo as in a general compleynyng.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, IX. iii. 5. The deid is auld for to beleif or wry, Bot the memor remanis perpetually.
a. 1542. Wyatt, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 57. Your signes yow fet from farre, And all to wry your wo.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T., R viij b. Then gan hee wrie his former loue, And all his flame vnfolde.
transf. c. 1374. Chaucer, Compl. Mars, 91. Alas I dye; the torche is come that al this world wol wrie.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., X. v. (Tollem. MS.). Leye bischineþ derke þinges, and wryeþ þinges þat ben hidde, and makeþ hem knowe.
b. Const. with clause. rare–1.
1575. Gascoigne’s Poesies, Wks. 1907, I. 23. In thundring verse he wrayes, where highest mindes be thrall.
5. To reveal or make known the presence of (a person); to expose; = BEWRAY v. 5.
c. 1290. Beket, 1214, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 141. With him a-morewe he nam His oste, þat he ne scholde him wreiȝe forto he aftur weie cam.
13[?]. Sir Beues (A.), 1675. And for þai scholde him nouȝt wrain, Vnder his hond he made him pai.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1706. Þay sued hym fast, Wreȝande hym ful weterly with a wroth noyse.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 18341. To an … old tour … He hyed hem with mechel hast For drede lest thei were y-wraied.
b. To put (a person) in the power of an enemy or opponent by disloyalty or treachery; to betray.
c. 1275. XI Pains of Hell, 111, in O. E. Misc., 150. He … þat wreyeþ his sibbe oþer him fled Abuuen his eyen þe flod geþ.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, V. 117. He was i-wreyed by þe same douȝter Fausta … and fliȝ to Marcil. Ibid., 157. Þere he was i-wreyed wiþ [= by] a wenche.
c. To expose (a person) by revealing some hidden fact or private matter.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 5460–2. Als stolne thyng wreghes a thefe funden, When it es obout his neke … bounden, Right swa þair syns sal wreghe þam þar.
c. 1400. T. Chestre, Launfal, 147. Thane seyde syr Launfal…, Tell ye no man of my poverte…. The knyghtes answerede and seyde tho, That they nolde him wreye never mo.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (Prose), 36. Wreȝ hir noht þat te þing es sent to.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 62. As a theef wol be gladde there as he ys hidde, and not be wrayed of his thefte.
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), G j. Yf thou thy frende it sey, And wenyst he shal the not wrey.
6. To reveal, disclose or discover the true character of; to show or expose the existence or presence of (something desired to be concealed); to betray; = BEWRAY v. 6.
1576. Whetstone, Rock of Regard, I. 38. Thou mayst (God wot) thy visard vaile, thy wanton maskes are wrayd. Ibid., 65. The colours which I wore, my secrete mourning wrayde.
1587. Mirr. Mag., Stater, iii. The werke wrayes the man, seemne he neuer so fine.
7. To expose to view; to exhibit, show.
1587. Turberv., Trag. Tales, M iiij. He wried his wounds, he shewde the shameful blows, He told the trayters treason.
8. intr. or absol. a. To denounce or slander a person; to make accusations, cast aspersions.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 2179. Meriadok wrayeþ ay, To þe king þus seyd he.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, II. 84. Þat no manere mede shulde make him wrye.
14[?]. Wheatley MS. (1921), 8. First ye gloþered, now ye wrye.
b. To make disclosures or statements.
c. 1425. Thomas of Erceld. (1875), 2. If j solde sytt to domesdaye, With my tonge, to wrobbe and wrye.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxi. 25. They askid yf I a prophete ware, And I saide ‘nay’; but sone I wreyede high aperte.
c. north. dial. (See quot.)
1781. J. Hutton, Tour to Caves (ed. 2), Gloss., To wree against a person, to insinuate to his disadvantage.
Hence Wraying vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram. (Z.), 317. Accusatio, *wreʓing.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 200. Þe vifte [vice] is Wreiunge. Ibid., 304. We schulen beon cwite of wreiunge ette muchele dome.
c. 1330. King of Tars, 739. The ladi bad hire maydens anon, Out of hire chaumbre forte gon, For drede of wriyying sake.
c. 1400. Cursor M., 27671 (Cott. Galba MS.). Þai will of deme a man with ill, And has bot a wreghing þar-till.
c. 1425. Eng. Conq. Ireland, 102. He beleued þe fals mannys talys & wryynge.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 2. Þe on [rule] riwleð þe heort, þe makeð hire efne & smeðe, wiðute knotte & dolke of woh inwit & of *wreinde.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 26350. [One should be] Wreiand [in confession].
