Forms: α. 1 wyrhta, Northumb. wyrihta, -te, wyrchta, 1–2 Kent. werhta; 2 wirhta, 3 wurhte, wuruhte. β. 1 wryhta, 3 wruhte, wrihhte, 3–4 wriht(e, 5 wrihte, 3–5 wryhte, wryht, (3, 5 wryth, 5 wrythe), 4 wryȝt(e, 4–5 wriȝt, 4–6 wrighte (4 whright, wrigth, writh), 5–6 wryght(e, 4– wright; 2 wrichte, 5–6 Sc. wrycht (6 vrycht), 5–7, 9 Sc. wricht (5, 9 vricht, 9 wiricht); 4 wreght, 5 Sc. wrecht, 6 Sc. wreicht, 7 wreight, 9 dial. wreeght. γ. 5 wryte, north. write, 9 north. dial. wreet (whreet), reet. [OE. wyrhta, wryhta, etc. (also ʓewyrhta), OFris. wrichta, OS. wurhtio, -eo, OHG. wurhto (MHG. (in combs.) wurhte, würhte, worhte), f. wurh- :—OTeut. *wurχ-, variant stem of *wurk-; see WORK v.]
1. An artificer or handicraftsman; esp. a constructive workman. Now arch. or dial.
Eye-, glassen-, mill-, tile-wright: see those words.
α. a. 695[?]. Laws of Ine, lix. (Liebermann I. 116). Mon sceal simle to beregafole aʓifan æt anum wyrhtan vi pund-wæʓa.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark vi. 3. Ahne ðis is smið uel wyrihte, sunu Maries?
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 318. God eac forði hi tostencte, swa þæt he forʓeaf ælcum ðæra wyrhtena seltcuð ʓereord.
c. 1205. Lay., 21134. On aluisc smið…; he wes ihaten Wygar, þe witeȝe wurhte.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 284. Þe caliz þet was imelt iðe fure … wolde he, ȝif he kuðe speken, awarien … his wuruhte honden?
β, γ. a. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark, Introd. 3. Wundrande þæt lar & mæhto ðæs wrihtes sunu vel smiðes sunu.
c. 1030. Rule St. Benet (Logeman), 2. Þam he … clypað his wryhtan [L. operarium].
a. 1200. in Kemble, Cod. Dipl., IV. 201. And ic … bebeode ðat paðu mi meodes [sic] wrichte and Wlnoð min huscarl … on ðam minstre hersumian.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 325. Þis drithin … in his witte … all purueid His werc, als dos þe sotill wright.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XX. 137. Þe fyngres is ful hand, for failled thei here þombe,… Sholde no wryȝt [Ilchester MS. write] worche.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, II. 497. He made seke in euery regioun … For euery wriȝt and passyng carpenter.
1715. Cheyne, Philos. Princ. Relig., vi. 324. Being rapt into admiration of the infinite Wisdom of the Divine Architect, and contemning the arrogant Pretences of the World and Animal Wrights.
1848. Bailey, Festus (ed. 3), 207. Upon that central shrine … Laid down … The scribe, and the physician, and the wright His several offering.
1876. Whitby Gloss., 224/1. Wreeghts, or Wrights,… work-people in general.
† b. Applied to the Deity, = CREATOR 1. Obs.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., ad fin. Drihten ælmihtiga God, wyrhta & wealdend ealra ʓesceafta.
a. 1000. Phœnix, 9. Wlitiʓ is se wong eall,… æþele se wyrhta … se þa moldan ʓesette.
a. 1200. St. Marher., 20. Þu wisest wruhte of alle, markedest eorðe.
c. 1200. Ormin, 18780. Þatt all þatt shaffte þat wass wrohht Wass lif inn himm þe wrihhte.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 337. Þis wright þat i spek of here … wroght bath erth and heuen.
† 2. One who does or performs something; a doer or worker. Obs.
971. Blickl. Hom., 111. Forðon þe nan wyrhta ne mæʓ god weorc wyrcean for Gode buton lufon & ʓeleafan.
a. 1000. Genesis, 1004. Him ða se cystleasa cwalmes wyrhta ædre æfter þon andswarode.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 191. At tese fif gaten fareð in deaðes wrihte, and þerinne doð.
a. 1300. [see BATTLE sb. 14].
3. One who works in wood; a carpenter, a joiner.
From c. 1470 to c. 1655 chiefly Sc. and north.; in later use only Sc. and north. dial. (or arch.), The Sc. pron. is ‘(w)riχt,’ (north-eastern) ‘vriχt.’
Cart-, house-, plough-, ship-, timber-, wagon-, wain-, wheel-wright: see those words.
α. c. 1205. Lay., 16969. He lette axien anan … gode wurhten þe mid æxe cuðe wurchen.
β. a. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 27. Wið-uten … ðe wrihte his timber to keruen after ðare mone.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1666. A schippe be-houes þe to dight, Þi self sal be þe maister wright.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9163. He ded come wryȝtes [gloss. carponters] for to make Coueryng ouer hem.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 19. Joseph was a forgere of trees, þat is to seie a wriȝte.
c. 1450. Northern Passion, 161/461. Than wantide the wryghtis a tre.
1464. Nottingham Rec. (1883), II. 372. To the wright … to make the Pillorye, v s.
1566. Drant, Horace, Sat., viii. D 8. The wryghte uncertaine what to make, a stoole or God of me.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., I. 41/1. He sawe yet howe the rest [of the ships] … might bee repaired: wherefore he chose forth wrightes among the Legions.
a. 1619. Fotherby, Atheom., II. i. § 8 (1622), 193. As we may … see, in Platoes fore-named instances of his Smithes, and his Wrights.
1654. Z. Coke, Logick, 64. This Ship-wright … makes the Ship, not as he is a man or good, but as he is a Wreight or Artizen.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., V. iii. Masons and wrights shall soon my house repair.
1782. Sir J. Sinclair, Observ. Scot. Dial., 198. Wright, at present, is a general name for timber workmen;… but the Scots, by wrights, mean carpenters.
1829. Carlyle, Misc., German Playwrights, ¶ 1. The millwright, or cartwright, or any other wright whatever.
1858. Times, 6 March, 12/3. At Hull … about 500 wrights are on strike.
1887. Morris, Odyss., IX. 129. Nor yet among them ever ship-making wrights there are.
fig. a. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 91. Hier is igadered swilch timber ðe næure rotien ne mai, and þis derewurðe mihte is wrihte ðerover.
Sc. Prov. 1670. Ray, Prov., 227. He is not the best wright that hewes the maniest speals.
γ. c. 1440. York Myst., xxxvii. 230. Thy fadir knewe I wele be sight, He was a write his mette to wynne.
c. 1460. Promp. Parv. (Winch. MS.), Wryte, or carpentare, carpentarius.
1463. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.), 230. A wryte that mayd my mastyrys stabyle.
1824–. in N. Cy., Nhb., Dur., Yks., and Lanc. glossaries (reet).
1841. Hartshorne, Salop. Ant., 618. Wreet’s shop a carpenter’s, or more frequently a Wheelwright’s shop.
1877–90. in Yks. glossaries (wreet).
4. attrib. and Comb., as wright-craft, † -house, -smith; † wright-garth, a joiner’s yard; wright-work, work performed or done by a joiner.
1385–6. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 391. [Le] Wrigthous et le Plomberhous. Ibid. (1474–5), 94. Le Wrightgarth et Swynegarth.
a. 1619. M. Fotherby, Atheom., II. i. § 8 (1622), 193. One Arte, of Wright-Craft; and one Arte, of Smiths-Craft.
1630. Ann. Banff (New Spald. Cl.), I. 64. Ane load of wricht wark 2 s.
1671. in Holmes, Pontefract Bk. Entries (1882), 103. Itemn, for wrightworke, [£5].
1881. Instr. Census Clerks (1885), 56. Wheelwright. Wrightsmith.
Hence † Wrightry, = WRIGHTING. Obs. rare–1.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., iii. (Noah & Ark), 250. Now assay will I how I can of wrightry.
