adv. and sb. Chiefly dial. or arch. Forms: 1 ʓystran-, 3–7 yister-, 4 ȝistir-, ȝuster-, ȝerstene-, 4–6 ȝester-, ȝister-, 5 ȝistyr-, yistre-, ȝustir-, 6 yeaster-, 5– yester-. [OE.: f. ʓystran (see YESTERDAY) + niht NIGHT sb.] A. adv. On the night of yesterday, last night.
In early use not necessarily restricted to the night.
Beowulf, 1334. Heo þa fæhðe wræc, þe þu ʓystran niht Grendel cwealdest.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15988. Ne sal he neuer vp-rise eft,… Ar sal þis cok vp-rise Was skald yisternight [other texts ȝister-, ȝuster-].
13[?]. Sir Beues (A.), 3088. Wel þe grete þat ilche kniȝt, Þat sopede wiþ þe ȝerstene niȝt.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 221 (MS. Gg. 4. 27). Where ben hire armys & hire eyen clere Þat ȝistyr nyȝt þis tyme with me were?
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 148. Ȝester neite wan we had fiȝt ȝonder out on þe playne.
a. 1450. Paston Lett. (1897), I. 97. And now yistre nyght my Lord Welles come to Boston with iiijxx horses.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxxviii. 1. My heid did ȝak ȝesternicht.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 32. Toward night yesternight … we came thyther.
1566. Gascoigne, Supposes, II. i. Yesternight in the evening I walked out, and founde Pasiphilo.
1612. Savile, in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 123. Sir Th. Bodley … died yesternight between 5 and 6 of the clock after noon.
1775. Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Thrale, 1 Aug. I forgot that the post went out yesternight, I therefore put this by the by-post.
1808. Southey, Lett. to J. N. White, 9 Jan. I have received two letters, both from persons whom I have never seen, one yesternight, and the other this evening.
1814. Cary, Dante, Inf., XX. 125. Yesternight The moon was round.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xviii. His beautiful daughter was a bride yesternight—this morning the Fair Maid of Perth is a widow before she has been a wife!
1888. Fenn, Dick o’ the Fens, xii. After our bad time with him yesternight, I mean to have some sleep.
B. sb. The night last past.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. iii. 54. Mnestheus … Quham the renowne of this ȝistir nycht,… Full prowd maid in hys curage our the laif.
1591. Savile, Tacitus, Hist., I. xviii. 46. Excessiue affection it was towarde mee,… which bred … yeaster-nights trouble.
a. 1631. Donne, Lett. (1651), 83. To know … whether you suffered anie thing, or no, by the ill accident of yester-night.
1700. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 5. Thow wilt by this time have mine of yesternight.
1797. Coleridge, Christabel, I. iv. She had dreams all yesternight Of her own betrothed knight. Ibid. (1812), Lett. to W. Wordsworth, 7 Dec. They reminded me of my words the very yester-night.
1830. Tennyson, Ode to Memory, 9. Flinging the gloom of yesternight On the white day.
1865. Swinburne, Chastelard, II. i. I have slept so well and sweet since yesternight.
