Obs. [The two ME. verbs chast-en and chasti-en (CHASTY) appear both to originate from OF. chastie-r:—L. castigāre to make chaste or pure, correct, chastise, f. cast-us CHASTE. The OF. vb. was adopted in 12th-c. Eng. as chastien: in early southern Eng., where the OE. weak verbs in -iʓan still retained -ien in the infinitive, as OE. lufiʓan (3rd s. lufeð), ME. luvien (3rd s. luveth), later luvi, luvy, luv-en, luv-e, the -ien of chastien was apparently treated in the same way, giving chast-y, chast-en, chast-e. But in those dialects in which lufiʓan was already reduced to luv-en, chasti- was recognized as the stem of chasti-en, and gave later chasty-e, chasty. Hence in 13th and early 14th c., chasti is the infinitive of chaste, or the stem of chasty, according to dialect.]
1. trans. To correct or amend by discipline; to discipline, train; to bring up under restraint.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 11. No prest. ne no bissop ne mai him chastien ne mid forbode. ne mid scrifte.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 268. Þet tu ne schuldest nout tuhten, ne chasten þi meiden.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 2475. In þat forest fede Tristrem hodain gan chast.
1340. Ayenb., 220. Þeruore me ssel þe children chasti, and wel teche.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVII. 317. A wikked wyf þat wil nouȝt be chasted.
c. 1440. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), II. xlv. How he … chastith [1533 chastyseth] hem.
1549–62. Sternhold & H., Ps. lxix. 11. Though I doe fast my flesh to chaste.
c. 1550. Friar & Boy, 30, in Ritson, Anc. Pop. P., 36. He is a cursed ladde, I wolde some other man hym had, That wolde hym better chaste.
2. To reprove, rebuke.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 70. Nenne weopmen ne chasti ȝe. Ibid., 96. Ne chastie ȝe neuer nenne swuchne mon bute o þisse wise.
3. To inflict corrective punishment on.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 184. Þench þet he is Godes ȝerd, & tet God bet þe mid him, & chasteð, ase ueder deð his leoue child.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 428. Sparye he wolde myld men, & chasty þe proute.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 6478. He chasted heom with sweord.
1480. Robt. Devyll, 10. Toke a rodde for to chaste hym.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 40. Blaming and chasting with much crueltie.
1621. Bolton, Stat. Irel., 22 (an. 33 Hen. VI.). If any … which the said chieftayne may chaste, doe any trespasse or felony.
4. To restrain, subdue, tranquilize.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 15. Hwil þi wit atstond & chaisteð þi wil.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 860. Harlote with his hendelayk he hoped to chast.
c. 1330. King of Tars, in Engl. Studien, XI. 111. Al þat day & alle þat niȝt Noman miȝt him schast.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 729. Mi hauteyn hert bi-houes me to chast, & bere me debonureli.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. xiv. (1495), 39. [Angels] chaste euyll spyrytes that they doo not soo moche harme as they wolde.
5. ? To keep chaste. rare.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 21. To herien hare drihtin & þonken him ȝeorne þat his mihte ham i cleanschipe chaste.
Chaste, obs. form of CHEST.
