Obs. Forms: 1 eoten, eten, 3 eatand(e, -ante, eotand, -end, -ind, ȝeten, 4 eten(e, -in, yhoten, 4–5 etayn(e, 6 Sc. eitin, etin, eyttyn, 7 ettin. [OE. eoten, eten = ON. iǫtunn (Sw. jätte, Da. jette):—OTeut. *ituno-z.] A giant.
c. 1205. Lay., 1801. Heo funden i þon londe twenti eotandes [c. 1275 eatantes] stronge. Ibid., 17275. Hit hatte þere Eotinde King.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 545. Of hem woren ðe ȝetenes borne, Miȝti men, and fiȝti.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xviii. 6 [xix. 5]. He gladed als yhoten to renne his wai.
c. 1325. Leg. Rood (1871), 118. Quen dauid faȝt againe þat etin has he noȝt his staf for-ȝetin.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 723. He werrez … Boþe wyth bullez & berez, & borez oþer-quyle, & etaynez.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 111. No man is an etene to fede him þus bodili of Crist.
c. 1440. MS. Lincoln A. 1. 17. f. 128 (Halliw.). Fy, he said, thou foule! thou etayne! Alle my knyghtes thou garte be slayne.
1528. Lyndesay, Dream, Ep. to King 45. Off the reid Etin [v.r. Eitin] and the gyir carlyng.
1549. Compl. Scot., 63. The taiyl of the reyde eythyn vitht the thre heydis.
1611. Beaum. & Fl., Knt. Burning Pestle, I. ii. (1613), C 2. They say the King of Portugall cannot sit at his meate, but the Giants & the Ettins will come and snatch it from him.
