Now dial. Forms: Infin. 1–2 flítan, 2–3 fliten, (5 flytin), 3–6, 9 flite, (3 flitte, 5–6 flight, 6 flicht, 9 fleicht, fleyte,) 4– flyte. Pa. t. 1 flát, pl. fliton, fleotun, 4 flytte, 4–5 flot(e, 5, 8 flet(t, 5 flayt, 6 flait, 9 dial. flate. Pa. pple. 1–3 fliten, 4 flytyn, 6 flyttyn. [A Com. WGer. str. vb.; OE. flítan = OHG. flíȝȝan to strive (MHG. vlíȝen to be eager; cf. mod.Ger. sich befleissen str., to busy oneself).]

1

  † 1.  intr. To contend, strive; also, to contend in words, chide, wrangle. Const. against, on, with.

2

Beowulf, 916 (Gr.).

        Hwilum flitende    fealwe stræte
mearum mæton.

3

c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., III. xiv. [xix.] 212. Ða fliton him on þa węrgan gastas.

4

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 81. Swo mote we flite togenes ure fule lustes.

5

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 7556 (Cott.). [Goliath] þus bigan on him [David] to flite.

6

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 2543.

        Wiȝtly a-noþer werkman · þat was þer be-side
gan flite wiþ þat felþe · þat formest hadde spoke.

7

c. 1440.  Gesta Rom., lxxx. 400 (Add. MS.). Anothere [devil] hade made bate betwene man ande wife, ande made hem to chide, ande to flyte, ande feghte, ande curse, ande banne, that nethere loue ne charite was betwene hem.

8

1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 720. Thocht mony fuill throw folie with him flyte.

9

1598.  Bernard, Terence (1607), 89. He did flite or chide with him.

10

1725.  Ramsay, Gent. Sheph., I. i.

        Sair, sair she flet wi’ me ’tween ilka Smack;
But well I kent she meant nae as she spake.

11

  fig.  13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 950.

        Þe wyndeȝ … wroþely vp-wafte & wrastled togeder,
Fro fawre half of þe folde, flytande loude.

12

  2.  To scold. Const. at. Now only Sc. and north.

13

1500–20.  Dunbar, Poems, xxxiv. 81. The fische wyffis flett and swoir with granis.

14

a. 1592.  Greene, Alphonsus, II. (Rtldg.), 230/1.

        Pardon, Alphonsus, this my first offence,
And let me die if e’er I flight again.

15

a. 1605.  Polwart, Flyting w. Montgomerie, 739. Gume gade, balde skade, foule faid! why flait thou, foole?

16

1794.  Burns, O Steer her up, i.

        And gin she take the thing amiss,
  E’en let her flyte her fill, jo!

17

1816.  Scott, Old Mort., xvii. ‘Sudna ye hae come faster up yoursells, instead of flyting at huz?’

18

1853.  Reade, Chr. Johnstone, v. 69–70. Males and females suck whiskey like milk, and are quarrelsome in proportion: the men fight (round handed), the women fleicht or scold, in the form of a tea-pot,—the handle fixed and the spout sawing the air.

19

  b.  trans. To chide, scold (a person). Obs. exc. Sc. and north.

20

14[?].  Psalms Penit. (ed. Ellis, 1894), ci. 18. How he was for us falsly fleten [rime-wds. writen, wyten, smyten].

21

1848.  Tales Kirkb., 159. ‘Dinna flyte me, grandfather.’

22

1876.  Mid. Yorksh. Gloss., s.v. ‘He’ll flite you if you do.’

23

  3.  intr. ‘To debate, to dispute, although without scolding or violent language’ (Jam.). Obs.

24

a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 721.

        Men com & fatte hire
to fliten wið þe fifti.

25

15[?].  Ane Declaratioun, in Scot. Poems 16th C., II. 267. Off mony thingis they did togidder flyte.

26

  † 4.  ‘To pray in the language of complaint, or remonstrance’ (Jam.); to complain. Obs.

27

c. 1400.  Melayne, 563.

        Bot forthe he wente, his handis he wrange,
And flote with Marye euer amange.

28

c. 1470.  Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, X. 229.

        Flayt by him self to the Makar off buffe,
Quhy he sufferyt he suld sic paynys pruff.

29

1585.  Jas. I., Ess. Poesie (Arb.), 17.

        Or when I like great Tragedies to tell:
Or flyte, or murne my fate: or wryte with feare
The plagues ye do send furth with Diræ fell.

30