arch. Forms: 1 lystan, 3–4 leste(n, luste(n, 4–6 lyst, 5 lyste, lest, lust, 6–7 liste, 3– list. 3rd sing. pres. (contracted) 1–6 lyst, 2–6 lust, 3 Orm. lisste, 3–5 luste, 4–5 lest(e, 4–6 lyste, liste, 4–7 list. Pa. t. 1–5 lyste, 2–5 leste, 3 Orm. lisste, 3–6 lust(e, 4–6 liste, lyst(e, 4–7 list, (5 leist, lest). Also 4 lysted, 5 -yd, etc., 4– listed. [OE. lystan = OS. lustian (Du. lusten), OHG. lusten (MHG., mod.G. lüsten), ON. lysta (Sw. lysta, Da. lyste):—OTeut. *lustjan, f. *lust-us pleasure: see LUST sb.
It is often somewhat uncertain whether forms in lust- should be referred to this verb or to LUST v.; in southern and perh. in West Midland ME. the vowel may represent either u or ü, and the examples are here placed under the one vb. or the other as the sense suggests. In other dialects of ME., and occas. in the 16th c., lust occurs in the sense of list, and with its peculiar inflexion (e.g., 3rd sing. pres. lust), and in these cases it is more convenient to regard it as an altered form of this vb., due to the influence of the sb. or vb. lust, than as a special use of the latter.]
1. impers. trans. (in OE. with acc. or dat.) To be pleasing to. Me list (occas. listeth): I please, choose, like, care or desire.
a. Const. inf.
971. Blickl. Hom., 51. Hine ne lyst his willan wyrcean.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram. (Z.), 211. Lecturio, me lyst rædan.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 103. Þenne þan mon ne lust on his liue nan god don.
c. 1200. Ormin, 8119. Himm lisste þa Wel etenn off an appell.
c. 1205. Lay., 30253. Þam kinge luste slepe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 22601. Na creatur sal þan list [Trin. luste, Edin. lesten] plai.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 941. Þenne lyst þe lady to loke on þe knyȝt.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxv. (Julian), 206. My gud brethyre, quhy lest ȝou le?
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 490. The lestyth nat a louere be.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxiii. 108. Na man es forboden … to trowe in what lawe þat him list leue on.
c. 1440. Sir Gowther, 499. Him lystyd nothyng for to play, For he was full weri.
c. 1450. Merlin, 48. I knowe alle thinges, that me leste to wite.
c. 1491. Chast. Goddes Chyld., 12. Somme whan they sholde slepe thenne hem list wake and pray. Some whan they sholde wake and pray thenne hem lust to slepe.
1584. Peele, Arraignm. Paris, I. ii. Me list … This idle task on me to undertake.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. vii. 35. When him list the prouder lookes subdew.
a. 1618. Raleigh, Maxims St. (1651), 49. When it listeth him to call them to an account.
1633. P. Fletcher, Poet. Misc., 64. When me list to sadder tunes apply me.
1808. Scott, Marm., I. viii. When at need Him listed ease his battle-steed.
b. Without dependent inf. (Chiefly in subordinate clauses introduced by as, if, what, when, etc.)
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxiii. § 2. Ne him eac næfre ʓenoʓ ne þincð ær he hæbbe eal þæt hine lyst.
c. 1205. Lay., 30741. Æiþer gon liðe þider him to liste.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 918. Nu ȝe reste One while, ef ȝou leste.
c. 1375. Lay Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.), 243. Offer or leeue, wheþer þe lyst.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, III. 519. Wemen … can wet thair chekys, quhen thaim list, with teris.
14[?]. Nun, 298, in E. E. P. (1862), 146. There we talkeden as vs lest.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xx. 15. Ys yt not lawfull ffor me to do as me listeth with myne awne.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., III. ii. (Arb.), 43. Let hym come when hym lust.
1581. Savile, Tacitus’ Agric. (1622), 191. Licence to do what them listed.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 518. This proud Antiochus shall doe what him listeth.
1885–94. R. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, Aug. xvii. Thy mortal life is but a brittle vase, But as thee list with wine or tears to fill.
¶ With ellipsis of go.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 87. To þe holy land him list, & þider gan him spede.
† c. Const. of (= OE. gen.), after.
a. 1000. Boeth. Metr., xxvi. 7. Hi for ðæm yrmðum eardes lyste.
c. 1200. Ormin, 11334. Whanne hiss fasste forþedd wass Þa lisste himm affterr fode.
a. 1352. Minot, Poems (Hall), i. 71. No thing list þam þan of play.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, Prol. 20. He … has lykyng to lerne þat hym list after.
2. With personal construction. a. Const. inf.: To desire, like, wish to do something.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 776. Þe Ladie lay on hur bed & lysted too slepe.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xix. 209. Thei bryngen up als many as men list to have.
a. 1510. Douglas, K. Hart, 124. Quhen [that] hir court leist semble fair and clein.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 13/2. He either wist not, or list not to shew his cunning therein.
1590. Greene, Orl. Fur. (1599), A 4 b. I list not boast in acts of Chiualrie.
1602. Shaks., Ham., I. v. 177. If we list to speake.
1613. Jackson, Creed, I. xx. § 5. Points he listed not meddle withall.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 75. If they list to try Conjecture.
1687. Towerson, Baptism, 149. I list not to contend about anything, of which I myself am not more strongly perswaded.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, III. xx. If you list to taste our cheer. Ibid., xxiii. We little listed think of him.
b. Without dependent inf.: To wish, desire, like, choose. (Chiefly in subordinate clauses, as in 1 b.)
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues (1888), 13. After ðan ðe here herte leste, ic hem folȝede.
c. 1320. R. Brunne, Medit., 352. Þy wyl be ydo, ryȝt as þou lest.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, VIII. v. (1558), 4. All worldly thynges chaungyng as she lust.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 3. To that entent that who so luste may kepe hem from harme.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 123. Deyme as yhe lest, ye that best can and may.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxxii. 7. They do euen what they lyst.
1563. Homilies, II. Agst. Idolatry, II. (1859), 209. The Bishop of Rome … did in all the West Church … what he lust.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. (1629), 199. Your griefes, and desires whatsoeuer and whensoeuer you list, he will consider of. Ibid., III. 260. He might returne if he listed.
1611. Bible, John iii. 8. The winde bloweth where it listeth.
1616. R. C., Times’ Whistle, IV. 1441. Thou mayst make sale of it to whom thou list.
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., I. 60. By his Musick he could drive men into what Affections he listed.
1741. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. xxvii. 42. Let them think what they list.
1823. Scott, Peveril, v. We will, if your ladyship lists, leave him.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), III. xiv. 348. The invaders landed and harried where they listed.
† c. To list of: to care for. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1791. Þe leuedis listed [Fairf. list] noght o pride.
c. 1400. Melayne, 1254. One þe lawnde righte þer þay lay … And liste no thynge of playe.
14[?]. Women’s Horns, in Rel. Ant., I. 80. They have despit, and ageyn concyence, Lyst nat of pryde, then hornes cast away.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 1744. Þe shipmen of na lykyng lyste.
† 3. trans. To desire or wish for (something).
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., I. (Arb.), 59. And seinge also they haue libertie to lyste what they will, I pray God they haue will to list that which is good.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, v. 55. By our listing of a thing, we may perceiue some alteration in our selues; but the thing it selfe that is listed or willed feeleth nothing thereof.
