Obs. exc. Sc. dial. Forms: see below. [A Com. Teutonic verb, belonging to the class of preterite-presents, in which the present tense is an original preterite (cf. CAN, DOW, DARE, etc.): OE. *þurfan, pres. þearfþurfon, pa. þorfte, = OFris. *thurva, thurf(thorf)thurvon, OS. thurðan, tharfthurðun, thorfta, MDu. dorven, dorfte (Du. durven), ON. þurfa, þarfþurfom, þurfta Sw. tarfva), OHG. durfan, darfdurfun, dorfta (MHG. durfen, G. dürfen), Goth. *þaurban, þarfþaurbum, þaurfta:OTeut. *þarf-, *þurð-; corresp. to a pre-Teut. ablaut series *terp-, *torp-, *trp-, which has not been certainly identified. The ME β-forms had lost the f or v, app. first in the 2nd sing. present þearft, þeart-tu, þer-tu, leaving a stem þar-, þer-, þor-, þur-, which was afterwards often confused with the dar-, dor-, dur- of DARE v.1, so that the latter had forms in th, while there are here forms in d, esp. in the 2nd and 3rd person singular of the present: see γ. This confusion of tharf and dare is also found in the cognate languages: see DARE v.1]
A. Inflexions.
1. Pres. Indic. a. 1st sing. 1 þearf.
Beowulf, 2007. Ic þæt eall ʓe-wræc swa [ne] ʓylpan þearf grendeles maʓa.
a. 1000. Cædmons Gen., 2176 (Gr.). Ne þearf ic yrfestol eaforan bytlian.
b. 2nd sing. α. 1 þearft, 2 þerft, (3 þerf).
Beowulf, 1675. Pæt þu him on-drædan ne þearft.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 180. Ne þearft þu þone wermod to don.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 37. Soðliche ne þerft þu bidden namare.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 1160. Þu wenest ȝet þæt tu wenen ne þerf.
β. 3 þært, þert, þer(tu), 34 þers(tou), 4 þertes(tow), 45 tharst, 5 thar, thare.
c. 1205. Lay., 14482. Ne þært [MS. þræt] þu nauere habben kare of uncuðe leoden.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 136. Ne þer tu nout dreden þe attrie neddre of helle.
c. 1300. St. Brandan, 626. Ne therstou nothing drede.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 4877. Or Kent ne þertestow fle þat cost.
1390. Gower, Conf., II., 61. Me semeth that thou tharst noght care.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 3285. Othure warke thou thare not wene.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. ii. 293. Thar thou nowther flyte ne chyde.
γ. 3 dert, 4 dars(tou, -tow).
c. 1205. Lay., 22923. Ne dert [c. 1275 þert] þu nauere adrede.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 975. Ne darstou on erþe þenchen elles nouht.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIV. 55. Bi so þat þow be sobre Darstow [v.rr. Tharst þow, Thardestow] neuere care for corne, ne lynnen cloth ne wollen.
c. 3rd sing. α. 1 ðearf, þearf (ðorfæð, -eð), 2 þerf, 3 (Orm.) þarrf, 34 þarf, 4 tharf.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxiv. § 4. Ne ðearf he nanes þinges.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., John xiii. 10. Seðe ʓeðuæn is ne ðorfæð [c. 975 Rushw. ðorfeð] þætte aðoa hine.
c. 975. Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xxi. 3. Sæcgaþ þæt dryhten heora ðearf.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 9. Nu ne þerf na mon his sunne mid wite abuggen.
a. 1250. Prov. Ælfred, 161, in O. E. Misc., 113. Monymon weneþ þat he wene ne þarf longes lyues.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 935. Tharf the neuer haue of him drede.
β. 3 perh. 4 (tar), thars, 45 þar, thar, þare, thare, there, 5 tharre, tharth, 9 Sc. dial. ther.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13554. Fra nu thar him namar be ledd. Ibid., 19870 (Edin.). Þat to do þare þe nochte lete.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 2167. He þat hates þis lyfes lykyng Thar noght drede þe dedes commyng.
1370[?]. Robt. Cicyle, 325. More then thars be an c. folde.
a. 140050. Alexander, 5377. Þe thare bot graunt me to geue quat guds as I craue.
1414. Brampton, Penit. Ps. (Percy Soc.), 45. Me thar no more but aske and have.
c. 1425. Cursor M., 10565 (Laud). For to aske there no man Yf they were glad & ioyfull þan.
c. 1475. Tharth [see B. 2].
γ. 3 derf, 34 darf, 4 darh, 45 dar, dare.
a. 1240. Ureisen, in Cott. Hom., 187. Hwa derf beon unsauuet þe haueþ se mihti salue.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6471. Me ne dar noȝt esse weþer he were kene þo & prout.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 315. Ich wene ne darf me axi noȝt.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 733. Ne dar he seche non oþer leche.
a. 1337. Pol. Songs (Camden), 250. Of gode knyhtes darh him nout fail.
c. 1425. Cursor M., 10461 (Laud). To myrthe me dare [early MSS. þar] the not wene.
c. 1440. Sir Gowther, 615. The dare not drede of thi werkys wyld.
d. plural. α. 1 þurfon, ðurfan, 13 þurfe, 3 þurven (-uen), þorhfe, þurve, þorve.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xiv. § 2. Þa ðurfon swiþe lytles, ðe maran ne willniað þonne ʓenoʓes. Ibid., xxiv. § 4. Hwæt þurfon [v.r. þurfe] we nu ma sprecan?
c. 975. Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xxvi. 65. Hwæt þurfe we leng ʓewitnisse?
c. 1205. Lay., 24909. We ne þuruen [c. 1275 þorhfe] na mare aswunden liggen here.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 6.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 106/160. Ȝe þorue [Harl. MS. þore] habbe of heom no kare.
β. 3 þore, 4 thore, 45 thar, 5 Sc. thair.
c. 1290. St. Brandan, 121, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 223. Ȝe ne þore noþing drede.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 102. Yet thar ye nat accomplice thilke ordinance but yow like.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 6868. Ye thar not drede of hem y-wis.
1438. Bk. Alex. Grt. (Bann.), 9. Ȝe thair nocht dreid na chaissing.
c. 1485. Digby Myst., III. 1437. Or þis cors we thar nat a-baffe.
1825. Thair [see B. 1].
γ. 4 dorre, durre, 5 dar.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4. Of fon hii dorre [v.r. heo durre] þe lasse doute bote hit be þorȝ gyle.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 42. Ye dar not be aferd of dethe.
2. Pres. Subj. sing. 1 ðyrfe, 12 þurfe, 3 (Orm.) þurrfe, þurve. pl. 1 ðyrfen, þurfen.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxvi. § 2. Sam hi þyrfen, sam hi na þurfon, hi willað þeah. Ibid. (c. 897), Gregorys Past. C., xliii. 312. Oft ðonne mon ma fæst ðonne he ðyrfe.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John iv. 15. Syle me þæt wæter þæt ic ne ðurfe [c. 1160 Hatt. G. þurfe] her feccan.
c. 1200. Ormin, 7766. Þatt ure nan ne þurrfe Ut off þe rihhte weȝȝe gan.
c. 1275. Woman Samaria, 26, in O. E. Misc., 85. Yef me þar-of to drynke Þat ich ne þurve more to þisse welle swynke.
3. Past Indic. and Subj. a. sing. α. 1 ðorfte, 25 þurfte, 3 (Orm.) þurrfte, 45 thurfte.
α. c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xiv. § 3. Ne þorfte he him nænne ondrædan. Ibid. Ne ðorftes þu ðe nanwuht ondrædan. Ibid., xxvi. § 2. Ne ðorfte he no maran fultomes.
c. 1200. Ormin, 16164. Swa þatt nan mann ne þurrfte off himm.
a. 1325. Poem Times Edw. II., 321, in Pol. Songs (Camden), 333. Thurfte him noht seke tresor so fer.
14[?]. Sir Beues, 4219 (MS. M.). Thurfte he never after to aske leche, That sir Mylis myght ouer-reche.
β. 3 þurhte, þorte, 35 þurte, 4 þurt, þort, þart, thourt, 45 thurt(e; 4 þurste, 45 þurst, 45, 9 Sc. thurst.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 35. He ne þurte naure þolen hunger ne þurst.
a. 1272. Luue Ron, 95, in O. E. Misc., 96. Ne þurhte þe neuer rewe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23443. Ya forsoth thurt [v.r. thort] naman mare.
c. 1330. Florice & Bl., 259. Now thourt him neuere ful iwis Willen after more blisse.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. X. 257. Ho so þurste hit segge.
a. 1425. Chron. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6389 (MS. β.). He ne þurst neuer eft care of drynke ne cloþe.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xxv. 256. For no catelle thurt the craue.
1825. Thurst [see B. 1].
b. plural. α. 1 þorfton, -an. β. 3 þeorte(n, 34 þurte(n, 45 thurte.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregorys Past. C., 9. Hi his sume ðorfton.
a. 1000. Guthlac, 423 (452). No we þus swiðe swencan þorftan.
c. 1275. Lay., 18650. For ne þeorte þe cnihtes buten biwiten þat castel ȝat.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xxx. 473. Thai thurte bot aske and haue thare boyn.
B. Signification.
1. intr. To be under a necessity or obligation (to do something): = NEED v.2 6, 8.
c. 890901. K. Ælfred, Laws, Introd. c. 28. ʓif he ʓewitnesse hæbbe, ne þearf he þæt ʓeldan.
a. 1000. Cædmons Gen., 611 (Gr.). Ic hit þe secgan ne þearf.
a. 1200. Moral Ode, 44. Þer ne þerf he habben kare of ȝefe ne of ȝelde.
a. 1225. Juliana, 63. Arude me þat þeos unselie ne þurue nawt seggen.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 5. Ha nawiht ne þarf of oðer þing þenchen.
1825. Jamieson, s.v., Ye thair n fash, you need not put yourself to the trouble. Ibid., Ye thurstn, ye needed not.
2. impersonally. It needs, there is need, it is needful [= L. opus est, Gr. δεῖ]. Const. dat. of person and inf. a. without subject it.
c. 1200. Ormin, 12886. Ne þarrf ȝuw nohht nu follȝhenn me.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 69. Þanne ne þarf us noðer gramien ne shamien.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 190. Ne þarf þerof beo no tale.
c. 1275. Passion, 17, in O. E. Misc., 37. Ne þerfþ þer non adrede.
c. 1275. Duty of Christians, 37, ibid., 142. Ne þarf vs neuer a-gryse.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 3053. Who wil lesinges layt, Þart him no ferþer go.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 4145. Ne neuere þurt hem haue drad no tyde.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 3. Ne thar him nat be idel long.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 361. Sho said hym þurte not be seke her-for.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 538. Me tharth haue nane noy of myne erand.
b. with subject it. rare.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. lxxxvii. (1869), 39. It thurt not recche to wite of this anoon.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., iv. 117. Myn ase shalle withe vs, if it thar.