See Also: wite(1)(dictionary)
wite(2)(dictionary)
wite(dictionary)

wite(2) (iou)



wite noun2. obsolete exc. dial. & Hist. Also wyte.
[Old English wite = Old Frisian wite, Old Saxon witi, Old High German wii, Old Norse viti punishment, based on var. of Germanic verb meaning 'know': see WIT verb.]
Punishment; penalty; pain inflicted in punishment or torture, esp. the torments of hell. Long arch. OE.
b. Hist. In Anglo-Saxon law, a fine imposed for certain offences or privileges. Freq. as second elem. in compounds, esp. bloodwite (see BLOOD noun). OE.
Blame, reproach; blameworthiness, fault. Now Scot. & north. ME.
R. L. Stevenson But now it's done, Alan; and who's to bear the wyte of it?
b. The person who or thing which is to blame. Scot. E16-E18.
Offence, wrongdoing; a wrong. Only in ME.
witeless adjective (Scot., now rare) blameless M16.