withsay

verb

1. To speak against someone or something. — To contradict or deny.

   archaic, obsolete, transitive

   Sythe I have sayd it, I wyll never withsay it.

2. To speak against someone or something. — To gainsay, to oppose in speech (and by extension writing).

   archaic, obsolete, transitive

   Let the lewd with faith and fervour worship. With will will we withstand, withsay.

3. To speak against someone or something. — To forbid, to refuse to allow, give, or permit.

   archaic, obsolete, transitive

   I wyll not withsaye thy desyre.

4. To speak against someone or something. — To decline, to refuse to do or accept.

   archaic, obsolete, transitive

   This is in noe wise to bee withsaid, for it is the King's honour.

Where it comes from

From Middle English withseien, from Old English wiþseċġan (“to speak against; to denounce, renounce, or deny”), corresponding to with- + say. Cognate with Old Saxon witharseggian (“to object”), Low German wedderseggen (“to renounce”), German widersagen (“to renounce”), Dutch wederzeggen and weerzeggen.

Related words

• withspeak

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry withsay (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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