seynt

English

Noun

seynt (plural seynts)

1. Obsolete form of saint.

Anagrams

• tynes, yesn't, nesty, styen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• sent, seint
• sainct, saynt, seynct, seynte (Late Middle English)
• sant, sanct (Northern); sont (Western Midland)
• saint, sauyn, sauynt, zainte, zaynte (Aȝenbite)
• sannt (Ormulum)

Etymology

From a combination of Anglo-Norman seint (continental Old French saint) and Old English sanct (“saint”), both from Latin sanctus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sæi̯nt/, (sometimes preconsonantally) /sæi̯n/
• IPA^(key): /sant/ (mainly Northern or early)

Noun

seynt (plural seyntes)

1. A faithful Christian (or Jew in the Old Testament)
2. A particularly holy or pious person.
3. A saint (one of the blessed in heaven)
4. A saint (individual recognised for holiness):
   • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, General Prologue, The Canterbury Tales, line 173-176:

     The reule of seint Maure or of seint Beneit,
     By-cause that it was old and som-del streit,
     This ilke monk leet olde thinges pace,
     And held after the newe world the space.

     The rule of Saint Maurus or of Saint Benedict,
     Because it was old and somewhat strict,
     This same monk let old things pass away,
     And followed the broader customs of modern times.

5. (rare) Anything holy, particularly saints' relics.

Related terms

• Seynt Graal

Descendants

• English: saint, Saint
• Middle Scots: Sanct, Sant, sanct, sant
  • Scots: sant, saunt
• Yola: Sankt, Sank, Saan

References

• “seint(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.