different between shrift vs shrive

English

Etymology

From Middle English shrift (“confession to a priest; act or instance of this; sacrament of penance; penance assigned by a priest; penitence, repentance; punishment for sin”) [and other forms], from Late Old English scryft, Old English s?rift (“penance, shrift; something prescribed as punishment, penalty; one who passes sentence, a judge”), from s?r?fan (“of a priest: to prescribe absolution or penance; to pass judgment, ordain, prescribe; to appoint, decree”) (whence shrive), from Proto-Germanic *skr?ban? (“to write”), from Latin scr?b? (“to write”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreyb?- (“to scratch, tear”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /???ft/
• Rhymes: -?ft

Noun

shrift (countable and uncountable, plural shrifts)

1. The act of going to or hearing a religious confession.
2. Confession to a priest.
3. (obsolete) Forgiveness given by a priest after confession; remission.
   • circa 1594 CE: William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

     [Friar:] Be plain, good son, and homely in thy drift. / Riddling confession finds but riddling shrift.

Derived terms

• short shrift

Related terms

• shrive

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Firths, firths, friths

English

Alternative forms

• shrieve (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English shryven, shriven, schrifen, from Old English s?r?fan (“1. to decree, pass judgement, prescribe, 2. (of a priest) to prescribe penance or absolution”), from late Proto-Germanic *skr?ban?, a borrowing from Latin scr?b? (“write”). Compare West Frisian skriuwe (“to write”), Low German schrieven (“to write”), Dutch schrijven (“to write”), German schreiben (“to write”), Danish skrive (“to write”), Swedish skriva (“to write”), Icelandic skrifa (“to write”). More at scribe.

Pronunciation

• enPR: shr?v, IPA^(key): /???a?v/
• Rhymes: -a?v

Verb

shrive (third-person singular simple present shrives, present participle shriving, simple past shrove or shrived, past participle shriven or shrived)

1. (religion, transitive and intransitive) To hear or receive a confession (of sins etc.)
   • c. 1600, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 1, Scene III

     If he have the condition of a saint and the complexion of a devil, I had rather he should shrive me than wive me.
2. (religion, transitive) To prescribe penance or absolution.
3. (religion, intransitive or reflexive) To confess, and receive absolution.
   • c. 1798-1845, unknown author, The Croppy Boy

     'Twas a good thought, boy, to come here and shrive.

Derived terms

Related terms

• scribe
• shrift
• Shrove Tuesday

Translations

Anagrams

• Shiver, hivers, shiver

Middle English

Verb

shrive

1. Alternative form of shryven