Middle English Dictionary Entry
sī̆gnen v.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | sī̆gnen v.(1) Also signe, seine, (K) signi, (chiefly N & NM) sain(e & (early SWM) seinian; p. signed(e, etc. & sined, sened, (chiefly N or NWM) sainned, sainet, saned & sang & (errors) signedede, fayned; ppl. signed(e, etc. & signet. |
| Etymology | OE segnian & OF seignier, seigner, seingn(i)er, sign(i)er, sai(n)gn(i)er, sainnier, sain(n)er & L signāre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: For prefixed p.ppls. see isenien v.
1.
(a) To make the sign of the cross, bless; bless (sb. or sth.); make the sign of the cross on or over (sb. or sth.); ~ with cros, enlist (sb.) for a crusade; (b) refl. to bless oneself, make the sign of the cross on one's forehead or body; (c) to praise (God, our Lord, etc.), glorify.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)127 : We sculen ure forheafod and þa vii ȝeade ures lichomes mid þere halie rode tacne seinian.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(Hrl 2277)69 : In mi foreheued iwrite mi name þu schalt iseo; Signe [Ld: Creoyce] þerwiþ þi foreheued & þi breost also Aneue whan þu to bidde gost & aday whan þu risest þerto.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)15/395 : Ich signi þe wiþ signe of croys And wiþ þe creme of hele Confermi.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.3 : Eugenius..signedede [Higd.(2): marked; L signavit] Lowys kyng of Fraunce wiþ croys.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17236 : I me-self al sal þe sain Bath to giue þe might and main.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)6080 : With his goddis he [Agamemnon] hem sayned And bad hem gon In here name.
- c1440(?a1400) St.John (Thrn)173 : Smale stanes of þe see saynede þou þare, and þay warre saphirs.
- c1440(?a1400) St.John (Thrn)228 : Þou [John]..saynede þe coppe owtely and suppede it off syne.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)7/10 : Þan þis monke saynyd for mervell & said, 'sur, why say ye so?'
- a1456 Hit is no right (Add 16165)p.38 : Yit might I seyne 'cryst seeyne [vr. seyne]' as whan men fneese [Hammond: sneese].
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)173/12 : In Saynt Gregorys tyme was a woman þat het Lasma and [made] bred þat þe pope sang wyth and howsulde þe pepul.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38)297 : Cryste me saue and sayne.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)55/106 : When thou has drede, thynk on me And thou shal full well saynyd be.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)239/340 : Primus tortor..'Sayn vs, lord, with thy ryng'; Cayphas: 'Now he shall haue my blyssyng That knokys hym the best.'
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1291 : Seth..senid [Frf: saynet; Göt: blissed] him, als his fader badd.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7986 : He..Bitaght him þan to godd at kepe, And sanid him and fel on-slepe.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.220 : Þanne sat sleuþe vp & seynide [vrr. seynyd, seynede, seined, saynede; shryued, schraffe, crowchid; B vr. blissid] hym faste And made auowe tofore god for his foule slouþe.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)761 : He rode in his prayere & cryed for his mysdede; He sayned hym in syþes sere & sayde 'Cros-Kryst me spede!'
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)614 : He sayned him þe soth to say Twenty sith or ever he blan Swilk mervayle had he of þat man.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)966 : Thow saynned the vnsekyrly, to seke to þese mountez.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1042 : He..Sayned hym sekerly with certeyne wordez.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)222/10 : All þat evur was aboute had grete mervayle & lifted vpp þer handis & saynyd þaim.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)19356 : With the crosse off crist ihesu, And off his grace moste benygne, I gan me crossen and eke sygne.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)66 : She lifte vp hir hande and hir fayned [read: sayned; F se saine] and seide, 'A mercy, god!'
c
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)62.5 : Swa sal I saine [WB(1) (Bod 959): shal blessen; L benedicam] þe [God] in life mine And sal lift mi handes in name þine.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)746 : Now sayned be þou, Savior, so symple in þy wrath!
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)986 : Þay..syȝe hir not þat wern hir samenferes Tyl þay in Segor wern sette and sayned our Lorde; Wyth lyȝt lovez uplyfte þay loved hym swyþe.
2.
(a) To mark (sb. or sth.), stamp; ppl. signed, marked, stamped; also, fig. ?impressed (in a king), noted [quot.: a1449]; (b) to seal up (the words in a book) in order to conceal them; (c) to sign (a document, letter, an act, etc.) with one's name or signature; also, authenticate (sth.) with a signature or seal; ppl. signed, signed, authenticated; (d) ?to mark off (sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.54 : I herd þe noumbre of þe merked, foure þousande & fourty hundreþ of þe kynde of israel; Of þe kynde of Iuda signed, xii M.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)196b/b : Grauers vsen þe peces [of diamond]..to signe [L in signandis] and to þirle preciouse stoones.
- a1400 LShip Venice (Trin-C O.5.26)403 : Thou hast in the equinoccial twey intersecciouns..whiche be thei signed with lettres d, e.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)969 : Hermogenes..Wroote..That the noblesse of a..Kyng..Was perfeccioun..Signed in a kyng..to have an Abstinence..ffrom the tresour and his liges goodys.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)258/11 : My speciall grace..may well be called my signett, for itt is so secrete þat þer wote no man lyvynge withowte reuelacion wheþur þat he be signett þer-with or no.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)Apoc.22.10 : Signe or seele thou not [L Ne signaveris] the wordes of prophecie of this book; forsothe the tyme is niȝ.
c
- (1258) Procl.Hen.III in PST (1881)174* : We senden ȝew þis writ open, sened wiþ vre seel.
- (1440) Reg.Spofford in Cant.Yk.S.23234 : Of the which [grants] and also of the said supplicacion signed copyes be closed with in these to the intent that yowre lordship may see thaime.
- (1442) Let.Bekynton in RS 56.2181 : We have signed this lettre of our owne hande.
- (1447) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1380 : I haue signed with myne owne hand thes present lettres endented and tripartited And do theym to be closed vnder my priue seal.
- (1449) Proc.Privy C.6.87 : The King hath signed this act with his owen hande.
- (1461) Grant Arms in Hrl.Soc.77 (Add 14295)193 : Into witness of which I have doo written theise presentes Sealed with the Seale of myne Armes & signed with my Signe manuell.
- (1464) Let.Ormond in Fortescue Works26 : Here highnesse hadde late writynge frome him [King], ensealed withe his signet and signyde with his owne hand.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)5023 : Al testamentys sholde be Sygned [F seigniez] & markyd comounly, And ek confermyd openly.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)71/7 : He..sinid hit [deposition] with his sine & name, in-to feiþe & witnes of þe þinges a-fore I-put.
d
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)506 : To make a fortresse..Assure a grounde..Now signe it; lyne it out by yerde or rode; An hil if ther be nygh, wherby the foo May hurte, anoon set of the ground therfro.
3.
To prefigure (sb. or sth.), signify.
Associated quotations
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)185 : Þe bark of þat on semede dimmore þen ouþer of þe oþer two trouwe þou forsoþe; þat signede Ihesu crist forsake of vre kuynde was nout out-wiþ so cler bote wiþ-inne he was clene.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.2 : The sonnes borde offerde some tyme in the temple materiale Signed our lady offerred in the temple of the sonne eternale.
- 1607 Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)479/389 : This signes non other, in good faye, but of his [Joel's] deede on Whitsonday, sending his Ghost.