Middle English Dictionary Entry
drẹ̄men v.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | drẹ̄men v.(2) Also drēmen. Forms: p. drẹ̄med(e, drempte; ppl. i)drẹ̄med. |
| Etymology | From drẹ̄men v. (1) & drēm n.(2). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To have a dream or dreams; ~ of, dream about (sth.); ~ of venesoun, ?to be needlessly perturbed, worry without cause; (b) to dream (sth., a dream, that sth. is true or has happened); ~ drem (sweven); (c) refl. to dream (sth.); -- also with of phr.; (d) ben dremed, to have a dream.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2067 : Good is..to dremen of win; heilnesse and blisse is ðer-in.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)335 : Þov hast y-dremed of venesoun, þov mostest drynke a torn.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4202 : Thus twies in his slepyng dremed he.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4282-4 : For sweuenes ben but vanytees and iapes. Men dreme alday of owles and of apes..Men dreme of thyng that neuere was ne shal.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.582 : Eek I seyde I mette of hym al nyght..And al was fals, I dremed of it right naught.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)389 : On syxe maners may a man mete..Sum men dremyn for surfeture..sum..For ouer mychyl and grete fastyng..sum beyn þe fendes temptacyoun..And sum come of ouer mochyl þouȝt..sum beyn goddys pryuyte..sum come þurgh grete stody.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)3285 : Þis lady was þe same Þat he had so dremyd of at hame.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.800 : How bisy, if I love, ek most I be To plesen hem that jangle of love and dremen!
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.377 : Other seyn..That after tymes of the yer..Men dreme, and that th'effect goth by the moone.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1282 : Peraunter, ther thow dremest of this boor, It may so be that it may signifie [etc.].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.29.8 : As a thirsti man dremeth [WB(1): sweueneth] and drynkith, and after that he is awakid, he is weri and thirstith ȝit.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)42 : Or yf that spirites have the myght To make folk to dreme a-nyght.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)197/15 : The dragon thou dremyste of betokyns thyne owne persone.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2095 : Ðo drempte pharaon king a drem, ðat he stod bi ðe flodes strem.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.353 : Sche dremede that sche had childed a wickede son.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)9.60 : Þe Meruiloste Meetynge Mette I me þenne, Þat euere dremede driht In drecchynge.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4333 : Andromacha Ectores wyf..dremed..How that the lyf of Ector sholde be lorn.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2722 : Of his Slouthe, he dremeth ofte Hou that he stiketh in the Myr.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3285 : Whan so is That I mai cacche Slep on honde..thanne I fonde To dreme a merie swevene er day.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)278a/b : And þo þat beþ y-byte of hym [mad dog] meteþ and dremeþ dredefull sweuenes and beþ ful fereful in sleepe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18985 : Ȝur eldrin men sal dremis dreme [rime: streme].
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)22.1 : Ich awakede and wrot what ich hadde dremed.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Jer.29.8 : Take ȝe noon heede to ȝoure dremes whiche ȝe dremen [WB(1): sweuenes, that ȝee sweuenen].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Joel 2.28 : Ȝoure elde men schulen dreme dremes [WB(1): mete sweuens; L somnia somniabunt], and ȝoure ȝonge men schulen se visiouns.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)101-2 : The juge dremeth how his plees been sped; The cartere dremeth how his cartes goon.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)113/16 : I dremed this nyght that I become a grete blak wolfe.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)41/27 : The kynge dremed a mervaylous dreme.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)196/12 : He..dremed how a dredfull dragon dud drenche muche of his peple.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)295 : He went to bedde and tooke a slep And dremyd this.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)18 : Many wightes, That dremen in her slep a-nyghtes Ful many thynges covertly, That fallen after al openly.
c
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1304 : Anoþer drem dremede me ek, Þat ich fley ouer þe salte se Til engeland.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2049 : Hem drempte dremes boðen onigt, And he wurðen swiðe sore o-frigt.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2078 : Me drempte ic bar bread-lepes ðre, And ðor-in bread.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1977 : Me dremed al this nyght, pardee, An elf queene shal my lemman be.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.8 : Of gerlis & of gloria laus gretly me dremed, And how osanna..olde folke songen.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)51 : That it was May, thus dremed me, In tyme of love and jolite.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)6277 : Thus me dremede this oþer nyht..that thow were [etc.].
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)102 : Me dremed in that dowte a full dreghe sweuynn.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)7347 : Me dremyd..þat I was ledd To durham.
d
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)5464 : Generides was dremyd in his sleppe; hym thought the Sowdon and Clarionas Come hand in hand.
2.
(a) To daydream; imagine (sth.) as if in a dream; also, sense (sth.) vaguely (with the imagination); ~ of, have daydreams about (sth.); (b) to speculate; suppose (sth.), imagine (that sth. is true); ppl. dreming as adj., dreamlike, fantastic, unreal, speculative.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.51 : Al wakende, I dreme and meete That I with hire al one meete.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.1.41 : Thilke verray welefulnesse..of which thyn herte dremeth.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.3.2 : Ye men, that ben erthliche beestes, dremen alwey your bygynnynge, although it be with a thynne ymaginacioun.
- c1450(c1390) Chaucer Ven.(Benson-Robinson)31 : Often to chaunge hewe and contenaunce, Pleyne in slepyng, and dremen at the daunce.
b
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)343 : But noon of þes servauntis dremeden þat he was heed of hooli Chirche..Which of þes is more hiȝ now is but foli us to dreme.
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)355 : Ȝit eche preest..shulde have power to do good to þe Chirche, but not so myche as here is dremed.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.294 : But þes men þat now dremen an accident wiþouten suget mai falle aborde wiþ þese foolis, and axe þis as possible.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.88 : Muse we not what Crist wroot here, as sum men dremen þat he wroot first þe lawe, and after he wroot þe foule synnes þat þes accusatours hadden don.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)19/20 : [Vndrestondynge]: 'O very God, what dremyng fantasies hath in such wise ouircome me that I haue thus forgotin myself and lefte the coundite of the man which our Lorde hathe put into my kepynge?'