Middle English Dictionary Entry
isomnen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | isomnen v. Forms: p. (early) isumnede; p.ppl. isomned, isompned, isomuned, isumned, isummined, isummonid, (early) isomoned & (error) ysomneþ. |
| Etymology | From somnen v.; ult. OF. Forms with loss of medial vowel perh. influenced by ME isamnen v. (from OE gesamnian, gesomnian). Spellings with -o- from the WM and SWM dialect areas are ambiguous as to whether they belong to isamnen v. or isomnen v., and have been placed according to the dominant senses of the two words. Spellings with -u-, however, belong unambiguously to isomnen v., and therefore the quots. with -u- spellings formerly in sense (a) of insamnen v. have now been placed in sense (d) of this word. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To invite (sb.); (b) to call (sb.) into the presence of another, summon; order (sb.) to appear; also, order (sb. to come to a specific place); (c) law to cite (sb.) to appear before a court or other judicial authority for trial, examination, etc.; ~ bitwene, settle (a legal matter in court) between (parties); also, with obj. of prep. omitted [last quot.]; (d) to gather together (an army, people), assemble.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 PPl.C (Vsp B.16)13.46 : I-sompned [vr. ysompned; Hnt HM 137: Multi to a mangerie and to þe mete were sompned].
b
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)752 : Seint thomas..ase he Isomoned [Hrl: isumned] was, wende to Norehamptone.
- a1325 SLeg.Becket (Corp-C 145)634/749 : Somens ich hadde at þis daie here to answerie þe, Ac erche bissop of Kanterbury nas neuere isomned so.
- c1375(?c1280) SLeg.Nativ.(Eg 1993)497 : Out of cesar August þer com such aban, þat was vrom þe emperour þat het ottauean, þat al þe middulert isomned were.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.281 : Herodes..was i-somned [Higd.(2): citede; L citatus] by a maundement of Cesar for to come to Rome.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)279b/a : Hubert..sent vor William..he com atte tyme as he was ysomned [StJ-C: sommed].
c
- a1325 *Rwl.Statutes [OD col.] (Rwl B.520)lf.31b : Hoe beȝ isomuned ase for vsauns ase wel to þe chekere ase bi fore Iustises of Eiþer bench.
- a1450 Lordyngis leue (Bod 48)92/369 : Pouer men..beþ ysomneþ [Why werre: somouned] and ydriue to hundres and to assise, And þe riche duelle at hom.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.104/9 : Assisa of the deth of aunceters whas i-sumned bitwene them In the forsaide Courte.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.115/16 : Þe plee of conuencion whas i-summonyd bitwene them in þe same courte.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)584/18 : This was the fynall acorde..bitwene Felice abbesse of Godestowe, axere..and Robert Columbers, deforsyng, of the Avowry of the chirche of Lamiete, wherof assise of the last presentacion was I-summyned bytwene in the forsaid courte.
d
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14822 : Þe king..sende his sonde..gaderede his ferde..Þa ferde wes isumned, & heo forð fusden.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25352 : Folc þer com sone to þere burh of Rome swa muchel swa þer neuere ærer na mon no isumnede.