Middle English Dictionary Entry
sǒnne-bēm n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sǒnne-bēm n. Also sonnebe(a)me, sunnebiem, (K) zonnebiam, (early) sun(n)ebæm & (errors) sonnebeen, sonnebene, sumbeme; pl. sonnebemes, etc. & sonnebemus. |
| Etymology | OE sunnbēam & sunne-bēam. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: For other forms see sǒnne n. & bēm n.
1.
(a) The collection of rays or the stream of light proceeding from the sun to the earth; ~ bright, as bright as the sun's rays; grotes (motes) in the ~, specks of dust in sunlight [see also mot n.(1) (a)]; (b) a ray of sunlight; under the sonne-bemes, anywhere in the world; (c) the heat of the sun.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)20/24 : Þe sunbeam biscinæð þe swytellice alne.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)18979 : Þe sunebæm Bishineþþ all þe blinde, & himm ne cumeþþ rihht na god Off þatt itt onn himm shineþþ.
- ?a1300 St.Eust.(Dgb 86)44 : Þe liȝt of heuene and þe glem Briȝttore þen þe sunne bem, Ovpon þat hert aliȝtte.
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)237 : In þe burez ne darf me berne Lampe ne torche ne lanterne, þat he ne ȝiueþ liȝt & leme, As doþ aday þe sunne beme.
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)p.23 : Jesus hangude is picher on þe sonne beme, and þe ȝongue giwes wolden also, ake heore picheres fullen doun to grounde.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3614 : Sunne-bem-brigt son is wliten, Ðat folc on him ne migte sen, But a veil wore hem bi-twen.
- a1350 Most i ryden (Hrl 2253)14 : Hire hed when ich biholde apon, þe sonnebeem aboute noon me þohte þat y seȝe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)108/11 : Wyndeþ hi zuo uele defautes..Ase þe zonne byam sseweþ his motes and þet doust þet byeþ beneþe ine þe house.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.53 : For þe son beme al wey abideþ vppon þe men of Affrica.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)20a/b : Atthonus [read: Atthomus], a litil þing, as it were of þe grotes in þe sonne beme.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)204b/b : Grotes in þe sonne bem comeþ of poudre.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9946 : Wit-in þis tour..Es sett a tron..þat es o gretter light and leme þan somer dai es son bem [Ld: sonne bene].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23470 : Þaa þat o cares all ar quite, It mai nan iren o þam bite, Na mare mai a dint þam dere, þan man þe sun beme [Göt: sum beme] to scire.
- ?a1425 Alphita (Sln 284)187 : Atthomus..anglice, motes in þe sunne biem.
- c1425 Castle Love(2) (Eg 927)450 : He come thurgh the cloise ȝate, and when he went, clois it was, Riȝt as the briȝt sonne-beme comes and goos thurgh the glas.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.1643 : To hym appeered Guyot Lycynyan..Whos knihtli fame shon like the sonne-bem.
- a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307)910 : Whan þis lord feleþ turment, Þe sonne-bem with nyȝt is blent.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)162/317 : A bryghtere thynge I saw in drem, bryghtere than þe sunne beem.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)118.147 : It is shame if the sunn beme fynd men ydil in thaire bed.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.88 : Yf a man hold þis stone in þe sone-beme, it scheweþ to a man all þe colors of þe reynbowe.
- ?a1500 Inf.Chr.(Hrl 2399)456 : On þe sune-beme Jhesu mayd hys sete.
b
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)592 : Of hise mouth it stod a stem, Als it were a sunnebem.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)p.167 : En les jauntes entrunt les rays [glossed:] the sonne-bemes.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2537 : A sonne bem ful briȝt Schon opon þe quen At a bore.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)326 : De solaile issent rais: Comyn sonne-bemus.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2961 : Þe sonn-bemes full bright schane, Bot hastily it was ouer-gane.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)281b/b : Þe water holdeþ þe sonne bemes & beþ þere y-moeued and so þe water is hoot.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)83 : Þe grauayl þat on grounde con grynde Wern precious perlez of oryente: Þe sunnebemez bot blo and blynde In respecte of þat adubbement.
- c1405 Chaucer CT.Mk.(Elsm)B.3944 : And Phebus with his towaille so clene, Tho been the sonne bemes [vrr. sonne stremes, sonnes stremes] for to seyn.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)250/7 : Þou sayȝ comynge out of my breste a liȝt, as it hadde be a sonnebeem comynge out fro þe whele of þe sonne.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)62 : He saȝe þam in þe hiȝe see sailand to-gedire, Was neuer sene slike a some vnder þe son bemys.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)50/14 : The bodyes of chosen creatures to be sauede schal be specyose and fayreste in general resurreccyon, schynynge as it were sone-bemes.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)865/19 : In the myddys of the blast entyrde a sonnebeame, more clerer by seven tymys than ever they saw day.
- a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16212 : My power ys In alle Rewmys, Lyke vn-to the Sonne Bemys, Shynynge most hoote the Sommerys day.
- a1550(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Sln 1873)2908 : Some placis..most be derke or dym of lyght, In which sonbemys noon may light.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)114a/b : Þe sonne beme comeþ in to þe innere parties of mores and rootis and sedis and dissolueþ and departiþ þe moisture of þe erþe wiþ his owne hete.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)253a/a : Þise þinges acordeþ most to vynes: þat þe erþe be opened aboute þe roote..þat þe sonne beeme may þe bettre come þerto and worche þer-Inne.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)15b/a : Choum [?read: chauma]: sunne beme.
2.
Fig. (a) As a term for Christ; also, as an epithet for a saint; (b) a ray of spiritual light.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)7278-80 : Crist iss ec soþ sunnebæm Þatt all þiss werelld lihhteþþ, Þatt sunnebæm þatt riseþþ aȝȝ I gode menness herrtess.
- c1390 Psalt.Mariae(1) (Vrn)540 : Heil..Sterre from whom went forþ riht Þe Sonne-Beem, our herre.
- a1450 Spaldyng Katereyn þe curteys (BodR 22)p.546 : With qwom þou art went now, Heel þou vs hent now, Virgyn so cleen! Her bales mayst þou blent now To lerne þe a-sent now, Son beem so scheen!
- a1475(?1445) ?Lydg.Cal.(Rwl B.408)103 : Now helpe us, good lady, in oure nede, For þi halowed sone ys ful of myght; Of the blessid sonne beem [vr. been] ȝeue us summe light.
b
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)28/8 : As bihoueþ take good kepe þat we..euere honge oure harpe an heiȝ fro þe erþe in þe hote sonnebemes of riȝtwisnesse.
- a1425(?a1400) Benj.Minor (Hrl 674)43/17 : Þan byginniþ þer a maner of cleerte of þe liȝt of God for to schyne in þi soule, and a maner of sonnebeme þat is gostly to apere before þi goostly siȝt.