Middle English Dictionary Entry
verreiment adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | verreiment adv. Also verreiement, verraiment(e, ver(r)ẹ̄̆ment, ver(r)ament, verramens, veramente, veramend, varamente & werraiment, werament. |
| Etymology | OF veraiement, veraiment, AF ver(r)eiment, verraiment, ver(r)eement, variement & AF ver(r)ement, ver(r)ament (vars. of veirement). The ME word occurs almost invariably in rime position, often as a tag of little or no semantic weight; many exx. in senses 1.-3. (esp. 1.(a)) could also be construed as 4.(a) or (b). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Really, truly; in actuality; also, truthfully, honestly;—often in asseverative tags: ich sei ~, ich tel you ~, etc., assuredly, truly, etc.;
(b) clearly, plainly.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)589 : Ich ȝou sigge verrament, Þai seyȝen in þe firmament A child in erþe biȝeten wes.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)705 : He…seyd it was verrament Þe Deuels foule encumbrement.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)6840 : Soudans ten…slouȝ of our compainie Verament þousandes niȝe.
- c1390 Fadur and sone (Vrn)40 : Holygost…schild me…ffor Marie loue…In whom þou lihtest verreyment [vr. verraymente].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1903 : I wol telle verrayment Of myrthe and of solas.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)119 : How cristes birþ be-gan to brewe I sal shew ȝou verrament.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1477 : Jch ȝou sigge verrayment…Hij sauȝtten…A riche coroune.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)35.148 : He hem Counseilled veramente that they ne Scholden…be knowen that they weren of Cristiente.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)1335 : He biganne þat…toure, That it shuld last to þe firmament, And was his purpos verement.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)3884 : In-to that pauylon Guy is went On horsebak, y telle you verament.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)237 : Sech a yefte ye may haue there That þe better wee may fare all þis yere, I tell you werament.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)62/117 : This present, I saye veramente, signifieth the newe testamente.
b
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)13.586 : The goode lord…grauntid him Al his hol Entent, The wheche was þere Anon sene veremente.
2.
Aptly, properly.
Associated quotations
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.286 : Als often as ther is a werk iwroght As for a certeyn purpos of entent, And þan of othere causes vnbiþoght Betideth oþer wayes þan was be-ment, Lo, hap this may be cleped verrayment.
3.
In good faith, earnestly, sincerely.
Associated quotations
- c1330 Roland & V.(Auch)266 : Seyn Iames…seyn torquas…who þat sekeþ hem verrament…Schal se godes face.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)651 : Þat god was nat byfore Or he was of þe maydyn bore…Ȝyf þou wene þat verement, Hyt ys aȝens þys comaundement.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)189 : He…knelyd dovn…And prayed God veramend, And thanked God…Of his dysese…That to hym was sent.
4.
(a) As initial or parenthetical asseverative: assuredly, surely, undoubtedly; also, used to acknowledge or concede a fact or to beg its acknowledgment: as we know, to be sure; also, used to convey insistence or seriousness: seriously, certainly, indeed;
(b) with diminished force in rime: it so happened, in truth;
(c) used to lend emphasis to one aspect of a statement: moreover, what is more, as well; specifically, that is, to wit, yea;
(d) used to preface a question so as to appeal for a truthful answer: truly, tell me truthfully.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)2938 : Arthour…Seþþen þou were born, verrament, Ich haue ȝouen þe norisement.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)877 : At þi deijng…Þu shalt fonge verreement Þare þi rihte iugement.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)435 : Verament, y hope þov schalt lye.
- c1390 Bi a wode (Vrn)55 : Of alle suche dedes, verament [vr. verrement] I rede þe…amendes make.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11164 : Aȝens þys yche sacrament Do many one, verrement.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1491 : Sir, verrayment, I wil do al ȝowre cumandment.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2)402 : No more schale he, verement, But hys wyf þerto assent.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.240 : Full hard it is to graunten, verament.
- ?a1475 LDirige(2) (Dc 322)342 : Mennes dayes ben shorte…The nombre of hys monthes are Alwey at the, lorde, verament.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.2763 : Fals othes and wronge Iugement Causeth grete disease amongg vs, verament.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)9474 : In the old law, werrayment, Aungel wernet no mon i-wis to honur so from heuen sent.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)1795 : Þannes huy beoth i wend, Bliþe and glade verreiement.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)2624 : Þer was iustes & turnamens Swiþe noble verramens.
- c1330 Degare (Auch)11 : Þer nas no man verraiment Þat miȝte in werre ne in tornament…Him out of his sadel bring.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.Barlaam (Vrn)355 : Þat niht slept he nouȝt, verreyment, But mad redi his Testament.
- c1400(1375) Canticum Creat.(Trin-O 57)1147 : Sone after þat, verrayment, Þo Sibile sage to Jer[usa]lem went.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)755 : All þe mete…To powre folke gayf scho it verement, Þis witnesse ay we wyll.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)1986 : To Pelleus kyng he is now went And salued him faire, verament.
- a1450 In þis tyme cryst (Roy 20.A.1)p.20 : God hath ows ysent Hys ovne Sone…To dwelle wyt ous in verement.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)2817 : Home than shal that hede be sent And ben sodene anone, verement.
- a1475 Friar & B.(Brog 2.1)p.48 : The wyff was not glad, varamente.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)14/455 : Mary be name, verament, Whan cryst here callyth…She ffallyth to ground with good entent to kys his fete.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)485 : Þoruȝ Launfal and hys stedes dent, Many a knyȝt, verement, To ground was ibore.
- a1500 Lystyne lordys verament (Lin-O Lat.141)1 : Lystyne lordys verament How the sowter hath mad hys testament.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)522 : Þo Zacharie…him heold…And alle þat þare stoden verreiement.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)96 : Out of þis world þe King went, And was ybiried, verrament.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1856 : Al her catel þan was spent, Saue tvelf pans, verrament.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1344 : Þe kyng is wounded, verreyment, Dedly wounded þorouȝ þe nape.
- c1450 Lydg.KEng.(3) (BodAdd E.7)117 : The ijde Edward…For hur love his lyf lost he, Withyn the Castell of Barcle, With a hote iren spit verement.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)1138 : In that place…his maunde þere he made…And in þe same place verement There he had his iugement.
- a1475(a1400) Lystyn man & (Hrl 3954)41 : Yis maner ordere was be gynne In remyscyoun of mannis synne; With outyn yis ordere verement May be mad non oyer sacrament.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)153/62 : I brynge myrre to my present—A byttyr lycour verament—For he xal tholyn byttyr dent.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)23/6 : Thou maide both nyght & day…The son, the moyne, verament, Thou maide.
d
- a1450(a1400) Athelston (Cai 175/96)279 : A, dame…verrayment, Hast þou broke my comaundement.