‖ summa
(ˈsʌmə)
Pl. † summa(e)s. Also 5 somma.
[L.: see sum n.1]
† 1. An amount; = sum n.1 1. Obs.
| 1475 Paston Lett. III. 135 The somma off money that I have receyvyd off Wylliam Pecok. 1484 Ibid. 313 The summa of Cli. 1523–4 Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1904) 325 All summaes of Money the whiche the said Thomas had in the custody of the chirch. |
† 2. A sum-total; = sum n.1 4 b. Obs.
| 1442 Rolls of Parlt. V. 59/2 Summa of the men MMCCLX men. 1550 W. Lynne Carion's Chron. 29 Summa of the yeares is Cxci. 1596 in Abst. Protocols Town Clerks of Glasgow (1897) V. Pref. 14 Summa of this charge and oneratioun extending in haill to the sowme of j{supm} iiij{supc} 1 lib xiijs. iiijd. 1682 Compt in Thanes of Cawdor (Spalding Club) 359 Summa of the hingings in Scots money as the cost in Flanders is {pstlg}441, 10s. 1784 in Nairne Peerage Evidence (1874) 72 Summa of the inventary iij. c. lxxv.lib viij.s. |
3. A summary treatise; = sum n.1 9 b; e.g. the Summa Theologiæ of St. Thomas Aquinas.
| 1725 J. Howe Wks. (1834) 597/2 Such summas of Christian doctrine and practice, as we have pointed to us. 1845 Encycl. Metrop. XI. 810/2 To judge adequately of the nature of this Theology, we have only to take a survey of the celebrated Summa of Aquinas. 1887 Huxley in 19th Cent. Apr. 491 The second chapter of the work in question, which is entitled ‘Law; its definitions’, is, from my point of view, a sort of ‘summa’ of pseudo-scientific philosophy. |
† 4. advb. [L. abl. summā.] In sum (see sum n.1 10). Obs.
| 1535 Coverdale Bible Ep. Ded., Summa, in all godly regimentes of olde tyme the kynge and temporall iudge was obeyed of euery man. [1550 ― Spir. Perle xviii. 139 In summa to be short, after trouble and aduersite foloweth almaner of goodnes and felicite.] a 1560 ― Bk. Death i. xx. 76 Summa, he is oure hope, our safegarde, oure triumph, our crowne. |
5. Phrases. a. summa rerum (ˈrɪərəm) [L. rērum of things or affairs]: the highest public interest. Cf. sum n.1 13 b.
| 1715 Swift Inq. Behaviour Queen's Last Minist. ¶25 Wks. 1841 I. 503/2, I believe no minister of any party would..have scrupled to take the same step when the summa rerum was at stake. 1837 De Quincey Revolt Tartars Wks. 1890 VII. 396 They easily understood that too capital an interest (the summa rerum) was now at stake. |
b. summa summarum (sʌˈmɛərəm): the grand total; fig. the consummation, the ultimate result.
| 1567 Jewel Def. Apol. i. ix. 65 This is, Summa Summarum: whiche thinge being graunted, what should a man seeke any farther? 1631 in Crt. & Times Chas. I (1848) II. 162 It is thought that, in summa summarum, he will be called to be the king's solicitor. 1941 Swenson & Lowrie tr. Kierkegaard's Concluding Unscientific Postscript ii. ii. v. 528 If it is postulated and granted that it is easy to understand that God becomes a particular man, so that the difficulty first emerges in the next fact, that He becomes a lowly and despised man—then in summa summarum Christianity is humor. |
c. summa totalis (təʊˈteɪlɪs): = sum-total.
Abbreviated summ' tot'.
| 1471 Paston Lett. III. 26 Summa totalis, lvjs. iiijd. 1529 More Suppl. Soulys Wks. 294/1 Summa totalis, xliii. thowsand. li. iii. hundred & xxxiii. li. vi. s. viii. d. 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden Wks. 1905 III. 108 Master Spencer, whom I do not thrust in the lowest place because I make the lowest valuation of, but as wee vse to set the Summ' tot' alway vnderneath or at the bottome, he being the Sum' tot' of whatsoeuer can be said of sharpe inuention and schollership. 1606 Sir G. Goosecappe i. i. A 3 b, This is your Summa totalis of both their virtues. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams ii. (1693) 172 The summa totalis of the Civil Magistracy. |