▪ I. commend, v.
(kəˈmɛnd)
Forms: 4–6 comend(e, commende, (5 kommende, 6 comment), 4– commend.
[ad. L. commendāre to commit to any one's charge, entrust, commend to his care, recommend, f. L. com- intensive + mandāre to commit into one's hands or charge, etc.: see mandate. OF. commander had the sense of both commend and command (the latter a developed sense of L. mandāre), and commande in Eng. had orig. the same two senses. But here, in course of the 14th c., the form commend was taken from L. commendare (well known with its derivatives in feudal and ecclesiastical law, also in the Vulgate) in the original L. sense, and command(e in this sense gradually went out of use. See command v.]
1. To give in trust or charge, deliver to one's care or keeping; to commit, entrust: † a. a thing. Formerly in such expressions as commend to memory (L. commendare memoriæ), also commend to paper, writing, etc.
| 1382 Wyclif Isa. x. 28 Anent Magmas it shal commende [1388 bitake to kepying] his vesseles. c 1475 Babees Bk. 5 Yif that youre lorde his owne coppe lyste commende To yow to drynke. 1550 Becon Gov. Virtue Wks. (1843) 482 Commend to memory the fifteenth chapter of Corinthians. 1581 Mulcaster Positions xxxvii. (1887) 155 The maister to whose iudgement I commend the choice. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. iii. i. 169 To her white hand see thou do commend This seal'd-vp counsaile. c 1630 Jackson Creed vi. xxviii. Wks. V. 464 The conduct of the right wing..was commended to his brother. 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. vii. 97 These Rhymes I did to Memory commend. 1866 Motley Dutch Rep. ii. iii. 184 The ‘cup of bitterness’..was again commended to his lips. |
b. a person. Now esp. used of committal to the divine keeping: To commit with a prayer or act of faith, ‘to deliver up with confidence’ (J.).
| c 1386 Chaucer Moder of God 134 Un to you tweyne, I my soule commende. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xix. 88 He..saise deuote praiers and commendez him till his godd. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xxii. 492, I comende you my wyfe..& my children. 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer 128 We commend vnto thy mercifull goodnes, this congregacion. 1620 Shelton Quix. III. xxviii. 201 Who errs and mends, to God himself commends. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. xi. ix, The Island's King..with grave speech..Himself, his state, his spouse, to them commended. 1823 Scott Quentin D. xvii, Having commended himself..to the Saints..Quentin.. retired to rest. |
2. To present as worthy of favourable acceptance, regard, consideration, attention, or notice; to direct attention to, as worthy of notice or regard; to recommend: a. a thing.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1 Clannesse who-so kyndly cowþe comende. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xix. lxiii. (1495) 900 Mylke is commendyd for it nouryssheth well the body. 1586 Cogan Haven Health lxiv. (1636) 76 Harts-ease..is commended for a rupture. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 381 They commended Peace to both. 1855 Dickens Lett. (1880) I. 393 The pleasanter humanity of the subject may commend it more to one's liking. |
b. a person.
| 1382 Wyclif 1 Macc. xii. 42 He..commendide him to alle his freendis. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 68 [The] Abbot of Pontiniack, to whome the Pope..had commended him. 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 109 The bearer hereof..I have bin requested to commend unto you. 1611 Bible Rom. xvi. 1, I commend vnto you Phebe our sister. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. viii. lx. 543, I shall be glad if you will commend me to their acquaintance. |
c. fig. To recommend.
| 1382 Wyclif 1 Cor. viii. 8 Mete comendith vs not to God. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 170 Y⊇ prayer that fraternall charite or brotherly loue commendeth before God. |
† d. To recommend (a person) to do a thing.
| 1647 Lilly Chr. Astrol. xxvii. 171 Some friend shall commend the party inquiring to accept of some imployment very advantagious. |
e. refl.
| 1593–7 R. Hooker Eccl. Pol. iii. viii. 148 This method of teaching may commend it selfe vnto the world by that easines & facilitie which is in it. 1865 Gladstone in R. Lowe Speeches on Reform (1867) 159 The law has commended itself more and more to the respect and attachment of the people. 1886 ‘Maxwell Gray’ Silence of Dean Maitland i. x, [The grey suit] had commended itself to Everard from the sense of cleanliness that light colours always afforded him. 1904 F. M. Nichols Epist. Erasmus II. 269 It commends itself to all the theologians who are either learned, or honest and candid. |
3. a. gen. To mention as worthy of acceptance or approval, to express approbation of, praise, extol.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xi. 7 Þe prophet comendis þe prechynge of crist. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus v. 761 For that that som men blamen evere yit, Loo! other maner folk comenden it. c 1490 Promp. Parv. 89 (MS. K.) Comendyn or preysyn, laudo. 1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 5 In all ages noble enterprises haue ben commended. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. ii. v. 180 She did commend my yellow stockings of late. 1634 H. R. tr. Salerne Regim. Pref. 2 Commend it, or come and mend it. 1738 Johnson London 3 My calmer thoughts his choice commend. 1844 Thirlwall Greece VIII. lxii. 175 He commended their zeal. |
† b. to commend to be (of such a kind). Obs.
| 1598 Stow Surv. xliv. (1603) 485 Roger Niger is commended to haue beene a man of worthy life. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. ii. ii. iii. (1651) 259 The Egyptians..are commended to be..a..merry Nation. |
c. absol.
| a 1744 Pope On Verses of Dk. Buckhm. 2 Thou shalt live, for Buckingham commends. 1766 Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767) I. i. 36 Commend as often as you can. 1863 Longfellow Ways. Inn 2nd Interl., One, ever eager to commend. |
† 4. a. To set off to advantage, or with added grace, lustre, etc.; to adorn or grace. Obs.
| 1535 Coverdale Prov. xv. 2 A wyse tonge commendeth knowlege [Vulg. ornat scientiam]. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 300 What..more commendeth a woman than constancie? 1589 Gold. Mirr. (1851) 47 Gold commends the precious stone. 1593 H. Smith Serm. Wks. II. 111 The light of the candle doth not dazzle, but rather commend the light of the sun. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 70 The gracefull symmetry that commends the whole pile and structure. |
b. fig. (in proverbial expression).
| 1620 Venner Via Recta iii. 48 Such as have very strong stomackes, or like to have their meat commend their drinke. |
5. To recommend to kindly remembrance; formerly in ordinary use in the conveyance of greetings, now arch.: e.g. commend me to ―, remember me kindly to ―; ― commends him(self) to you, ― asks to be kindly remembered to you, sends his kind remembrances; I commend me to you, I present my kind regards or remembrances.
| 1463 Past. Lett. II. 138 Ryght worchepful ser..I comend me to you [earlier letters have recommend and command]. c 1490 Promp. Parv. 89 (MS. K.) Comendyn or gretyn [1499 recomende], recommendo. c 1528 Mrq. Dorset in Ellis Orig. Lett. iii. 173 II. 147, I hertely commende me vnto you. 1563 in E. Lodge Illust. Brit. Hist. (1791) I. 349 We comende us unto yo{supr} good Lordshipp. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. ii. 235 Signior Anthonio Commends him to you. 1677 Holyoke Dict., To commend him unto one, salvo. 1759 Robertson Hist. Scot. I. vii. 528 Commend me to my son. |
6. Eccl. To bestow in commendam. Also absol.
| 1616 Brent tr. Sarpi's Counc. Trent (1676) 239 A Cathedral Church might be commended to a Deacon. Ibid. 235 But the Popes..did pass these limits, and commended for a longer time. 1670 Blount Law Dict. s.v. Commendam, He to whom the Church is commended, hath the Fruits and Profits thereof, onely for a certain time. 1885 T. Arnold Cath. Dict. 198/1 A Council of Merida commended to the metropolitan the churches of certain bishops who had been ordered to retire from their sees and do penance. |
7. Hist. To place under the personal protection of a feudal lord (‘se in vassaticum alicui commendare’ Du Cange).
| 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. (ed. 3) I. iii. 91 The freeman might..determine to whom..he should commend himself. Ibid. 121 The kingdom of England..was twice commended to a foreign potentate. 1875 Stubbs Const. Hist. I. 253 note, Vassus..was used..in the Karolingian period for a freeman commended, or placed in the relation of comitatus, to a lord. 1887 Encycl. Brit. XXII. 781/2 The privileged position of the abbey tenants gradually led the other men of the valley to ‘commend’ themselves to the abbey. |
8. commend me (us) to: a colloquial expression, serious or ironical, of choice or preference, = ‘give me by choice’. Orig. of a person.
| 1712 Steele Spect. No. 486 ¶4 Of all that I have met in my time, commend me to Betty Duall. 1775 Sheridan Rivals i. ii, Commend me to a mask of silliness, and a pair of sharp eyes for my own interest under it. 1826 Disraeli Viv. Grey vi. i, For a handsome, generous, sharp-witted knave, commend me to Hunsdrich the porter. 1842 Tait's Mag. IX. 635/2 Commend me to Edinburgh above all cities! 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. viii. 51 Commend me to home⁓joy, the family board Altar and hearth! |
¶ App. confused or blended with the verbs comment and command.
| 1637 Abp. Williams Holy Table 107 That most admirable passage..applauded and commended vpon by Lactantius himself. 1651 Reliq. Wotton. 59 To commend over his condition and transcendent power..as a matter of publique consequence. 1673–4 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 417 Whensoever you shall have any further occasion to commend me, I shall not faile to testify that I am, etc. |
▪ II. † coˈmmend, n. Obs.
[In sense 1, a. F. commende, corresp. to It. and med.L. commenda a benefice given in charge to any one (see commendam), lit. ‘a deposit, charge’, f. commendāre to give in charge, entrust, etc.: see prec. In the other senses it may have been formed immed. from the verb in Eng. or Sc.]
1. Eccl. = commendam 1. in commend, to commend: in commendam. Sc.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace ix. 1128 The rent at will he [king off Ingland] gaiff [that byschop] in commend. Ibid. i. 172 Glaskow thai gaif..To dyocye in Duram to commend. 1513 Douglas æneis viii. Prol. 108 Ane kinrik of paroch kyrkis cuppillit with commendis. |
b. Feudal protection: see commend v. 7. Sc.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace x. 1072 The lord Bewmound in to the north he [Edward] send. Thai lordschippys all thai gaiff him in commend. |
2. Commendation.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 1473 The gret commend that scho to Wallace gaiff Befor the king. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. III. 277 Quhairthrow he gatt commend Of largnes and liberalitie. 1608 Shakes. Per. ii. ii. 49 Speak in his just commend. |
b. with a and pl. Also a commends.
| 1606 Rollock's Lect. 1 Thess. (ed. 1606) 100 (Jam.) Thou..givest vs a goode commend, and vtterst a great rejoising for vs. 1631 Heywood F. Maid of West iii. Wks. 1874 II. 302 To..vouchsafe some few commends Before his death. 1641 Marmion Antiquary in Hazl. Dodsley XIII. 427 You give yourself a plausible commends. |
3. A greeting, remembrance, compliment.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace xi. 966 The harrold Jop in Ingland sone he send, And wrayt to Bruce rycht hartlie this commend, Besekand him to cum and tak his croun. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, iii. i. 38 Tell her I send to her my kind commends. 1608 L. Machin Dumb Knt. v, Thanks M. Jayler, and a kind commend. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1650) II. 41 Mr. William Pawley, to whom I desire my most hearty commends may be presented. |
▪ III. commend
obs. form of comment n.