adv. Obs. Forms: α. 4 vere-, 4–6 verrement (4 verree-). β. 4–6 vera-, 4–5 verra-, 5 Sc. werrament. [ad. AF. veirement (cf. mod. Walloon vèrement), = OF. voirement (still in dial. use), f. veir, voir:—L. vērus true. The β-forms may be partly due to the influence of verraiment VERIMENT.] Really, truly; = VERIMENT adv.
Freq. c. 1330–c. 1560, esp. in β-form, often as a mere tag or rhyme-word.
α. c. 1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 651. Ȝyf þou wene þat verement, Hyt ys aȝens þys comaundement.
c. 1325. Spec. Gy Warw., 877. Þu shalt fonge verreement Þare þi rihte iugement.
c. 1400. T. Chestre, Launfal, 485. Many a knyght, verement, To ground was ibore.
a. 1450. Myrc, Par. Pr., 390. These þre poyntes verement Nowþer schale do, bot boþe assent.
15[?]. W. Broun, in Bannatyne MS. (Hunt. Cl.), 138/6. With havy hairt and mekle dreid I red the scriptour verement.
β. c. 1325. Lai le Freine, 255. He … bad his man sigge, verrament, He schuld toward a turnament.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sir Thopas, 2. Listeneth, lordings, in good entent, And I wol tell you verament Of mirth and of solas.
1426. Audelay, Poems, 6. Fore thou art bounden, go were thou goo,… Ther is no mon may hit undoo Bot he be cursid verament.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., iii. 6. The son, the moyne, verament, Thou maide.
a. 1510. Douglas, K. Hart, II. 470. Go send for Deid, thus said he verament.
1561. Queen Esther, A iij b. In their mynde they thyncke verament That either for riches & honour Iustis will doe.
1606. N. Baxter, Sidney’s Ourania, D 4 b. Yet not in any sort colour verament For no colours hath the starrie firmament.
1611. in Coryat’s Crudities, Panegyr. Verses. He did his homage verament And salued them each one.
b. Quasi-sb. In verament, = prec.
c. 1450. Songs, Carols, etc. (1907), I. xi. 3. In this tyme God hath sent Hys own Son … To dwell with vs in verament.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 1208. It is for gud at he is fra us went; It sall ye se, trast weill, in werrament.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 763. [They] deput ane to gif diffinitiue Answer agane … Quhilk Lady hecht Themis in verament.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, Wks. (Grosart), V. 247. In verament and sincerity, I neuer crouded through this confluent herring faire.
