Obs. Forms: 1 ʓieman, ʓiman, ʓyman, ʓeman, 2–6 ȝeme, 3 ȝeome, 3–4 ȝiem(e, 3–6 ȝime, 4 ȝheme, ȝheyme, yeeme, yem, 4–5 yheme, 4–6 yeme, 5 ȝem, ȝyme, 6 ȝym. [OE. ʓíeman = OS. gômean to care for, guard, entertain (guests), OHG. goumjan, goumôn (MHG. goumen) to give heed to, observe, feast, ON. geyma to heed, watch (Sw. gōmma to keep, hide, Da. gjemme to keep, guard, save), Goth. gaumjan to perceive, observe, f. OTeut. gaum-, whence also the forms s.v. prec.; the ultimate origin is disputed. In OE. constructed with a genitive of the object, which was succeeded in ME. by of, and ultimately by a simple object.]
1. To care for, take notice of, consider.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xv. § 1. Ne ʓemdon hie nanes fyrenlustes.
971. Blickl. Hom., 99. Hie … nystan ne ne ʓemdon hwonne hie þæt eall anforlætan sceoldan.
c. 1000. Ælfric, De Vet. Test., Pref. (Gr.), 3/16. He ætes ne ʓimde.
c. 1205. Lay., 9168. Bruttes her of ȝemden & noht hit ne forȝeten.
b. To give heed or attention to, attend to, look after; to take heed, take care (to do something).
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxi. 160. Swiðe ʓeornlice ʓiemað dæt hie ða eorðlican heortan ʓelæren.
c. 1205. Lay., 12581. For þa arewen ne mihte þa Bruttes ȝemen nanes fihtes.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 98. Heo went in hire þuhte ofte swuche wordes, hwon heo schulde oðerhwat ȝeorneliche ȝemen.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxvii. 66. Euer for to ȝeme in ȝouþe and elde, To be buxsome in boure and hall.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 2819. All othir thinges he ȝemed Þat to a bischope degre semed.
c. intr. To attend; to look attentively upon.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 44 (MS. C.). Of ower kneolunge, hwense ȝe maȝen iȝemen, ear mete & efter [etc.].
13[?]. Cursor M., 17297 (Gött.). Al þai hidd þaim-self to ȝeme.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 159. Y ȝemede vpon þat house & ȝerne þeron loked.
2. To take care of, keep; to have charge of, have in keeping; to guard, protect, preserve from injury.
a. 900. Cynewulf, Crist, 1546. Se deopa seað … ʓiemeð gæsta.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Num. iii. 38. Moises and Aaron and hira bearn ʓimdon þæs temples on middan Israhela folce.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 23. Þa men þe beoð in þe castel and hin ȝemeð. Ibid., 115. He scal wicche creft aleggan and wiȝelunge ne ȝeman.
c. 1200. Ormin, 5585. Himm reoweþþ þatt he nohht ne maȝȝ Himm ȝemenn all fra sinne.
c. 1205. Lay., 369. Children & hinen þa ure nete sculen ȝemen.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 448. Nis þer nout in world bi-leued Þat nis destrued … But eiȝte soulen þt weren i-ȝemed In þe schup.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 968. In a tour þai han hir do, Þat noman miȝt hir com to, Bot an eld midwiif, Þat schuld ȝemen hir liif.
13[?]. Gosp. Nicod. (G.), 468. His lare be þine algate, And his pese might þe ȝeme.
1357. Lay Folks Catech. (T.), 443. The seuent vertu … is methe … That … yhemes us fro yernynges of worldely godes.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIII. 230. Ȝhemen, swanys, and poveraill, That in the parc to ȝheyme vittale War left.
a. 1400. Leges Burgorum, c. 57, in Acts Parl. Scot. (1844), I. 344/2. He sal be lede to þe house of þe kyngis seriand … and þar he sal be yhemyt fra his challangeouris.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 8254. He hurlet thurgh the helme, þat the hed yemed. Ibid., 10791. The yates to yeme he yepely comaundit.
c. 1450. Holland, Howlat, 132. The said secretar, that the sele ȝemyt.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxxviii. 39. Dispulit of the tresur that he ȝemit.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, III. ix. 97. Poliphemus, ȝymmand his beistis rowch. Ibid. VII. X. 23. [He] heyrdis wyde, As storoure to the king, did kep and ȝime.
a. 1568. W. Brown, Lett. Gold, in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter Cl.), 141. Ye men of kirk, that cure hes tane Of sawlis for to wetsche [v.r. yeme] and keip.
absol. a. 1300. Sarmun, xviii., in E. E. P. (1862), 3. Hi nul noȝt spene bot ȝime in store.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 1136. He lefte mene many ane…. Be the ȝates ȝemande.
3. To have the command or oversight of; to rule, govern, manage, control.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. i. 18. Þæt hiʓ … ʓimdon þæs dæʓes and þære nihte.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9541. On na manere Moght he in pes his kingrik yeme.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, I. 89. The cheuyteyns … Weren all to yonge of ȝeris to yeme swyche a rewme.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 1185. My landes forto lede and yeme.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (verse), 1052. Vs aw to ȝem our tong And spek not bot we be requerde.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5338. The septur & the soile sithyn haue I ȝemyt.
4. To keep, observe (a command, festival, etc.).
c. 1000. Ælfric, Lev. xxvi. 42. Ic ʓyme min wedd.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 11. Þe þridde godes heste … Wite ȝe þet ȝe ȝemen þenne halie sunnedei.
a. 1300. Ten Commandm., in O. E. Misc., 200. Þe halidayes þu shalt ȝieme [pr. þieme; rhyme queme].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2690. Ful wel þis lagh sal he yeme. Ibid. (13[?]), 9980 (Gött.). Euer scho lyues in maydenhede, Þat scho hir ches þe first day, Scho ȝemed it in mekenes ay.
1389. in Sir W. Fraser, Wemyss of Wemyss (1888), II. 24. Til there thyngys al and syndly lelily and fermly to be fullyllyt and yhemmyt bath the partys.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xiv. 61. In þe whilk er many gude Cristen men, ȝemaund þe same rytes … þat we vsen.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 869. I am ferd lest þou … for ȝeuernes for-ȝete þat þe ȝeme shuld.
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 304, in Babees Bk. With freres on pilgrimage yf þat þou go, Þat þei wille ȝyme, wilne þou also.
