Forms: 4 cleime, clem, Sc. and north. cleme, 4–6 cleym(e, 4–7 clayme, claime, clame, 6 cleame, 4– claim. [a. OF. claime- accented stem of clame-r (claime-r) to cry, call, appeal, claim:—L. clāmā-re to cry out, call, proclaim, declare aloud, call upon.]
1. trans. To demand as one’s own or one’s due; to seek or ask for on the ground of right.
c. 1320. Sir Beues, 3002. He … comeþ … And cleimeþ his eritage.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 825. On hymself he con al clem.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 80. Hee fared on in haste, To clayme his kingdome.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 421. Quhat landis clemys he?
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, V. xxxvi. I it cleym duely as of debte.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., IV. i. 110. Dowsabell did claime me for her husband.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 32. For none sure will claim in hell Precedence.
1788. J. Powell, Devises (1827), II. 317. That one has a right to claim a share.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, l. 20.
| What if Nemesis haply claim repayment? | |
| She is tyrannous. O beware offending. |
b. with inf. phrase or subord. clause.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 417. This child, that clemys your man to be. Ibid., II. 104. The Erle off Carryk Clamys to govern the kynryk.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 366. Owre colagis … claymen to be exempt.
1850. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1852), II. 352. He claimed that his word should be law.
1876. Green, Short Hist., ii. § 6 (1882), 89. Every townsman could claim to be tried by his fellow-townsmen.
2. To assert and demand recognition of (an alleged right, title, possession, attribute, acquirement, or the like); to assert as one’s own, to affirm one’s possession of.
(Sense 1 claims the delivery of a thing, sense 2 the admission of an allegation.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3544. Þou sal neuer … In þi forbirth do claim na right.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1275. Whatt ryghte þat he claymes … Thus to ryot þis rewme.
1465. Marg. Paston, Lett., 518, II. 214. To hold the court in your name, and to clayme your tytill.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 47 § 2. Persones … that claymeth or pretendith any title to the premysses.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 11. Thundring Jove … she claymed for her syre.
1722. De Foe, Col. Jack (1840), 239. Both sides claimed the victory.
1818. Cruise, Digest, I. 67. Every stranger, who claimed a right to any particular lands.
1837. Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sc. (1857), II. 154. The degree of accuracy which had been claimed for them.
1884. Bosanquet, trans. Lotze’s Metaph., 106. We have not in fact the knowledge which we might here be inclined to claim.
b. with inf. phrase, obj. compl., or subord. clause.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 49. Alle … Þat cleymed to hold of him þer heritages.
c. 1393. Chaucer, Gentilesse, 2. That claymethe gentyle for to be.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, II. vi. (1558), 4. This Iuge … claimed her his servant by false collusion.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxxi. 223. Claymes to be a kyng of Jewis.
1818. Cruise, Digest, I. 487. Her husband claimed to be tenant by the curtesy.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 267. A mere word or symbol claiming to be a proposition.
1876. J. Parker, Paracl., I. ii. 18. It is claimed, then, on behalf of Christianity, that there is a Holy Ghost.
c. ‘Often loosely used (esp. in U.S.) for: Contend, maintain, assert.’ (F. Hall.)
3. Of things: To call for, demand or require; to be entitled to, deserve, have a right to.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. ii. 130. Octauia … whose beauty claimes No worse a husband then the best of men.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 566. Such wonder claims attention due.
1767. Gooch, Treat. Wounds, I. 87. What Doctor Friend has written … claims an attentive reading.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., II. § 20. 334. There is one other point in connexion with the viscous theory which claims our attention.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 26. This first life claims a second, else I count its gain no gain.
† 4. To call for, cry for, beg loudly. Obs. rare.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1097. Lazares ful monye … Drye folk & ydropike … Alle called on þat cortayse [Christ] & claymed his grace.
† 5. To call, name, proclaim (with complement); passing in later use into the sense ‘assert a claim to be (some one or something).’ Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12812. Ne prophet sal naman me claim.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 19. Þei with fulle gode wille … cleymed him for þer chefe of West & of Est.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, III. xxii. (1869), 147. Trewaundrie bi name I cleyme it, and Maungepayn I clepe it.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccx. 194. Ye shal not be claymed kyng nother for kyng be hold.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), III. 1321. He cleymyd hym-sylf son of þe godhed.
1565. Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 481. He … may easily Claime himselfe to be more then a Man.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., IV. x. 30. Nor all, that else through all the world is named … might like to this be clamed.
† 6. To claim quit, also to quit claim (a person or thing): to proclaim quit or released; to let go, dismiss, renounce, let off, release, absolve. Obs. See QUIT-CLAIM.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2038 (Cott.). If o þi fader þou haue despite, Of his blissing i claim þe quite [Gött. I claime þe of his blissing quite].
c. 1314. Guy Warw. (A.), 6654. Þai ben out of prisoun y-gon, Oþer quite-cleymed ichon.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 99. Roberd salle cleyme all quite to Henry … Þat Roberd, ne non of hise, salle ask Henry … Þis dette.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1763. To qwit claym all querels, & be qweme fryndes.
† 7. intr. To cry out, call (for, etc.). Obs.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 4481. Cleymeþ he after cloþes?… ȝis … cloþes he askes.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron. cxcii. ii. The folke … for hym cryed & claymed.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 302. How mayst thou clayme or crye for glory?
8. intr. To put forward a claim, assert a right. † To claim of (quot. 1303), to: to claim, assert a right to. † To claim for (quot. 1400): to claim to be, assert one’s right as being. (In later times app. an absolute use of 1 or 2.)
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9561. Ȝyf a chylde be dede bore … And receyve nat þe bapteme, Of heuene may hyt neuer cleme.
c. 1400. Maundev., xxii. 238. Alle the Mynstrelle that comen before hym … ben … entred in his Bokes … And aftre that, where that evere thei gon, ever more the cleymen for Mynstralle of the grete Chane.
c. 1647. Bp. Sanderson, Episcopacy (1673), 39. All these you see do onely claim to a Jus Divinum.
1690. Locke, Govt., I. ix. § 94 (J.). How the first Ruler, from whom any one claims came by his Authority.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 73. Say from what scepter’d ancestry ye claim.
† 9. trans. = RECLAIM. Obs. rare.
1546. Langley, Pol. Verg. De Invent. (1551), 69 b. When men wer somwhat clamed of their uplandishe behauor.
Hence Claimed ppl. a., Claiming vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 80. Cleymynge.
1611. Cotgr., Calengé, claimed, challenged.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 79. Whatever the claiming value of the currency is at any moment.
1884. Athenæum, 15 March, 346/3. The Sadr Diwáni Adálat … imposed on the claiming master the burden of proving that the slavery of his claimed slaves was derived from the narrow legal origin defined by the Muftis.
