Forms: α. 3–4 comande-, comonde-, 3–7 commandement, 4–6 comaunde-, 4–7 commaundement(e, (5 commaw(u)nde-, cummaunde-, cummawndement, 5–6 Sc. commandiment, -yment); also β. 4– commandment, (4 cumand-, komaund-), 4–5 comand-, 5 comaund-, 5–6 commaund-; and γ. 4 comanment, co(m)mament, -mend. [a. OF. com-, commandement (= Pr. comandamen, It. commandamento):—L. type *commandāmentum, f. commandāre: see COMMAND v. and -MENT. Originally 4 syllables; still so found in 16–17th c. writers, and in 19th c. dialect-speech from Scotland to W. Somerset. But the trisyllabic form appeared already in 13th c., and became prevalent in the literary lang. in 17–18th c. In early times there was a tendency to put a stress on the first syllable, and weaken the second to -ăn-, -ă- as in the Cotton MS. of Cursor Mundi.
Spenser has commandement (4 syllables); Shaks., 1st fol., the same 4 times, command’ment 6 times, commandment 3 times. Drummond has it of 4 syllables, Milton and Pope of 3. Cf. the following examples:
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 6481 (Gött.). Þis er comandementis ten.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 67. But conseillyng is nat comandement.
1556. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford, 249. No other commaundyment or procurement.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. iii. 11. So greatly his commaundement they feare.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. iii. 20. From him I haue expresse commandement.
1822. Nares, Gloss., Commandement, in four syllables. I think I have heard it so spoken by old persons.
1825–79. Jamieson, Commandiment.… This pronunciation still prevails among the peasantry in Scotland.
1888. W. Somerset Word-bk, Commanyment. [Commandement of 4 syllables in Scotch Psalms in Metre (made c. 1564), and still (1890), so sung.]
β. c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1084. Þemperours komaundment was kud al aboute.
1483. Cath. Angl., 72. A Commaundment, mandatum.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. iii. 142. The Lawes of England are at my command’ment. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., II. ii. 8. To the contrary I haue expresse commandment.
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 176. The first of all commandments, Thou shalt worship The Lord thy God.
γ. a. 1300. Cursor M., 650 (Cott.). Þat dos her will mi commandment. Ibid., 662. Þat ȝee ne brek mi commament. Ibid., 11720. His comanment was noght vndon.
c. 1320. Seuyn Sages (W.), 3446. His cumandment bilyue was done.]
1. An authoritative order or injunction; a precept given by authority. (arch.)
c. 1250. O. E. Misc., 33. Se sergant dede þes lordes commandement.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xvi. 376. Whan the barons herde the commaundemente of the kyng.
1542. Boorde, Dyetary, xl. (1870), 302. He that doth not the commaundements of his physycyon, doth kyll hym self.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., II. ii. 8. To the contrary I haue expresse commandment.
1759. Robertson, Hist. Scot., I. III. 180. Called by the express commandment of the king.
1868. Milman, St. Paul’s, x. 252. A commandment came for the Clergy … to meet at St. Paul’s.
† b. A commission or charge. Obs.
1592. West, Symbol., B j. A Commaundement or Commission Mandatum is a contract by consent to do something gratis.
2. esp. A divine command.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 14. Crist gifes us wille His comandmenz to fulfille.
c. 1440. York Myst., x. 245. To goddis cummaundement I sall enclyne.
1611. Bible, Gen. xxvi. 5. Abraham … kept my charge, my Commandements, my Statutes and my Lawes.
a. 1699. Stillingfl., Wks., IV. iii. (R.). A sincere … endeavour to please God and keep his commandments.
1860. Ruskin, Mod. Paint., V. VII. iv. 154. The law is, ‘Do this always’; the commandment, ‘Do thou this now.’
b. spec. (pl.) The Ten Commandments or precepts of the Mosaic Decalogue.
Often applied to the table or tables of these required by law to be publicly set up in English parish churches.
c. 1280. E. E. P. (1862), 16. Of þe x commandemens … þe first comondement is þis, O God we ssul honuri.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 6056. Þat keped noght þe comandmentes ten.
c. 1440. York Myst., xx. 139. Whilke callest þou þe firste comaundment?
1560. Q. Elizabeth, Lett., in Cardwell, Doc. Annals, No. lv. To order that the tables of the commandments may be comlye set or hung up in the east end of the chauncell.
1561. Ludlow Churchw. Acc. (Camden), 103. Paid for the table of commaundementes and the new kalender … xviijd.
1637. Sc. Prayer Bk., Communion. Then shall the Presbyter, turning to the people, rehearse distinctly all the Ten Commandements.
1766. Entick, London, IV. 88. An altar piece gilt and carved, with a glory and the king’s arms above the commandments.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Wks. (Bohn), II. 46. They will let you break all the commandments, if you do it natively, and with spirit.
c. Hence, the new commandment of Jesus Christ.
1534. Tindale, John xiii. 34. A newe commaundement [Wyclif maundement] geve I vnto you, that ye love togedder [Rhem. one another], as I have loved you.
d. Also used allusively of other sets of rules, implying that they take the place of the Decalogue: so, jestingly or ironically, the new commandment, the eleventh commandment.
a. 1577. Gascoigne (title), The Wyll of the Deuyll; with his ten detestable Commaundementes, directed to his obedient and accursed chyldren.
1615. (title) Pope Paulus V … His Ten Commandments, given to Marquis Spinola, in English, together with the Dutch original.
1884. Pall Mall G., 10 Sept., 1/1. The new and great commandment that nothing succeeds like success.
1886. Mrs. Lynn Linton, Paston Carew, iii. He had learned the eleventh commandment [do not tell tales out of school] to the echo, and was the safest confidant to be found within the four seas. [The ‘eleventh commandment’ of modern cynicism is ‘Thou shalt not be found out.’]
3. slang. The ten commandments: the ten fingernails or ‘claws’ (esp. of a woman). In frequent use c. 1600; in mod. writers chiefly after Shakespeare.
c. 1540. J. Heywood, Four P’s, in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 381. I beseech him that high sits, Thy wife’s ten commandments may search thy five wits.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. iii. 145. Could I come neere your Beautie with my Nayles, I could set my ten Commandements in your face.
1595. Locrine, IV. ii. Fearing she would set her ten commandments in my face.
1607. Dekker, Westw. Hoe, V. iv. Your harpy … set his ten commandments upon my back.
1814. Scott, Wav., xxx. I’ll set my ten commandments in the face o’ the first loon that lays a finger on him.
1830. Marryat, King’s Own, xl. I’ll write the ten commandments on your face.
1842. Longf., Sp. Stud., III. v. In with you, and be busy with the ten commandments, under the sly.
† 4. The action or fact of commanding; bidding, command. Obs.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1303. I schal kysse at your comaundement.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 106. Swoor … That she wol been at his comandement.
c. 1400. Maundev., v. (1839), 43. Abraham departed, be Commandement of the Aungelle.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 118. Teares which they haue at commaundement.
1676. W. Hubbard, Happiness of People, 2. All their Brethren were at their Commandment.
† 5. Authority, sway, sovereignty, control; military command. Obs.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 124. The Closet, whereof another hath both the key, use and commandement.
1595. Shaks., John, IV. ii. 92. Haue I commandement on the pulse of life?
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. 66. The Athenians, who affected the first commandement in that warre.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Country Farm, 658. The commaundement, or vse and profit of it [woodland] are longer time in purchasing, and more hardly come by, than that of Corne and Vines.
1640–1. Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855), 15. Your own raigement, whilk is to come furth under the commandement of my Lord Kirkcudbryt.
† b. A district under command. Obs.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., IV. (1682), 162. The Turkish Emperours divide the same [lands] in Timars or commandments leaving little or nothing at all to the ancient Inhabitants.
† 6. Commanding situation. Also concr. in Fortif. = COMMAND, sb. 6. Obs.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 105. Within portes and places of commandiment, and whare that schippis mycht be arreisted.
1706. Phillips, Commandment.… It is a Height of nine Foot, which one Place has over another. [So Bailey.]
† 7. Old Law. ‘The offence of inducing another to transgress the law’ (Wharton, Law Lex.). Obs.
1613. Sir H. Finch, Law (1636), 447. Such as are accused of receit of felons, of commandement, or force, or of aid in felonie done.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 65. Commandement is againe used for the offence of him that willeth another man to transgresse the Law.
† b. A summary order for committal to prison.
1590. Three Lords & Ladies Lond., I., in Hazl., Dodsley, VI. 488. I have done none offence, though it please them to imprison me, and it is but on commandment.
1641. Termes de la Ley, 65. The commandement of the K. when by his meere motion, and from his owne mouth hee casteth any man into prison … or of the Justices: and this commandement of the Justices is either absolute or ordinarie.
8. Comb., as commandment-breaking.
1886. Pall Mall G., 30 Sept., 3/1. If we should take it into our heads to do the commandment-breaking.
