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. Shaks., 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. Maundev. (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 favorable 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. Ye 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.
3. 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. Shaks., Twel. N., II. v. 180. She did commend my yellow stockings of late.
1634. H. R., trans. Salerne Regim., Pref. 2. Commend it, or come and mend it.
1738. Johnson, London, 3.
| Yet still my calmer thoughts his choice commend, | |
| I praise the hermit, but regret the friend. |
1844. Thirlwall, Greece, VIII. xii. 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. Longf., Ways. Inn, 2nd Interl. One, ever eager to commend.
† 4. 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 yor good Lordshipp.
1596. Shaks., 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, trans. 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.
