Solemn a. (adv. and sb.)

Forms: 4–6 solempne (4 soll-), sol(l)empe; 4–7 solemne, 7 sollemn(e, 6– solemn; 5 solom, 6 sollem, soleme, sol-, sollom(e, 6–7 solem. See also SOLEMNY a. and SOLEN a. [a. OF. solempne, solemne (= Sp. and Pg. solemne) or ad. L. sōl-, sollemnis (later also sollempnis), established, appointed, customary, festive, etc.

  The formation of the L. word is doubtful; the common variant sōl-, sollennis (formerly explained as from sōlus, sollus whole, and annus year) is now believed to be due to assimilation, or to association with other adjs. in -ennis.]

  1.  Associated or connected with religious rites or observances; performed with due ceremony and reverence; having a religious character; sacred.

a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter, Comm. Cant., 499. We sall synge oure psalmys, þat is, we sall make solempn þi louyngis.

1340–70.  Alex. & Dind., 735. Ȝit may þer no man … Wiþ sole[m]pne sacrifice serue hem at onus.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 299. Seint Mammertus … ordeyned solempne letanyes þat beeþ i-cleped þe Rogaciouns.

1447.  Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 11. It was doon in ful solemne wyse And with many a cerymonye.

1528.  Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), I. 319. The seruice daylie doon … so deuoute solempne and full of Armonye.

1599.  Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 5. The solemnest divine honour which I see in those parts.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 808. Then came forth the sacrificers, who began the sacrifice of men…: for this was their solemnest festiuall.

1650.  Fuller, Pisgah, I. vii. 17. It is answered, that seven was the compleat and solemne number, whereon God himself emphatically insists.

1667.  Milton, P. L., I. 390. [They] with cursed things His holy Rites, and solemn Feasts profan’d.

1830.  Coleridge, Church & State (ed. 2), 226. During the solemner Sabbaths of the Spirit.

1847.  Tennyson, Princess, II. 428. At last a solemn grace Concluded, and we sought the gardens.

  b.  spec. Of various ecclesiastical ceremonies or services of a special character (see quots.).

1338.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 284. He giffes a solempne cursyng, Tille þo þat þer on liffes.

c. 1515.  Cocke Lorell’s B., 7. A solempne dyryge is songe there, with a grete drynkynge.

1546.  Supplic. Poore Commons (E.E.T.S.), 69. To this daye, thei vse, on solempne feastes, to folow theyr olde ordinary.

1577.  Harrison, Descr. Brit., II. i. It happened … in a Rogation weeke that the clergy goyng in solemne procession [etc.].

1699.  in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ., VII. 54. Father Rector of ye Colledge performed his Jubilee with a Solemn Mass. Ibid. (1700), 68. A Solemne Obsequie for Count Colonna of Bornhem.

1753.  Challoner, Cath. Chr. Instr., 93. In the high or solemn Mass the Gospel is sung by the Deacon.

1834.  K. H. Digby, Mores Cath., V. vii. 188. The festival of the circumcision became solemn in the sixth century.

1866.  Lee, Direct. Angl. (ed. 3), 360. Solemn Service, a choral celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

1908.  Ch. Times, 13 March, 347/2. Parishioners, friends, and relatives gathered from far and near for the Solemn Requiem.

  2.  Of days or seasons: Marked by the celebration of special observances or rites (esp. of a religious character); distinguished by, or set apart for, special ceremonies.

c. 1325.  Prose Psalter cxvii. 25. Stablis þe solempne daie.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 1418. Þemperour erded stille in rome at þe ester tide, & for þat solempne sesoun [etc.].

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VI. 29. He … forbeed hem mete and drynkenge of wyn but it were in certeyne solempne dayes in þe ȝere.

c. 1400.  Apol. Loll., 50. Þat feyris nor markets had no place in þe kirk in solempne tymis.

1422.  trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 194. In hey festis & solempne dayys.

1533.  Frith, Mirror (1829), 295. The Jews … were commanded to keep the seventh day solemn.

1611.  Bible, Numb. x. 10. Also in the day of your gladnesse, and in your solemne dayes.

1650.  Trapp, Comm., Exod. xx. 17. Holie-daies were either quotidian or solemn.

a. 1700.  Evelyn, Diary, 23 April 1646. To this there joynes a spacious Hall for sollemn days to ballot in.

  3.  Performed with, accompanied by, due formality or ceremony; of a formal or ceremonious character.

c. 1369.  Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 302. Eueryche [bird] songe in his wyse The most solempne seruyse. Ibid. (c. 1386), Squire’s T., 61. This Cambinskan … halt his feste, so solempne and so riche That in this world ne was ther noon it liche.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 464/1. Solempne, or feestfulle, festivus, celeber.

c. 1529.  Skelton, E. Rummyng, 548. Now truly, to my thynkynge, This is a solempne drinkynge.

1583.  Melbancke, Philotimus, Ff ij. To morrow next there is sollem hunting in the parke here adioyning.

1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit., 723. A solemne horse running, wherein the horse that outrunneth the rest hath for his prise a little golden bell.

1662.  J. Davies, trans. Olearius’ Voy. Ambass., A ij b. The Accompt of a Solemn Embassy, sent to two of the greatest Princes of Europe and Asia.

a. 1700.  Evelyn, Diary, 15 Oct. 1685. Being the King’s birth day, there was a solemne ball at Court.

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. III. iii. Till at length,… in solemn final session, there bursts forth … an explosion of eloquence.

1853.  J. H. Newman, Hist. Sk. (1873), II. I. i. 30. They were invited to two solemn banquets.

  † b.  Formal; regular; uniform. Obs.

1639.  Fuller, Holy War, IV. ix. (1840), 194. Since which time we had no solemn taking it [the city] by the Turks. Ibid. (a. 1661), Worthies (1840), II. 542. Castles … able to resist (though no solemn siege) a tumultuary incursion.

1668.  Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. xvii. 47. Any matter may easily repass … in the solemn Circulation of the Blood.

1704.  Dict. Rust. (1726), s.v. Hot-shoots, Whereupon they’ll continue a glowing, solemn, and constant Fire, for 7 or 8 hours.

  † c.  Customary; carefully observed. Obs.^–1

1616.  B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Humour, Ded. to Camden. So solemne a vice it is with them to vse the authoritie of their ignorance, to the crying downe of Poetry.

  † 4.  a. Grand, imposing; sumptuous. Obs.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 1171. He sete on Salamones solie, on solemne wyse.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Man of Lawe’s T., 387. Arryved ben this cristen folk to londe, In Surrie, with a greet solempne route.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 1630. Priam … a pales gert make Within the Cite full Solempne of a sete riall.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 142 b. Salomon buylded a solemne temple … of stones precyous & quadrat or squared.

c. 1586.  C’tess Pembroke, Ps. CX. ii. in solempne robes they glad shall goe.

1589.  Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, I. xv. (Arb.), 49. For which purpose also the players garments were made more rich and costly and solemne.

  † b.  Of great dignity or importance. Obs.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Prol., 209. Ther was … A limitour, a ful solempne man.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 3. After solempne and wise writeres of arte. Ibid., 95. Babylonia … was first so solempne þat it conteyned Assyria, Caldea, and Mesopotamia.

c. 1430.  Lydg., in Pol., Rel., & L. Poems (1866), 28. I fond a lyknesse depict vpon a wal…, The hede of thre fulle solempne and roiall, Intellectus, Memorye, and Resoun.

a. 1513.  Fabyan, Chron., VI. (1811), 183. Ethilstanne … mette with hym, and his people, at a place called Brymforde, where he had a great and solempne victory.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 230. Thrie Judgement saites to be seperate ane frome another in solemne places.

  † c.  Famous, renowned. Obs.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 421. His temple is solempne in þe ilond Diomedia.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 22. Edinburgh…, quhilke was nocht litle celebrate and solemne.

  5.  Of a formal and serious or deliberate character: a. Of vows or oaths, spec. of those made under some religious sanction.

  Solemn League and Covenant: see COVENANT sb. 9 a.

c. 1315.  Shoreham, I. 1785. Of chastete professioun Hys [= is] solempne by-heste.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., C. 239. With sacrafyse vp-set, & solempne vowes.

a. 1450.  Myrc, 1661. Hym þat brekeþ solempne vow, Or chawnge hyt wole, sende hym forþ now.

c. 1489.  Caxton, Blanchardyn, xlvi. 177. Makyng a grete & a solempne oath.

1559.  Mirr. Mag., Mowbrays Banishment, xi. We all agreed and sware a solempne oth.

1597.  Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxv. § 9. The solemnest vow that wee euer made.

1643.  Prynne, Sov. Power Parl., I. (ed. 2), 54. Such faith is to be given to the solemnest Oathes of Kings.

1756–9.  A. Butler, Lives of Saints, St. Frances. The Oblates make no solemn vows, only a promise of obedience to the mother-president.

1885.  Month, Nov., 436. The Redemptoristines were approved with solemn vows and are therefore a Religious Order properly so called. Ibid. (1894), June, 239. According to the Statutes, the vows of the choir nuns should be those canonically called ‘solemn.’

  b.  Of statements, compacts, documents, etc.

  Not always clearly distinct from sense 6.

1420.  in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. I. 67. And aftirward with a solempne proposicion dennouncede vn to hym thys Pes.

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., I. vi. 31. Alle the trouthis of lawe of kinde … weren writen bifore in thilk solempnest inward book.

1533.  More, Debell. Salem, v. Wks. 940/1. But then commeth he forthe vppon me … with a very foly & with a solempne lye.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 257. Therefore we protest … in solemnwyse that we are of this mynd.

1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit., 760. Thomas Musgrave … was by solemne writ of summons called to the Parliament.

1671.  Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 385. Our House hath … made a solemne vote, That aids given by the Commons ought not to be altered.

1702.  Addison, Dial. Medals, i. Wks. 1766, III. 17. The solemn dissertations that have been made on these weighty subjects!

1741–2.  Gray, Agrippina, I. i. Of mutter’d charms and solemn invocation.

1806.  J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life, II. xviii. The most solemn assurances of the Barometer that there is nothing to fear.

1847.  Mrs. A. Kerr, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Servia, 263. A solemn agreement had been entered into; and Russia was entitled to demand its due execution.

1884.  Encycl. Brit., XVII. 550/2. But neither in England nor in Sicily did official formalism acknowledge even French … as a fit tongue for solemn documents.

  6.  Of a serious, grave or earnest character:

  a.  Of actions, feelings, etc.

c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., II. viii. 183. If bi the ymagis … schulde be maad eny quyk and feruent and solempne and miche deuout remembraunce.

c. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 234. He toke of hys cappe, and made a low and solempne obeysance.

1590.  Greene, Never too Late, Wks. (Grosart), VIII. 77. With a solempne conge departing, he went about his busines.

1602.  Shaks., Ham., I. ii. 201. A figure like your Father … with sollemne march Goes slow and stately.

1659.  Hammond, On Ps. xlviii. 12. Paraphr. 246. Nothing so deserving our solemnest meditations.

1705.  Stanhope, Paraphr., II. 303. Therefore our Zeal, if sincere, will be solemn.

1763.  J. Brown, Poetry & Mus., xii. 214. Our parochial Music, in general, is solemn and devout.

1827.  Scott, Chron. Canongate, i. I shall never forget the solemn tone of expression with which he summed up the incapacities of the paralytic.

1833.  Tennyson, Dream Fair Wom., lvii. I heard Him, for He spake, and grief became A solemn scorn of ills.

1868.  E. S. Ffoulkes, Church’s Creed or Crown’s Creed? 36. There is a solemn document before the world—I may say one of the solemnest.

  b.  Of persons. Also transf.

1580–3.  Greene, Mamillia, Wks. (Grosart), II. 239. Be not too sad least he thinke thou art sollempe.

1599.  Shaks., Hen. V., IV. i. 318. Where the sad and solemne Priests sing still.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 648. Silent Night With this her solemn Bird. Ibid., XI. 236. Some great Potentate … solemn and sublime, whom not to offend, With reverence I must meet.

1781.  Cowper, Conversation, 299. A shallow brain behind a serious mask,… The solemn fop.

1842.  S. Lover, Handy Andy, xxviii. They were again a reverent flock, and he once more a solemn pastor.

1867.  F. H. Ludlow, Brace of Boys, 265. So confused among the wax-works that he pinched the solemnest showman’s legs to see if he was real.

  absol.  1871.  R. Ellis, Catullus, xxvii. 6. But dull water, avaunt…; seek the sour, the solemn!

  c.  Of the features or looks.

1595.  Shaks., John, IV. ii. 90. Why do you bend such solemne browes on me?

1761.  Gray, Odin, 76. What Virgins these … That bend to earth their solemn brow.

1832.  Brewster, Nat. Magic, iii. 43. Though the eyes were open, the features were solemn and rigid.

1899.  Marg. Benson & Gourlay, Temple of Mut, i. 11. An Arab girl with solemn eyes and swathed form.

  7.  Fitted to excite serious thoughts or reflections; impressive, awe-inspiring.

c. 1400.  St. Alexius (Laud MS.), 867. Þe þrid tyme com þe voice Fro hym þat was don on croice wiþ gret solempne liȝth.

c. 1425.  Abraham’s Sacr., 437, in Bk. of Brome, 68. Lo!… now haue we schowyd Thys solom story to grete and smale.

1522.  More, De Quat. Noviss., Wks. 84/1. The wind that puffeth vs vp in pride, vpon the solemne sight of worldly worship.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. viii. 29. There raignd a solemne silence ouer all.

1642.  H. More, Song Soul, I. III. lxv. In solem silency this vapour rose From this drad Dale.

1719.  Tickell, On the Death of Addison, 15. What awe did the slow solemn knell inspire.

1757.  Gray, Bard, 105. What solemn scenes on Snowdon’s height.

1821.  Shelley, Adonais, xlv. His solemn agony had not Yet faded from him.

1860.  Tyndall, Glac., I. xviii. 123. The solemn heights of Monte Rosa.

1880.  J. F. Clarke, Self Culture, iii. 75. It becomes vastly more solemn than death.

  † b.  Gloomy, dark, somber. Obs.

1602.  Shaks., Ham., I. ii. 78. Customary suites of solemne Blacke.

1616.  B. Jonson, Epigr., I. lxxiii. Your partie-perpale picture, one halfe drawne In solemne cypres.

1625.  Bacon, Ess., Adversity (Arb.), 505. Wee see in Needleworkes and Imbroideries, It is more pleasing, to haue a Liuely Worke, vpon a Sad and Solemne Grounde; then to haue a Darke and Melancholy Worke, vpon a Lightsome Ground.

  8.  As adv. Solemnly. rare^–1.

1743.  Francis, trans. Hor., Sec. Poem, 20. II. 385. Let the solemn Numbers rise; Solemn sing the Queen of Night.

  9.  As sb. Solemnity. rare^–1.

1706.  De Foe, Jure Divino, IV. 81. When subjects … Bind their dissembled homage to the Crown And bend the Solemns of Religion down.

  10.  Comb. a. Misc., as solemn-breathing, -looking, -proud adjs., -slowly adv.

1526.  Skelton, Magnyf., 1023. Somtyme I syt as I were solempe prowde.

1634.  Milton, Comus, 555. A soft and solemn breathing sound.

1754.  Gray, Progr. Poesy, 14. Parent of sweet and solemn-breathing airs.

1817.  Lady Morgan, France, I. (1818), I. 53. A cold, solemn-looking English sergeant.

1871.  G. Macdonald, Wks. of Fancy & Imag., ii. 12. Let the bright sails all solemn-slowly pass.

  b.  Parasynthetic, or with pa. pples., as solemn-browed, -measured, -shaded, -thoughted, -visaged.

1777.  R. Potter, Æschylus, Supplicants, 110. For this beneath the solemn-shaded grove Our raptur’d invocations rise.

1838.  Ld. Houghton, Poems of Many Years, 11.

1842.  Dickens, Amer. Notes (1850), 151/1. In stiff-necked solemn-visaged piety.

1844.  Mrs. Browning, Lady Geraldine’s Courtship, xli. Wordsworth’s solemn-thoughted idyl.

1852.  Miss Mulock, Head of Family, vi. A long-limbed, solemn-browed follower of the sciences.