Pl. † summa(e)s. Also 5 somma. [L.: see SUM sb.1]
† 1. An amount; = SUM sb.1 1. Obs.
1475. Paston Lett., III. 135. The somma off money that I have receyvyd of Wylliam Pecok. Ibid. (1484), 313. The summa of Cli.
1523–4. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1904), 325. All summaes of Money the whiche the said Thomas had in the custody of the chirch.
† 2. A sum-total; = SUM sb.1 4 b. Obs.
1442. Rolls of Parlt., V. 59/2. Summa of the men MMCCLX men.
1550. W. Lynne, Carion’s Cron., 29. Summa of the yeares is CxCi.
1596. in Abst. Protocols Town Clerks of Glasgow (1897), V. Pref. 14. Summa of this charge and oneratioun extending in haill to the sowme of jm iiije 1 lib xiijs. iiijd.
1682. Compt, in Thanes of Cawdor (Spalding Club), 359. Summa of the hingings in Scots money as the cost in Flanders is £441, 1Os.
1784. in Nairne Peerage Evidence (1874), 72. Summa of the inventary iij. c. lxxv.lib viij.s.
3. A summary treatise; = SUM sb.1 9 b; e.g., the Summa Theologiæ of St. Thomas Aquinas.
1725. J. Howe, Wks. (1834), 597/2. Such summas of Christian doctrine and practice, as we have pointed to us.
1845. Encycl. Metrop., XI. 810/2. To judge adequately of the nature of this Theology, we have only to take a survey of the celebrated Summa of Aquinas.
1887. Huxley, in 19th Cent., April, 491. The second chapter of the work in question, which is entitled ‘Law; its definitions,’ is, from my point of view, a sort of ‘summa’ of pseudo-scientific philosophy.
† 4. advb. [L. abl. summā.] In sum (see SUM sb.1 10). Obs.
1535. Coverdale, Bible, Ep. Ded. Summa, in all godly regimentes of olde tyme the kynge and temporall iudge was obeyed of euery man. [Ibid. (1550), Spir. Perle, xviii. 139. In summa to be short, after trouble and aduersite foloweth almaner of goodnes and felicite.] Ibid. (a. 1560), Bk. Death, I. xx. 76. Summa, he is oure hope, our safegarde, oure triumph, our crowne.
5. Phrases. a. Summa rerum [L. rērum of things or affairs]: the highest public interest. Cf. SUM sb.1 13 b.
1715. Swift, Inq. Behaviour Queen’s Last Minist., ¶ 25, Wks. 1841, I. 503/2. I believe no minister of any party would … have scrupled to take the same step when the summa rerum was at stake.
1837. De Quincey, Revolt Tartars, Wks. 1890, VII. 396. They easily understood that too capital an interest (the summa rerum) was now at stake.
b. Summa summarum: the grand total; fig. the consummation, the ultimate result.
1567. Jewel, Def. Apol., I. ix. 65. This is, Summa Summarum: whiche thinge being graunted, what should a man seeke any farther?
1631. in Crt. & Times Chas. I. (1848), II. 162. It is thought that, in summa summarum, he will be called to be the king’s solicitor.
c. Summa totalis: = SUM-TOTAL.
Abbreviated summ’ tot’.
1471. Paston Lett., III. 26. Summa totalis, lvjs. iiijd.
1529. More, Suppl. Soulys, Wks. 294/1. Summa totalis, xliii. thowsand. li. iii. hundred & xxxiii. li. vi. s, viii. d.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, Wks. 1905, III. 108. Master Spencer, whom I do not thrust in the lowest place because I make the lowest valuation of, but as wee vse to set the Summ’ tot’ alway vnderneath or at the bottome, he being the Sum’ tot’ of whatsoeuer can be said of sharpe inuention and schollership.
1606. Sir G. Goosecappe, I. i. A 3 b. This is your Summa totalis of both their virtues.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, II. (1693), 172. The summa totalis of the Civil Magistracy.
