Forms: α. 3–4 somoune, 3–5 somony, 3–6 somon(e, 4–5 somoun, sommone, sowmoun, -own, (3 sumune(n, 4 somun(e, -own, summone, 5 sumoun, somowne, 6 sumon, -own, sowmon), 6–7 sommon, 4– summon, See also SUMMOND v. β. 3 someni, sumen, 3–4 someny, 3–5 somene, 3–6 somen, 4–5 somyn, somn-; 4–5 sompne, -y. (See SOMNE v.2, SOMPNE.) γ. 3–4 sumni, -y, 4–5 sumne. [a. AF., OF. sumun-, somun-, somon-, pres. stem of somondre, semondre (see SUMMOND v.) = Pr. somon(d)re, semondre:—pop.L. *summonĕre for summonēre, in earlier L., to give a hint, suggest, in med.L., to call, cite, summon, f. sub- (see SUB- 24) + monēre to warn (see MONITION).
The ME. forms with weak vowel in the second syllable (somene, sumene) underwent contraction when inflected for the pa. t., pples., and vbl. sb. (somned, somning, etc.): cf. SOMNER, SUMNER.
The earliest examples show assimilation in meaning, and partly in form, to ME. somni, OE. somnian, SOMNE v.1, to assemble.]
1. trans. To call together by authority for action or deliberation. † Occas. with up. (See SUMMONS sb. 1, 1 b.)
c. 1205. Lay., 424. He heihte his folc sumunen & cumen to him seoluen. Ibid., 1482. Þa ferde wes isumned & heo forð fusden. Ibid., 19183. Ah nu ich wulle fusen & sumnien mine ferde.
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 26. Þo dede he somoni alle þo wyse clerekes þet kuþe þe laghe.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10379. Þe pope … alle þe bissops of engelond let someni to rome.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1800. Do sumne þe folk astyte, Þat þey come alle hedyr. Ibid. (c. 1330), Chron. Wace (Rolls), 3265. Belyn dide somone his Bretons.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 327. He let somoune a parlement, To which the lordes were asent.
1472–3. Rolis of Parlt., VI. 42/1. The Lordes … of this Reame, in this present Parlement somoned and holden at Westm’.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 112. Pope Paule by his legate Vergerius sommoneth the counsell of Mantua.
1605. Shaks., Lear, II. iv. 35. They summon’d vp their meiney, straight tooke Horse.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., I. § 12. If they had been frequently summoned, and seasonably dissolved.
1677–8. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 603. The Shrieues haue order to summon up all absent Parliament-men.
1711. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 137. He might have called to his assistance … 15,000 good men … by summoning the voluntiers.
1748. Anson’s Voy., III. vii. Thereupon the Governor had summoned his Council.
1758. J. Dalrymple, Ess. Feudal Property (ed. 2), 266. A distinction was made in the form of summoning the greater and the smaller vassals.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. xx. 281. Those [contempts] committed by jurymen,… such as making default, when summoned.
1777. Watson, Philip II. (1839), 357. That he should summon the general assembly of the States to meet at least once a year.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xxxviii. The Grand Master had summoned a chapter.
1820. Gifford, Compl. Engl. Lawyer (ed. 5), 73. A commission from the bishop, directed usually to his chancellor and others of competent learning; who are to summon a jury of six clergymen and six laymen.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xi. III. 29. No royal writ had summoned the Convention which recalled Charles the Second.
1877. Froude, Short Stud. (1883), IV. I. iv. 44. The king once more summoned a great Council to meet him at Northampton.
b. To call (a peer) to parliament by writ of summons; hence, to call to a peerage. (See SUMMONS sb. 1 b.)
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 592. Thiddir somownys he in hy The barownys of his reawte.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 635. William Beauchamp who was summoned afterward to Parliament.
1885. Freeman, in Encycl. Brit., XVIII. 462/2. One may certainly doubt whether Edward [I.], when he summoned a baron to parliament, meant positively to … summon that baron’s heirs for ever and ever.
1888. N. & Q., 7th Ser. V. 391/2. Thomas Fane married Mary, daughter of Henry, Lord Abergavenny, 1574…. She was summoned to the barony of Le Despenser,… 1604.
2. To cite by authority to attend at a place named, esp. to appear before a court or judge to answer a charge or to give evidence; to issue a summons against. (See SUMONS sb. 2.)
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., 74. He liet him somoune al-so To westmunstre, to answerien him of þat he him hadde mis-do.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 510. Al þe godemen of þe toune, Byfore þe bysshop dyden here somoune.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 146. Þei … somonen men to chapitre & bi fors taken here goodis. Ibid. (c. 1380), Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 205. Þei ben somynned and reprovyd many weies, and after put in prison. Ibid., III. 320. Þei somenen and aresten men wrongfully to gete þe money out of his purse.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 241. Oon of his bedellys … Cam with his potent instede of a maas, Somowned me.
c. 1460. Oseney Reg., 80. Sumne hym by a goode sumnyng that he be afore vs.
c. 1480. Henryson, Mor. Fables, Sheep & Dog, 18. Schir Corbie Rauin … hes … Summonit the Scheip befoir the Uolf.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 938. To somen, adjourner.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 100. James Hammelltoun … was sowmond … to wnderly the law.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. xii. § 59. It is unfit that Ministers should be summoned, before each proud … under-officer.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. xx. 279. The courts of common law … making it necessary to summon the party accused before he is condemned.
1774. Warton, Hist. Eng. Poetry, I. xvii. 445. To summon uncanonical offenders into the archdeacon’s court.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 167. A witness who will not come of himself may be summoned.
1887. Courier, 23 June. George Champneys … was summoned for wilfully assaulting Mr. Smeadon.
absol. 1615. Chapman, Odyss., II. 11. The Heralds then, he strait charg’d to consort The curld-head Greekes, with lowd calls to a Court. They summon’d; th’ other came.
† b. To call (a plea) into court. Obs.
c. 1460. Oseney Reg., 104. Whereoff ‘assisa of the deth of aunceturs’ whas i-sumned bitwene them In the forsaide Courte. Ibid., 115. Whereof þe plee of ‘conuencion’ whas i-summonyd bitwene them in þe same courte.
† c. transf. To call to account. Obs. rare.
1654–66. Earl Orrery, Parthen. (1676), 610. The two Princes summoned Callimachus of his promise.
3. gen. To require the presence or attendance of; to bid (a person) to approach by a call, ringing a bell, knocking, or the like; with adv., to call (to a person) to go in a specified direction.
a. 1400. Robt Cicyle (MS. Harl. 525), in Parker, Dom. Archit. (1853), II. 73. [He] somowned him a Barbour before, That as a fole he should be shore.
a. 1536. Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.), 97. Whan deth commyth,… Obey we must, þer ys no remedye; He hath me somond.
1566. Painter, Pal. Pleas., I. To Rdr. Their great Graundmother Eue when she was somoned from Paradise ioye.
1592. Soliman & Pers., V. ii. 68. Ere we could summon him a land, His ships were past a kenning from the shoare.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. vii. 16. Ile knocke once more, to summon them.
1683. J. Kettlewell, Help Worthy Commun., III. v. 376. We are summon’d in to profess Repentance.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, an. 1635. When near her death, she summoned all her children then living.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xii. The matin-bell strikes!… I am summoned.
1832. Brewster, Nat. Magic, vi. 132. The family was then summoned to the spot, and the phenomena were seen alike by them all.
1885. ‘Mrs. Alexander,’ At Bay, i. They were soon summoned to table.
4. fig. with immaterial or inanimate subject: To call, bid come or go. Often with adv.
1549. Compl. Scot., Ep. 6. I beand summond be institutione of ane gude zeil.
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., II. ii. 46. When Vesper ginnes to rise, That summons home distresfull trauellers.
1592. Arden of Feversham, III. iii. 11. A gentle slumber tooke me, And sommond all my parts to sweete repose.
1608. D. T[uvill], Ess. Pol. & Mor., 38 b. Heerein may their practice serue like a seuerer Censor,… and summoning the blood into our faces, make vs ashamed.
1629. Wadsworth, Pilgr., iii. 14. Euery morning the fift houre summons the vp.
1731. Pope, Ep. Burlington, 142. The Chapel’s silver bell you hear, That summons you to all the Pride of Pray’r.
1750. Johnson, in Boswell. The business of life summons us away from useless grief.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xxxv. The attention of Morton was summoned to the window by a great noise. Ibid. (1818), Rob Roy, i. If my father were suddenly summoned from life.
absol. 1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. ii. 169. Hearke how these Instruments summon to supper.
1891. ‘Q.’ (Quiller-Couch), Noughts & Cr., Cott. Troy, iv. Its [sc. the sea’s] voice in his ears, calling, summoning all the way.
5. To call upon (a person) to do something.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 462. Ȝif crist haue sumnyd hem for to come not to hym.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1212. He somond than the schippemene … To schake furthe with the schyre mene to schifte the gudez.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1702. He somond all þe Cite … To a counsell to come for a cause hegh.
c. 1450. Merlin, 249. This squyer hadde ofte Carados somoned to be a knyght.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 534. Cole-black clouds … Do summon vs to part.
1671. Milton, P. R., II. 143. I summon all … to be in readiness … to assist.
1781. Cowper, Expost., 179. That moving signal summoning … Their host to move.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, ii. He called … on a young … bard,… and summoned him to sing something which might command the applause of his sovereign.
1859. Tennyson, Guinevere, 566. They summon me their King to lead mine hosts.
b. To call upon to surrender.
[1471. Caxton, Recuyell (Sommer), 73. J the somone as legat … that thou yelde this cyte vnto his fader kyng saturne.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 36. The kyng … sent an heraulde to somon vs to rendre to hym this cytee.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 252. Donauerde, whiche being sommoned to render, had refused.
1643. Baker, Chron. (1653), 248. The Duke of Exeter was sent … to summon the Citizens to surrender the Town.
1842. Borrow, Bible in Spain, xxxiv. A man advanced and summoned us to surrender.]
1603. [see SUMMONING vbl. sb.].
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. iv. 7. Summon the Towne.
1773. Goldsm., Stoops to Conq., II. i. He first summoned the garrison.
1810. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1838), VI. 120. General Mermet summoned the place on the 12th.
1853. Stocqueler, Milit. Encycl., 271/2.
† 6. To give warning or notice of, proclaim, call.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 205. He cast hym … In a Cite be-syde to somyn a fest.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., III. iii. 35. Summon a Parley, we will talke with him. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., II. iii. 202. Prepare you Lords, Summon a Session.
7. Often with up: To ‘call’ (a faculty, etc.) to one’s aid; to bring (one’s courage, energy) into action; to call up.
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 24. With food they summond theyre force [L. victu revocant viris].
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., I. i. 1. Now Madam summon vp your dearest spirits.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 374. Relie On what thou hast of vertue, summon all.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 87, ¶ 8. We … summon our powers to oppose it.
1780. Mirror, No. 87, ¶ 7. Being obliged to summon up his resolution.
1802. Maria Edgeworth, Moral T. (1816), I. xviii. 149. He summoned all his fortitude.
1865. Trollope, Belton Est., xxvi. 317. She had been driven to summon up all her courage to enable her to do so.
1886. Ruskin, Præterita, II. 157. You paused to summon courage to enter.
b. refl. To ‘pull oneself together.’ rare.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xvi. He summoned himself hastily.
8. To call into existence; to call forth.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., IX. 1558. He summons into being, with like ease, A whole creation, and a single grain.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. III. iii. M. de Calonne has stretched out an Aaron’s Rod over France … and is summoning … unexpected things.
1841. Whittier, Lucy Hooper, 28. Pain and weariness, which here Summoned the sigh or wrung the tear.
