sb. Forms: see below. [OE. sunnandæʓ, = OFris. sunnan-, sunnen-, sonnendei, -di (NFris. sanndai, senndei, sönndei, EFris. sendei, -di, etc.), OS. sunnun-, sunnondag, MLG. sunnen-, sun-, sondach, (MDu. sonnendach, sondagh, Du. zondag), OHG. sunnûn or sunnon dag or tag (MHG. sunnen or sonnen tag, sunnetac, suntac, etc., G. sonntag), ON. sunnudagr (Sw., Da. søndag); transl. of late L. diēs sōlis = late Gr. ἡμέρα ἡλίου ‘day of the sun.’
Now (like the other names of days of the week) with initial capital, which is frequent in early texts, but does not become regular till the 17th.]
1. The first day of the week, observed by Christians as a day of rest and worship, in commemoration of Christ’s resurrection; the Lord’s Day.
α. 1 sunnandæʓ, 2 sunnen dæi, sunnondæʓ, 2–5 sonenday, 3 sunen-, 3–4 sonnen-, 4 sonun-, 4–5 sonnon-, sonon(n)-, 5 sonoun-, sunun-.
a. 700. Laws of Ine, c. 3. Ʒif ðeowmon wyrce on Sunnandæʓ.
971. Blickl. Hom., 47. Þæt hi Sunnandaʓum … Godes cyrican ʓeorne secan.
c. 1154. O. E. Chron., an. 1154. On þe sunnen dæi be foren midwinter dæi.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 261. Ihesus … Ros fro ded on ðe sunenday.
a. 1300–1400. Cursor M., 17288 + 1 (Cott.). On sononday in þe daghyng, he ros fro ded to live.
1357. Lay Folks Catech. (T.), 49. Openly on Inglis opon sononndaies Teche and preche thaim, that thai haue cure of.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 335. The folk apon the sononday Held to Sanct Brydis kirk thar way.
a. 1400. Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS., 5. The thirde commandement es þat we halde and halowe oure haly day, þe sonondaye.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), iii. 10. On þe Setirday and on þe Sonounday.
β. 1 Northumb. sunnadæʓ, (-doeʓ), sunnedæ, 2 sunne-dei, 2–3 sunedai, 3 sune-day, sonedæi, -dai, 3–4 soneday, (4 sonneday(e).
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xii. 1. Sabbato, in sunnadæʓ. Ibid., John v. 16–18. In sabbato, in symbeldæʓ…. Sabbatum, ðone sunnedae.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 45. Amansed beo þe mon þe sunne-dei nulle iloken.
c. 1205. Lay., 13934. Þene Sunne heo ȝiuen sonedæi.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8724. Þe soneday he was ycrouned.
13[?]. St. Alexius (Laud 108), 338. Vpon þe holy soneday.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. X. 227. Vp-on sonedays to cesse godes seruyce to huyre.
γ. 3–4 sundai, 4 sundaye, sondai, -dey, zonday, Sc. sownday, 4–6 Sc. sounday, 4–7 sonday, (5 sondaw, Sc. sonda), 5–6 sondaye, 6 sunnedaye, 6–7 sundaie, 4– sunday, Sunday.
a. 1300. X Commandm., 25, in E. E. P. (1862), 16. Þe secunde so is þis sundai wel þat ȝe holde.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 806. Of al þe festys þat yn holy chyrche are, Holy sunday men oght to spare.
1340. Ayenb., 7. Oure lhord aros uram dyaþe to lyue þane zonday.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxv. (Julian), 128. A housband … telyt his land one sownday.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 199. Þe credo þat is i-songe þe Sondayes [v.r. Sondawes].
1456. Paston Lett., I. 386. The King hathe ley in London Friday, Saterday, Sonday.
1526. Tindale, Rev. i. 10. I was in the sprete on a sondaye.
1561. Winȝet, Four Scoir Thre Quest., To Rdr. Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 53. At Pasche and certane Soundays efter.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., II. i. 397. Now on the sonday following, shall Bianca Be Bride to you.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Sunday, iv. Sundaies the pillars are, On which heav’ns palace arched lies.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 10, ¶ 7. I seldom frequent card-tables on Sundays.
1839. Longf., Vill. Blacksmith, v. He goes on Sunday to the church, And sits among his boys.
1887. Ruskin, Præterita, II. vi. 198. It was thirteen years later before I made a sketch on Sunday.
b. With specific epithet, as Advent, Midlent, Mothering, Trinity (q.v.). † The Sunday of the Passion: Passion Sunday.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10178. Þe sonenday of þe passion.
c. colloq. phr. When two Sundays come together (meet), never. A month of Sundays, a very long time. (One’s) Sunday out, the monthly or other Sunday on which a domestic servant is free. Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, suit, a humorous expansion of Sunday clothes, etc. (cf. go-to-meeting, GO v. VIII).
1670. Ray, Collect. Prov., 194. When two Sundays meet.
1677. Coles, Eng.-Lat. Dict., s.v., When two Sundays come together.
1850. Kingsley, Alt. Locke, xxvii. I haven’t heard more fluent or passionate English this month of Sundays.
1858. [see OUR adv. 15 b].
1864. F. Locker, Housemaid, I. 6. Thou canst not stir, because ’tis not Thy Sunday out.
1888. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Robbery under Arms, xliv. I ain’t been out of this blessed hole … for a month of Sundays.
1894. Baring-Gould, Queen of Love, I. ii. 15. All in your Sunday-go-to-meeting togs.
1896. Housman, Shropshire Lad, xxv. Rose Harland on her Sundays out Walked with the better man.
1900. Elinor Glyn, Visits Elizabeth (1906), 15. Such funny, grand, best smart Sunday-go-to-meeting looking clothes.
2. Saint Sunday, a rendering of Sanctus Dominicus = St. Dominic, due to confusion with L. dies dominica (see DOMINICAL a. 2, DOMINICAN) = Sunday. local.
St. Dominic’s Abbey, Cork, is called St. Sunday’s Abbey in an inquisition about the end of Elizabeth’s reign (N. & Q., 5th Ser. IX. 254), and the Dominican friary in Drogheda was situated near Sunday’s Gate (D’Alton, Hist. Drogheda, 1844, I. 120).
1490. Yatton Churchw. Acc. (Som. Rec. Soc.), 117. Payd for Sint Sunday xijs ixd.
1530. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), V. 299. I gyff a hyeff of beis to keip the lyght afore Seynt Sonday and Seynt Erasmus.
1532. in Weaver, Wells Wills (1890), 70. Our lady a shepe and a kyrtell … St. Katerine a shepe—S. Antony iiijd—Saint Sonday iiijd.
1539. Will T. Milnay, of Doncaster. To be buried in the church of St. George in Doncaster afor Sanct Sonday.
1842. Faber, Styrian Lake, 168. Far to the right St. Sunday’s quiet shade Stoops o’er the dell where Grisedale Tarn is laid.
3. attrib. and Comb. = Of or pertaining to, taking place on or characteristic of Sunday, as Sunday audience, book, chime, concert, dinner, drink, evening, excursion, feel, morn(ing), paper, pastime, sabbath, trading, train, travelling; worn on Sunday (also occasionally with possessive Sunday’s), as Sunday beaver, clothes, coat, garb, garment, hat, suit; objective, as Sunday-breaker; also Sunday-like, -seeming adjs.; Sunday best, one’s best attire, worn on Sunday; Sunday or Sunday’s child [cf. MLG. sundageskint, G. sonntagskind], a child born on Sunday, hence, one (according to popular belief) greatly blessed or favored (so † Sunday’s daughter); † Sunday citizen, a citizen in Sunday clothes; Sunday face, (Sc.) a sanctimonious expression; (Irish) a festive countenance; Sunday-going adj., (of clothing, etc.) that one goes out in on Sunday; Sunday letter, the dominical letter; Sunday man, one who goes out only on Sunday; Sunday salt: see quot. 1808. See also SUNDAY-SCHOOL.
1783. R. Raikes, Lett., 25 Nov., in Gentl. Mag. (1784), LIV. I. 411/1. Upon the *Sunday afternoon, the mistresses take their scholars to church.
1856. N. Brit. Rev., XXVI. 30. The preacher should abstain from addressing to a promiscuous *Sunday audience the themes of abstract science.
1840. Hood, An Open Question, iii. The beaver … So different from other *Sunday beavers!
1866. Mrs. Gaskell, Wives & Dau., xlv. Mrs. Gibson was off, all in her *Sunday best (to use the servant’s expression).
1811. L. M. Hawkins, C’tess & Gertr., xxvii. II. 86. I tell you I have a *Sunday-book; that which at present occupies with me the chief place next the Scriptures, is Klopstock’s Messiah.
1855. Amy Carlton, 89. ‘Miss Jones will … give out the Sunday books’ … a number of histories of good people, Bible stories, parables, allegories, and other books of the same sort.
1885. Manch. Exam., 6 July, 5/4. He let the fashionable *Sunday-breakers have a piece of his mind.
1888. E[mily] Gerard, Land beyond Forest, II. xxix. 41. *Sunday children are lucky, and can discoser hidden treasures.
Popular Rhyme. Sunday’s child is full of grace.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxxi. The parish church,… from which at present was heard the *Sunday chime of bells.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. i. 261. Leaue … such protest … To Veluet-Guards, and *Sunday-Citizens.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, I. i. 20. Such as their Phyllis would, when as she plains Their *Sunday-cloths.
a. 1774. Fergusson, Hallow-fair, iii. Poems 1789, II. 26. Country John in bannet blue, An’ eke his Sunday’s claes on.
1779. Warner, in Jesse, Selwyn & Contemp. (1844), IV. 311. the clod-pated yeoman’s son in his Sunday clothes.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., III. ii. The mere haberdasher Sunday Clothes that men go to Church in.
17[?]. Song, ‘There’s nae luck about the house,’ iii. Gie … Jock his *Sunday coat.
1779. Mirror, No 25, ¶ 7. One of the best-looking plow-boys had a yellow cape clapped to his Sunday’s coat to make him pass for a servant in livery.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xlii. His best light-blue Sunday’s coat, with broad metal-buttons.
a. 1150[?]–1259. in Gest. Abb. S. Albani (Rolls), I. 99. Cœpit flere præ gaudio; ita dicens,—‘Lætare mecum,’ ait sermone vulgari,—‘Myn gode *Sonendayes doȝhter.’
1670. Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 110. There is great danger, not only of losing his *sunday-dinner, but [etc.].
1819. Keats, Otho, II. i. Serv’d with harsh food, with scum for *Sunday-drink.
1817. Lady Morgan, France, III. (1818), I. 303. *Sunday evening assemblies.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Passion & Princ., xiv. III. 338. A *Sunday excursion to Richmond in a steam-boat.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitl. Cl.), 147. You would take them for so many seceders, they put on such a *Sunday face, and walk as if they would not look up.
1852. E. W. Benson, in Life (1899), I. iii. 110. I have all the while I am there a perfect *Sunday-feel.
1822. Galt, Provost, xxxii. The town officers in their *Sunday garbs.
1679. Coles, Eng.-Lat. Dict. (ed. 2), s.v., A *Sunday’s Garment, Vestis festa.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc., IV. Fine Clothes, v. The Sunday garment glittering gay.
1840. P. Parley’s Ann., I. 270. A band-box containing Miss Mainwaring’s *Sunday-going bonnet.
1430. in Halliwell, Rara Mathem. (1841), 91. Þen schal E be ȝour *sonday letter to þe ȝerus ynde.
1698. Phil. Trans., XX. 187. B, the Sunday Letter for this year.
1834. Tracts for Times, No. 22. 5. The morning is so lovely, so *Sunday-like.
1840. Florist’s Jrnl. (1846), I. 99. This was perhaps no great loss to the majority of the *Sunday loungers.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., *Sunday man, one who goes abroad on that day only, for fear of arrests.
1819. F. MacDonogh, Hermit in London (1820), IV. 120. These hebdomadal loungers are what are called Sunday men.
1786. Burns, Holy Fair, i. Upon a simmer *Sunday morn.
1629. Wadsworth, Pilgr., iii. 18. On *Sunday morning at six of the clocke they hye to their studies.
1841. A. Dallas, Past. Superintendence, III. i. 431. The attendance on the means of grace may be called satisfactory—the Sunday morning congregation consisting of about three hundred persons, including children.
1821. Acc. Peculations in Coal Trade, 18. The daily or *Sunday newspapers.
1788. Wolcot (P. Pindar), Bro. Peter to Bro. Tom, x. Who … Made up a concert every *Sunday night.
1598. Bp. Hall, Sat., IV. ii. Byes he rost for *sunday-noone.
1812. Byron, Lett. to Ld. Holland, 14 Oct. I have seen no paper but Perry’s, and two *Sunday ones.
1848. Thackeray, Van. Fair, liv. He would by no means permit the introduction of Sunday papers into his household.
1874. Green, Short Hist., viii. § 4. 495. The Parliament … had forbidden *Sunday pastimes by statute.
1645. Pagitt, Heresiogr. (1661), 189. The keeping of *Sunday-sabbath as strictly as the Jews.
1756. F. Home, Exper. Bleaching, 238. A particular kind … only made on Sunday; and therefore called *Sunday-salt, or great salt, from the largeness of its grains.
1808. Holland, View Agric. Chesh., i. 55. The large grained flaky salt … made by slackening the fires betwixt Saturday and Monday, and allowing the crystallization to proceed more slowly on the intermediate day … has got the name of Sunday salt.
1786. Burns, Holy Fair, vi. I’ll get my *Sunday’s sark on.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 175. A *Sunday scene looks brighter to the eye.
1850. Clough, Dipsychus, II. vi. 69. Good books, good friends … That lent rough life sweet *Sunday-seeming rests.
1738. *Sunday’s suit [see SUIT sb. 19 b].
1888. Rider Haggard, Col. Quaritch, xxxiv. Arrayed in his pepper-and-salt Sunday suit.
1574–5. G. Harvey, Story of Mercy Harvey, Wks. (Grosart), III. 75. A *Sundaie supper at Mr. S.
1856. Brit. Alm. & Comp., 228. [July 2 1855] Lord Grosvenor … withdraws his *Sunday-Trading Bill in the House of Commons.
1883. Miss Broughton, Belinda, III. 122. The *Sunday trains are so awkward that I cannot get on till late in the afternoon.
c. 1815. Jane Austen, Persuas., xvii. She saw … that *Sunday-travelling had been a common thing.
Hence (chiefly colloq.) Sunday v. intr. (U.S.), to spend Sunday; Sundayed, Sundayfied adjs. [cf. FRENCHIFIED, etc.], appropriate to Sunday, in Sunday clothes; Sundayish a., somewhat like, or like that of, Sunday; Sundayism, practice or conduct characteristic of the observance of Sunday; † Sundayly adv., every Sunday.
1884. Lisbon (Dakota) Clipper, 13 March. H. R. Turner *Sundayed in Fargo.
1884. Hunter & Whyte, My Ducats & My Daughter, III. xxiv. 53. Dick had assumed a tight-fitting suit of glossy black, which gave him the aspect of a *Sunday’d butcher.
1899. C. G. Harper, Exeter Road, 123. A village … of a *Sundayfied stillness.
1797. R. Gurney, in A. J. C. Hare, Gurneys of Earlham (1895), I. 70. [The day] was flat, stupid, unimproving, and *Sundayish.
1911. W. W. Jacobs, Ship’s Company, 1. Mr. Jobson awoke with a Sundayish feeling, probably due to the fact that it was Bank Holiday.
1850. T. McCrie, Mem. Sir H. Agnew, ix. 239. Their own genial and jaunty *Sundayism.
1479–81. Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 110. Item, payd *sondayly to iij poore almysmen to pray,… &c.
