Forms: see below. [(1) The adj. use in A. 1 is restricted to ME. compounds formed on the model of OE. compounds in sundor- (= OS. sundar-, OHG. suntar-, sunder-), as sundorriht special right, sundorsprǽc private speech; the use in A. 2 is prob. developed from the predicative use of sunder adv. = asunder: see C. (2) Under B. are grouped the phrases derived from ME. advb. phr. o(n)sunder, o(n)sundre, OE. onsundran (-um) ASUNDER, q.v., by substitution of prep. in for on, o, a; cf. OS. an sundran and ON. í sundr, OHG., MHG. in sunder. (3) The advb. use in C. arose prob. in an aphetic form of ASUNDER, but form and meaning correspond to OE. sundor adv., separately, apart = WFris. sonder, sunder, NFris. sanner prep., without, OS. sundar adv., MLG. sunder adv., prep., conj., MDu., Du. zonder prep., OHG. suntar, -ur, -ir, MHG. sunder, sonder adj., adv., prep., conj. (= but), G. sonder adj. and adv. (arch.), ON. sundr adv. (Da. sønder), Goth. sundrô adv.]
A. adj. (Also 3 Ormin sunnderr, 4 Sc. syndir, 5 sonder, -ir.)
† 1. In compounds formed after OE. compounds of sundor- = separate, peculiar, private, as sundorcræft special power, sundorsprǽc private conversation: sunderred, private advice, sunderrune, private conversation or counsel; also sunder-ble a., varicolored, in quot. subst. Obs.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 29. Al swo cumeð þe deuel in to þe mannes herte þan he wile healde sunderrune wið him.
c. 1200. Ormin, 16978. He ne durrste nohht Þatt aniȝ mann itt wisste, Þatt he wiþþ Crist i sunnderrrun Himm awihht haffde kiþþedd.
c. 1205. Lay., 31414. Ich þe suggen wulle ane sunder rune.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1729. Laban … bi-taȝte him ðo ðe sunder bles, And it him boren ones bles [Cf. Genesis xxx. 32–42]. Ibid., 3808. Ðoȝ ðis folc miðe a stund for-dred, Ðoȝ he ben get in sunder red.
† 2. Separate; various, sundry. Obs.
13[?]. Cursor M., 8038 (Gött.). Þair stouyn was on þat stod þaim vnder, Bot þair croppis ware all sunder [Cott. in sunder].
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 506. Bot I herd syndir men oft say Forsuth that his ane e ves out.
a. 1390. Wyclif’s Bible, Judg. xxi. 2. Whan ȝe seen the douȝtris of Sylo … goth out sodeynly out of the vines, and takith hem, eche sondry [MS. C. sunder] wyues.
c. 1436. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 151. Tres, levys, and herbis grene, Wyth many sonder colowris.
B. In sunder. (Also 4–6 in sonder, sondre, 3–4 in-synder, 3 in sundre, 4 in sundere, sondire, sondyr(e, 4–5 esondre, 5 in sondir, sondere, sundur, ensundre, ysondur, 6 insundre, -der, in soonder; Sc. 4 in-swndir, 5–6 in schunder, 6 in schundyr, -ir, schounder, sounder, sownder, -ir, into sondir.) = ASUNDER adv. Now poet. or rhet.
1. Apart or separate from another or from one another.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8038. Þair stouen was an þat stod þam vnder, Bot þair croppes war all in sunder.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 73. Ȝif Paradys were so hiȝe, and departed in sonder from euery oþer lond and erþe.
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., 716/31. Whyl Schip and Roþur togeder was knit, Þei dredde nouþer tempest, druyȝe nor wete: Nou be þei boþe In-synder flit.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, III. xiv. 116. They departed in sonder.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XI. xvii. 87. And na lang space thar ostis war in sowndir.
1523. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. I. 227. Sory I am that the Kingis Highnes and your Grace be nowe so fer in sondre.
1551. Recorde, Pathw. Knowl., I. Defin., That … the whole figures may the better bee iudged, and distincte in sonder.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 255. Such as differeth no more from that which we at this day attribute to our Prince, than Principalis Dominus, and Supremus Gubernator do varie in sunder.
1607. Bp. Andrewes, 96 Serm. (1629), 20. So taking our nature, as, His, and it are growen into one person, never to be … taken in sunder any more.
1661. Boyle, Examen (1662), 91. These Scales … if … they are pluckt in sunder,… make a noise equal to the report of a Musquet.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), IV. 33. Let us be united, past the power of parents, rivals, potentates of the world, to tear us in sunder.
2. Of a single object (or of objects singly considered): Into separate parts or pieces. lit. and fig. Chiefly with vbs. like break, cleave, cut, tear.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 26011. Als þof his hert him brest in sunder.
a. 1375. Lay Folks Mass Bk., App. iv. 350. Wiþ his teth a-non He logged, þat al in synder gon lasch.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 698. The mast summer … In-swndir with that dusche he brak.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5829. He … hurt hym full sore; The gret vayne of his gorge gird vne ysondur.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxi. 253 (Harl. MS.). He kutte ensundre alle his clothis.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., VIII. (Lion & Mouse), xxxv. Thay … schuir the raipis of the net in schunder.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 350. I gert the renȝeis rak, et rif into sondir [v.r. schundyr].
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cvi[i]. 14. He … brake their bondes in sonder.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 54. Some of these Tabernacles may quickely be taken asunder and set together again…. Other some cannot be taken insunder.
1666. Bunyan, Grace Ab., § 164. I was … as if my breast bone would have split in sunder.
1709. Hearne, Collect., 17 Aug. (O.H.S.), II. 236. He was … cut in sunder by his Father.
1820. Shelley, Ode Lib., xiii. Vesuvius wakens Aetna, and the cold Snow-crags by its reply are cloven in sunder.
1855. Kingsley, Heroes, Theseus, II. 210. Their bodies are torn in sunder.
1907. Verney Mem., I. 222. Her husband … torn in sunder by political and religious sympathies.
† 3. From (fra) sunder, in sense 1. Obs.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 14687 (Fairf.). Fra sundre may we neuer twin.
1558. Phaër, Æneid, III. G iv b. These places two sometime,… From sonder fel.
† C. adv. Apart, asunder. Obs. rare.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20385. Yee þat sa wide war sunder spred.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), Pref. 2. A flokk of schepe þat has na schepehird, þe whilk departes sunder.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11062. The prese of the pepull partid hom sonder.
1539. Tonstall, Serm. Palm Sund. (1823), 90. Teare sunder your hartes, and not your clothes.
