Now poet. or rhet. Forms: 1 sundrian, syndrian, Northumb. suindria, 3 sundren, -in, 3–5 sundre, 4 north. sundir, 4–5 sondre, 4–6 sonder, 5 sondir(e, sundur, -yre, sounder, Sc. swndre, 6 soonder, (scinder), Sc. sindre, sindir, synder, 6–9 Sc. sinder, 4– sunder. [late OE. syndrian, sundrian, for earlier ásyndrian, ásundrian (see ASUNDER v.), ʓe-, on-, tósundrian = WFris. sonderje, LG. sundern, OHG. sunt(a)rôn, sund(e)rôn, (MHG. sunteren, sundern, G. sondern), ON. sundra; f. prec.
The rare 16th-c. form scinder, if not a misprint, is prob. due to association with L. scindĕre to cleave.]
1. trans. To dissolve connection between two or more persons or things; to separate or part one from another. † Also, to set (a person) apart from a state of life; to remove (something) from a person.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xix. 6. Quod ergo deus coniunxit, homo non separet, þæt forðon god ʓe-geadrade monn ne … suindria.
a. 1050. Liber Scintill., i. (1889), 5. Eorþena langnyss na syndrað þa þe soð lufu ʓeþeod.
a. 1067. Charter of Eadweard, in Kemble, Cod. Dipl., IV. 209. Ʒif æni man hit awuniʓe mid æfræniʓe þinge…, si he ʓesyndred fram Criste and fram eallen his halʓan.
1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 169. Þe licame senegeð, and sundreð hire [sc. the soul] fram rihtwisnesse.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 426. Hwon þet fur is wel o brune, & me wule þet hit go ut, me sundreð þe brondes.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 468. Of irin, of golde, siluer, and bras To sundren and mengen wis he was.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24616. Þan com mi cosin sant iohan,… Mi soru fra me to sunder.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 48. Pharisenes … Thai war sundered of comoun lif.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 170. Þei teld fiueten hundred Sarazins, þat drenkled were, Fourti & sex wer sundred, & alle þo were saued þere.
1375. in Horstmann, Altengl. Leg. (1878), 130/1. I drede me he shel him sle. Þerfore sondred shel þeȝ be.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 626. Schir Jhon Butler … Swndryt the Scottis and did thaim mekill payn.
1525. St. Papers Hen. VIII., IV. 297. Ye Lordis … under colour wald begin new usis to synder me and ye King my son.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 235. The king … caussit the iudges and men of armes to sinder and red thame [sc. combatants].
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., I. ii. 59. Heere falles a body scindred [later edd. sundred] from his head.
1628. Ford, Lover’s Mel., I. i. Twelue monthes we haue been sundred, but henceforth We neuer more will part.
1634. Heywood, Lanc. Witches, IV. G iij. The Gentile fashion sometimes we observe To sunder beds.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 133. When both the Chiefs are sund’red from the Fight.
1812. Cary, Dante, Purg., XXXII. 14. That excess of sensible, whence late I had perforce been sunder’d.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxviii. We that are sindered in sorrow may meet again in joy.
1865. Geikie, Scen. & Geol. Scot., iii. 43. A mass, once evidently connected with the main cliff … has been sundered by the roof of the tunnel falling in.
1885. Finlayson, Biol. Relig., 86. Atoms may be so sundered, and forces so transmuted, that the human personality, as such, may cease to be.
refl. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 209. Þe deuel … sundrede him seluen fro gode.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 22242. Bot all kingrikes þat rome was vnder Fra lauerd-hed o rome þam sundre.
1401. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 91. He … that sundrith him from Crist and his chirche.
1591. Spenser, Vis. Worlds Van., 64. A sword-fish small him from the rest did sunder.
1605. Camden, Rem., Languages (1623), 22. Holy religious men, which had sundred and seuered themselues from other.
1612. Brerewood, Lang. & Relig., xxvi. (1614), 185. Before the Apostles left Syria, and sundred themselues to preach the Gospell abroad in the world.
† b. To separate in thought, distinguish. Obs.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 270. Þe ȝeteward—þet is wittes skile—þet ouh forto winden hweate, & scheaden þe eilen & tet chef urom þe clene cornes, þet is,… sundren god from vuele.
1357. Lay Folks Catech. (T.), 427. It kennes us to knaw the gode fra the yvel, And als-so to sundir the tane fra the tothir.
1550. Coverdale, Spir. Perle, vii. 65. To sonder and to know the one from the other, the faythfull from the vnfaythfull.
† c. To dissolve, put an end to (a state or condition). Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 26054. Reuth … sundres felauschipe þat was Bituix þe saul and sathanas.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 28. Whan dede his lyfe sundred, þe folk for him was wo.
1548. Geste, Agst. Priv. Masse, A vj. Thee Pryuee Masse … sondereth and diuorseth the marriage betwene christ & vs.
2. To divide into two or more parts; to split, break up, cleave.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 412. Nu is þeos laste dole … to-deled and i-sundred o lutle seoue stucchenes.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 13154. Þey dide sondre þer route.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 4789. Ilka stan, on divers wyse, Sal sonder other in thre partyse.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 7276. He … Swynget out a sword,… Sundret the sercle of his sure helme.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 4268. Ne nauthire sondire we þe soile ne na sede sawis.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 334. The whole Realme was sundred into particular kingdomes.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, III. vi. § 2. Xerxes most barbarously caused the young man … to be sundered into two parts.
1887. Morris, Odyss., III. 449. The beast’s neck-tendons he sundered with the blade.
3. To keep apart, separate by an intervening space or barrier, from something. rare. (Chiefly pass.)
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., V. x. 27. No space of Earth shall sunder our two hates.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 54. Which Alpes are sundred by the space of many miles the one from the other.
1876. J. Parker, Paracl., I. vii. 106. Can any two spheres be much more widely sundered than those of the preacher of the gospel and the artificer in iron and brass?
1887. Morris, Odyss., I. 58. The long-wrought pillars that sunder the heavens from the earthly land.
4. intr. To become separated or severed from something; esp. of a number of persons, to part.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 703. Wo so seit he [sc. turtle-doves] sundren ovt, i seie ðat he leȝeð.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 1794. Swa þæt nan ne mei sundrin from oðere.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13951. Fra him sal i sundre neuer.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 4454. Of alle þe fighters … þer was manyon doun leyd,… & wel mo scholde ȝit þat nyght, Had þey nought sondred for faute of lyght.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 7. Whene oure saules schalle parte and sundyre ffra the body.
1570. Satir. Poems Reform., xviii. 99. Sinder not now that ar assemblit togidder, Quhill ane be chosin the commoun weill to auance.
a. 1650. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1843), II. 234. They sindered, and were not so familiar after.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., IV. ii. Pate must from his Peggy sunder.
1827. Hood, Hero & Leander, xvi. So brave Leander sunders from his bride.
1867. G. Macdonald, Poems, 116. Its branches sunder not in any wind.
† b. To part with. Sc. Obs.
a. 1575. Diurn. Occurr. (Bannatyne Cl.), 333. He wald rather byd the will of God nor sinder with the same castell.
1722. Ramsay, Three Bonnets, I. 60. Ye shall hear … How Joukum sinder’d wi’ his bonnet.
5. To be torn, break or split in pieces.
[1390. Gower, Conf., I. 313. The firy welkne gan to thondre, As thogh the world scholde al to sondre.]
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 3003. Alexander … rydis To þe grete flode of Granton & it on a glace fyndis. Or he was soȝt to þe side, ȝit sondird þe qweryns.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. ii. 411. Euen as a splitted Barke, so sunder we.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, IV. ii. § 4. He commanded that this poore Græcian should bee presently slaine: who while hee was a sundring in the Tormentors hand, [etc.].
1839. Times, 26 April, 4/5. Let them crack, and split, and sunder of themselves.
1881. Rossetti, White Ship, 151. The White Ship sundered on the mid-main.
Hence Sunderable a., that may be sundered, separable; Sunderer, one who sunders or severs.
1885. Jane E. Harrison, Stud. in Gk. Art, v. 227. In Plato’s ideal philosophy, truth, beauty, and goodness are scarcely sunderable.
1888. Meredith, A Reading of Earth, Poems 1898, II. 144. We may cry to the Sunderer, spare That dearest!
