| 释义 |
▪ I. psalm, n.|sɑːm|
Forms: see below.
[ad. L. psalm-us, a. Gr. ψαλµ-ός a twitching (of the strings of the harp), the sound of the cithara or harp, a song sung to the harp, f. ψάλλ-ειν to twitch, twang, play (with the fingers), sing to a harp (in LXX and N.T.). The OE. (p)sealm was cogn. with OHG. salm, salmo, also psalmo, -ma (MHG. salm, salme, psalme, Ger. psalm, pl. -en, Du. psalm), ON. (p)salmr (mod.Icel. sálmur, Norw. salm(e m. (salma f.), MSw. (p)salm, Sw. psalm (p mute), Da. salme (psalme), all from L.; whence also OF. salme, saume, psalme, (p)seaume, F. from 15th c. psaume (= psoːm), Pr. salme, psalm(e, Cat. salm, Sp., It. salmo, Pg. psalmo. From the early forms in the cognate langs. as well as Eng., it is seen that the initial p was often dropped at an early period; in many of the langs. it has been restored after the L. and Gr. original, and in that case is also pronounced. Eng. is almost alone in spelling ps, and sounding only s. The ME. spelling (p)saume, and modern pronunciation |sɑːm|, are due to F. (p)saume: cf. balm, calm, etc.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
(α) 1– psalm, 1 psealm; 4–7 psalme, 7 Sc. pschalme, (6 spalme, 7 sphalme).
c961Hu fela psealma [see B. 2]. c1000ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 129/41 Canticum, psalm æfter hærpansang. a1225Ancr. R. 30 Hwose wule mei siggen þesne psalm. 13..Cursor M. 18889 (Cott.) Þe psalm [Gött. salme] sais, thoru þe haligast. a1340Hampole Psalter xxii. 9 Þis psalme is songen in þe office of ded men. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. ix. xxix. (Bodl. MS.), Þe one and fifti psalme..is a psalme of penaunce. 1599Acc.-Bk. W. Wray in Antiquary XXXII. 242 A service booke with spalmes. 1605Montgomerie's Poems (S.T.S.) Notes 388 The xxiij Sphalme translait be Montgumry. 1626Bernard Isle of Man (1627) 260 A Psalme of mercy. 1644Direct. Publ. Worship 40 Singing of Psalms. 1649Roberts Clavis Bibl. 380 Psalmes with instruments musicall.
(β) 1–3 sealm, 1–5 salm, 2 selm (3 Orm. sallm).
c825Vesp. Psalter xvii[i]. 50 Salm ic cweoðu. c961æthelwold Rule St. Benet Contents 6 [ch.] xix, Þa sealmas. c1175Of þe salm [see B. 1]. c1200Vices & Virtues 61 Ðe spekð..ðurh ðene selm. c1200Ormin 15579 Upponn hiss hallȝhe sallme. 1388Wyclif Jas. v. 13 Seie he a salm [1382 psalme]. c1400Saulm [see B. 2]. c1420–30Primer (E.E.T.S.) 31 Y schal seie salm.
(γ) 3 saume, 3–6 salme, (4 same), 5 saulme.
c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 66/447 He bi-gan one saume of euesongue. c1300Same [see B. 2]. a1325Prose Psalter xxvi[i]. 11, I shal synge and saie salme to our Lord. c1440Promp. Parv. 441/1 Salme, psalmus. 1530Palsgr. 265/1 Salme of saulter, pseaulme. c1597Harington Nugæ Ant. (1779) II. 158 Singing salmes, and himms, and spiritual songs.
B. Signification.
1. In a general sense: Any sacred song that is or may be sung in religious worship; a hymn: esp. in biblical use. (In quot. c 1175 applied to the Creed.) Also more generally, any song or ode of a sacred or serious character.
c825Vesp. Psalter xciv. [xcv.] 2 In salmum wynsumie we him. c825Vesp. Hymns iii. in O.E. Texts 403, & salmas ure we singað [Isa. xxxviii. 20]. c1000[see A. α]. c1175Lamb. Hom. 75 Þe salm þet heo alle þus writen wes ihaten . Credo . efter þan formeste word of þe salm. a1300E.E. Psalter lxv[i]. 3 [4] Alle land loute þe, and sing to þe sal, And salme sai to þi name with-al. 1382Wyclif Col. iii. 16 In salmes, and ymnes, and spiritual songis, in grace syngynge in ȝoure hertis to the Lord. c15111st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.) Introd. 31/2 Hymnes & psalmes & other orasouns haue they. 1645Milton At a Solemn Music 15 Hymns devout and holy Psalms Singing everlastingly. 1838Longfellow (title) A Psalm of Life. What the heart of the young man said to the Psalmist.
2. a. spec. Any one of the sacred songs or hymns of the ancient Hebrews which together form the ‘Book of Psalms’ (see b); a version or paraphrase of any of these, esp. as sung (or read) in public or private worship. (The prevailing use throughout.)
psalms for the day: the particular psalms appointed for each day so that the whole Psalter is said or sung in the course of a definite period, e.g. a week or (as in the Church of England), a month. proper psalms: see proper a. 2. † seven psalms: (spec.) the seven penitential psalms.
c961æthelwold Rule St. Benet Contents 6 [ch.] x, Hu fela psealma on nihtlicum tidum to singenne synt...xviii, Hu fela sealma þurh þa sylfan tida sceolan beon ᵹecwedene. c1000Ags. Ps. (Th.) lvi. 9 Þæt ic Gode swylce sealmas singe. c1175Lamb. Hom. 7 Þis witeȝede dauid þe þe salm scop in þe saltere. a1300Cursor M. 7969–70 (Cott.) Of al þe psalmes o þe sauter, Þis psalme [Gött., etc., salme] o penance has na per. c1300Beket 1084 He..seide furst þe set sames [S. Eng. Leg. I. 137/1086 þe seuen salmes] and siþþe þe letanye. a1340,1398[see A. α]. c1400Rule St. Benet 1768 When gloria efter þe first saulm es said. 1548–9(Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, The Table and Kalendar, expressing the Ordre of the Psalmes and Lessons, to bee sayd at Matyns and Euensong. 1660Wood Life Dec. (O.H.S.) I. 359 The singing of psalmes after supper..on the Lord's day. 1712Steele Spect. No. 284 ⁋6, I had one Day set the Hundredth Psalm. 1856Amy Carlton 35 They now read the psalms for the day, taking each a verse in turn. 1903Daily Chron. 21 May 7/2 The Psalm [cvii] is usually read as part of the simple services which take place on Sunday on ships at sea. For that reason it is known as the Sailors' Psalm.
b. the Psalms, the Book of Psalms. Name of one of the books of the Old Testament, forming the hymn-book of the Jewish church, and used also in Christian worship from the earliest times; the Psalter. Often called the Psalms of David, in accordance with the belief that they, or part of them, were composed by David king of Israel.
In Luke xxiv. 44 used for that division of the Old Testament containing the Psalms: = Hagiographa.
c950Lindisf. Gosp. Luke xxiv. 44 Alle ða awritteno sindon in æ moses & witᵹo & salmas of mec. 1382Wyclif ibid., Alle thingis..whiche ben writun in the lawe of Moyses, and in prophetis, and in salmes, of me. 1581Acc.-Bk. W. Wray in Antiquary XXXII. 117 Another boke of St. Chrysostomes upo' the salmes. 1817D'Oyly & Mant Bible II. Psalms Introd., The Book of Psalms..contains the productions of different writers. These..are called however the Psalms of David, because a great part of them were composed by him. 1896W. F. Adeney How to read the Bible ii. i. iv. 88 Even in the reading of the Psalms we cannot afford to neglect..the historical method.
3. attrib. and Comb., as psalm-droner, psalm-expounder, psalm-maker, psalm-poet, psalm-translator; psalm-quoting, psalm-saying, psalm-singing ns. and adjs.; psalm-meˈlodicon (see quot.); ˈpsalm-singer, one who sings psalms; spec. one who maintains the singing of (biblical) psalms (as opposed to hymns) in public worship; (both this and psalm-singing frequently have somewhat derogatory connotations); † ˈpsalm-song Obs., (a) in OE. (sealmsang), the singing of psalms; (b) in Ormin (sallmsang), the Book of Psalms (or the Hagiographa: see 2 b); ˈpsalm-tone, any one of the Gregorian tones or chants to which the Psalms were (or are) sung; psalm-tune, a tune set to a metrical version of a psalm. See also psalm-book, -wright.
1866J. H. Newman Gerontius iv. 27 Who..gave... Each forfeit crown To *psalm-droners And canting groaners.
1382Wyclif 2 Sam. xxiii. 1 A solempne *salm maker of Yrael.
1876Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms, *Psalm Melodicon, an instrument invented in 1828 by Schuhmacher Weinrich. It was a wind instrument with keys and ventages, imitating the tone of several orchestral instruments.
1705Hickeringill Priest-cr. iv. (1721) 208 Hopkins and Sternhold, or the more modern *Psalm-Poets.
1563Foxe A. & M. 1499/1 The *psalmsaying friars brought him to his standing, & there left him.
1806Med. Jrnl. XV. 211 He was the best *psalm-singer in the whole congregation. 1818‘A. Burton’ Adventures J. Newcome 254 Psalm-singer, an epithet of the greatest possible contempt. 1908J. M. Sullivan Criminal Slang 17 Psalm singer, a prison trusty; an informer. 1909Daily Chron. 15 Dec. 5/5 Cromwell, the greatest ruler England ever had, was, with his glorious Ironsides, a Psalm-singer.
1650R. Stapylton Strada's Low C. Warres iii. 61 At this *psalm-singing and these night-sermons, tumults were raised in both Cities, between such as favoured and such as hated them. 1818‘A. Burton’ Adventures J. Newcome 59 Ye skulking, d—d psalmsinging crew! 1847L. Hunt Men, Women & B. II. xi. 280 The psalm-singing old seamen of the Commonwealth. 1909Daily Chron. 15 Dec. 5/5 In our war with the Boers we found Psalm-singing Dutchmen more than a match for our troops. 1964Psalm-singing [see Bible-banging ppl. adj. s.v. Bible III].
c1050Byrhtferth's Handboc in Anglia (1885) VIII. 319 Mid *sealmsange godes lof up ahebban. c1200Ormin 14291 Þa bokess..wærenn Moysæsess boc, & Sallmsang, & Profetess.
1889W. S. Rockstro in Grove Dict. Mus. IV. 655/2 The Gregorian *Psalm-Tones are..the oldest Melodies now known to be in existence. Ibid. 656/2 The Psalm-Tones..are eight in number—one in each of the first eight Modes.
1709Watts Lyric Poems Pref., Wks. 1813 IX. 224, I have too often fettered my thoughts in the narrow metre of our old *psalm-translators.
1632(title) All the French *Psalm tunes with English words. Being a collection of Psalms accorded to the verses and tunes generally vsed in the Reformed Churches of France and Germany. 1856Emerson Eng. Traits, Aristocr. Wks. (Bohn) II. 80 To an American, whose country is whitewashed all over by unmeaning names..or named at a pinch from a psalm⁓tune.
1871R. B. Vaughan St. Thomas of Aquin I. 549 In the above *psalm-words, three things are touched upon.
▪ II. psalm, v.
Also 1 salmian; 4 salme.
[f. prec. n.: cf. to hymn.]
1.
†a. intr. To sing psalms. Obs.
b. trans. To sing or celebrate in psalms.
c1000Ags. Ps. (Spelm., MS. M.) cvii. 1 Ic singe and sealmiᵹe [L. cantabo et psalmum dicam]. a1300E.E. Psalter vii. 18, I sal..salme [L. psallam] to name of lauerd heghist es. a1400Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) ii. xlii, To psalme & synge the louynges of god wyth goostly myrthe. 1598Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. iv. Handie-crafts 72 That we her subjects..Psalming his praise, may sound the same the higher. 1622H. Sydenham Serm. Sol. Occ. (1637) 30 He that only sings unto God..he doth but talk of his wondrous workes; but he that Psalmes it..he glories in his holy Name. 1849tr. St. Augustine's Expos. Ps. lxviii. III. 315 He psalmeth to His name, that worketh unto His glory.
2. trans. To say or sing a psalm to or over. rare.
1800Keatinge in Southey Comm.-pl. Bk. Ser. ii. (1849) 51 We cured our wounds with oil, and by a soldier called Juan Catalan, who blessed us and psalmed us,..we found our Saviour Jesus Christ was pleased to give us strength. 1807Southey Espriella's Lett. II. 342 He who psalms a sick man, or fancies that the oil from his saint's lamp will heal him of all his complaints.
Hence psalmed ppl. a. (in quot. ? composed as psalms, or in the form of sacred poetry); ˈpsalming vbl. n. and ppl. a.
13..St. Erkenwolde 277 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 272 He says in his sothe psalmyde writtes: Þe skilfulle & þe vnskathely skeltone ay to me. 1652Benlowes Theoph. iii. lix, The Psalming Harp was 'bove thy swaying Scepter priz'd. Ibid. v. lii, My psalming Tongue Made th' Orbs suspend their vsual Song, To hear Cœlestial Hymns the glist'ring Quires did throng. 1850Elder's House 141 Sweet the psalming, borne on high. |