[lit-ideas] "Bless you": a performative?
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 12:48:53 EDT
----
In a message dated 8/5/2004 10:33:05 AM Eastern Standard Time,
atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Mr. Amago is probably unaware of the long and bitter dispute between Mr.
Speranza and me. Whereas Mr. Speranza insists (performatively --
hilariously enough), that "Bless you" is a performative utterance, and asks
(again, performatively, tee-hee) what warrants such performativity. I, on
the other hand, correctly correct him. Balderdash, I suggest. "Bless you"
is not a performative, but a petition. It is what I've famously termed an
ellipsistical. It means: "May God bless you and have mercy on your rancid
soul." The idea of mere humans having the power to bless is blasphemous
and smacks of Popery, something us Bilblebelters don't cotton to. I hope
this straightens this out this time.
------
I would grant that 'bless', while pseudo-performative, is what Geary calls
an 'ellipsistical' (expression).
For the record, I provide below some quotes from the OED, including the
etym. of 'bless' (cognate with 'blood' -- make holy _with blood_) and some uses
(such as "to bless yourself", to ejaculate "Bless me", and others -- including
Geary's ellipsisticals).
As the OED notes, one of the problems with English 'bless' (cf. Bible Belt)
is that confuses 'blood' with Latin 'benedicere' (cf. malediction) and, to
complicate matters further, with Hebrew, "brk," to bend (the knee), resulting
in
a pretty mess of multifarious significations. While some of these verbs are
not performative (to bend a knee), some are, etc. -- making the issue very
complicated. A further confussion is 'bless' with 'bliss' (as in 'blissed' with
happiness), which has nothing to do with 'bless' with blood, etc., although
it is pronounced similarly.
The alleged 'peformative' use of bless is phrased in the OED as:
"To pronounce words that confer (or are held to confer) supernatural favour
and well-being. a. Said of a superior, i.e. of one entitled to speak in
God's name, a priest or sacred person (e.g. Balaam, Moses), an aged or dying
parent (e.g. Isaac, Jacob); also of God himself. When said of men, the sense
has passed into that of officially or paternally commending to divine
protection and favour."
Geary calls this balderdash, therefore ignores the 14 relevant cites
(starting with King Alfred) that the OED collects to support the use. -- Are
you glad
Julie Krueger asked?
While the OED makes no mention of sneeze (_mailto:oed3@xxxxxxx
(mailto:oed3@xxxxxx) ), it does mention that in some of the ellipsisticals,
'bless you' (as
uttered by a 'bless-begger' you deny a monetary contribution) it could
actually mean the opposite: 'damn you' -- cf. Biblical Belt -- and making
matters
worse for the literalist (or religious-minded).
-- Cheers,
JL
------
From the OED
"bless"
Etym.
OE. bloedsian, bledsian, bletsian: not found elsewhere in Teutonic, but
formed on the OTeut. type blodisoyan, f. blodom (OE. blod) blood: cf. OE.
mildsian, miltsian, ME milce, to be mild, show pity; also, for the formation,
OE.
ricsian to rule = OHG. richison OTeut. rikisojan, f. riks, Goth. reiks ruler,
king. (An equally satisfactory derivation of bletsian, if it were the original
form, would be from blot, sacrifice, on OTeut. type blotisojan; but besides
that bloedsian actually occurs earlier, the change of ds to ts is
phonetically natural, while the reverse is not.)
The etymological meaning was thus â??to mark (or affect in some way) with
blood (or sacrifice); to consecrateâ??. But the sense-development of the word
was
greatly influenced by its having been chosen at the Eng. conversion to render
L. benedicere, and Gr. eulogein, which started from a primitive sense of â??
speak well of or to, eulogize, praise,â?? but were themselves influenced by
being
chosen to translate Heb. brk, primarily â??to bend,â?? hence â??to bend the
knee,
worship, praise, bless God, invoke blessings on, bless as a deity.â?? Hence, a
long and varied series of associations, heathen, Jewish, and Christian, blend
in the Eng. uses of bless and blessing. Senses 4-6 arise mainly from
benedicere, eulogein. At a very early date the popular etymological
consciousness
began to associate this verb with the n. bliss â??benignity, blitheness, joy,
happiness,â?? which affected the use of both words (see esp. senses 7, 8), and
led
to occasional ME. spelling of the vb. with i, y.
The pa. tense and pple. are now generally spelt blessed, though always
pronounced blest in modern prose [except for the occasional Geary Sunday Poem,
where it is pronounced, blessEd]; the pple. may be pronounced blesid in
verse,
or liturgical reading. As an adj. blessed /blesid/ is now the regular prose
form, but the archaic blest is frequent in verse, and traditional phrases as
e.g. â??the Isles of the Blest.â??]
Orig. meaning (prob.), To make â??sacredâ?? or â??holyâ?? with blood; to
consecrate
by some sacrificial rite which was held to render a thing inviolable from
profane use of men and evil influence of men or demons. (The streaking of the
lintel and doorposts with blood, Exod. xii. 23, to mark them as holy to the
Lord and inviolable by the destroying angel, was apparently the kind of idea
expressed by blóedsian in pre-christian times. Cf. also the history of the
Latin words consecrare and sacrificium) Hence, in historical use:
To make sacred, consecrate, hallow.
To consecrate (a thing) by a religious rite, the utterance of a formula or
charm; in later times by a prayer committing it to God for his patronage,
defence, and prospering care, as in to bless food, to ask God's blessing on it
(cf. 5).
1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxvi. 26 Se Hælend nam hlaf and hyne bletsode and
Sec. c1200 _ORMIN_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-o.html#ormin)
17193 att waterr att iss att te funnt Blettcedd i Godes
wordess. 1377 _LANGL._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-l.html#langl)
P. Pl. B. XI. 229 Tyl he blessed and brak e bred at ei
eten. c1400 Apol. Loll. 30 If e prest sacre Crist wan he prest e sacrament of
God in e auter. a1593 _H. SMITH_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s3.html#h-smith)
Serm. (1637) 376 Before thou hast
blessed it with prayer, thou hast no promise it shall prosper. 1596 _SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
Merch. V. III. ii. 79. 1637 _GILLESPIE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-g.html#gillespie)
Eng. Pop. Cerem. IV. iv. 20 It was
behoofefull for their cause, distinctly and severally to blisse those
Elements. 1649 _MILTON_ (http://0-dictio
nary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m3.html#milton) Eikon. Wks.
1738 I. 427 Where the Master is too resty, or
too rich to..bless his own Table. 1798 _SOUTHEY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s4.html#southey)
Bp. Bruno Wks. VI. 149
And now the bishop had blest the meat.
To consecrate (a person) to a sacred office.
1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) a was he [Henry II] to king bletcæd in Lundene.
c1420 Chron. Vilod. 563 And was blessud Abbas in t same place. Ibid. 1168
en was Alfyne y blessud Abbas of t plase.
To sanctify or hallow by making the sign of the cross; usually as a defence
against evil agencies. esp. refl. and absol. To cross oneself.
950 Lindisf. Gosp. John viii. 48 Ahne bloedsade ue usic vel <Nnade
[mistransl. of nonne bene dicimus nos?] a1225 Ancr. R. 290 Breid up ene rode
stef, &
sweng him ean a uour a uoene helle dogge. et nis nout elles bute blesce e
al abuten mid te eadie rode tocne. c1500 Yng. Children's Bk. in Babees Bk.
(1868) 17 Aryse be tyme oute of thi bedde, And blysse i brest & thi forhede.
1562 _J. HEYWOOD_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h2.html#j-heywood)
Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 91, I nother nod for sleepe..nor
blisse for spirites. 1577 _HOLINSHED_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h3.html#holinshed)
Chron. I. 157/2 Blesse your eies
with the signe of the crosse, and trie whether you can see that I see. 1653
_URQUHART_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-u.html#urquhart)
Rabelais I. xxxv, When they heard these words, some..blest
themselves with both hands, thinking..that he had been a devil disguised. 1719
LADY
M. W. MONTAGUE Lett. II. xlvii. 47, I fancy I see you bless yourself at this
terrible relation.
to bless oneself from: see 3b.
to bless into, out: to change into, cast out, by making the sign of the
cross.
1534 _MORE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m4.html#more)
Passion Wks. (1557) 1273/1 When the dyuell fyrste casteth any
proude vayne thoughte into our mynd..let vs forthwith make a crosse on our
breast, and blesse it oute. 1589 _NASHE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-n.html#nashe)
Pasquils Ret. Wks. 1885 I. 93 One Pope or
other..blest me into a stone to stoppe my mouth.
d. not to have a penny to bless oneself with: in allusion to the cross on
the silver penny (cf. Ger. Kreuzer), or to the practice of crossing the palm
with a piece of silver.
1557 _NORTH_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-n.html#north)
Gueuara's Diall Pr. (1619) 625/2 The pestilence of penny..he
hath in his purse to blesse himself with. 1562 _J. HEYWOOD_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h2.html#j-heywood)
Prov. & Epigr.
(1867) 73 He had not..one peny to blisse him. 1861 _GEO. ELIOT_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-e.html#geo-eliot)
Silas M.,
I have not a shilling to bless myself with.
humorously (with allusion to holy water.)
1609 Man in the Moone 11 Bless his beard with a bazen of water, least he
burne it.
To protect or guard, save, keep from (evil): said of God, supernatural
influence, a charm or prayer; also loosely of other things.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 59 From alle . uuele he scal blecen us. 1543 _BECON_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-b2.html#becon)
New
Y. Gift Wks. (1843) 315 With such I love not to meddle. God bless me from
them! 1594 _NASHE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-n.html#nashe)
Unfort. Trav. 43 Kisse the ground as holy ground which she
vouchsafed to blesse from barrennes by her steppes. 1594 _SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
Rich. III,
III. iii. 5 God blesse the Prince from all the Pack of you. 1596 _SPENSER_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s4.html#spenser)
F.Q. I. ii. 18 Glauncing down his shield from blame him fairly blest. 1632
_MILTON_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m3.html#milton)
Penseroso 83 Or the bellmans drowsy charm To bless the doors from
nightly harm. 1646 _FULLER_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-f2.html#fuller)
Wounded Consc. (1841) 349 God bless you and
yours from fire. 1650 _BP. HALL_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h.html#bp-hall)
Cases Consc. 181 Doubtlesse, the Devill is a
most skilfull Artist..but God blesse us from imploying him. 1855 _KINGSLEY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-k.html#kingsley)
Westw. Ho! ii. (Traditional Spell) â??Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Bless
the bed that I lie on.â??
To guard oneself (with God's help) from, keep out of the way of, give a wide
berth to, shun, eschew. (Sometimes, probably, by crossing oneself, as in
sense 2.)
c1449 _PECOCK_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-p.html#pecock)
Repr. III. xix. 411 If thilk doctor..hadde blessid him
silf fro this.. perel. 1530 _PALSGR._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-p.html#palsgr)
458/1, I wyll never medle with hym, if I
may blesse me from hym. 1549 _CHALONER_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-c2.html#chaloner)
Erasm. Moriæ Enc. Eivb, Whiche of
you woulde not lothe and blisse you from the company of suche maner a man.
1618 _RALEIGH_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-r.html#raleigh)
Rem. (1644) 97 From Suretieship, as from a Man-slayer, or
Enchanter, blesse thy self. 1622 _FLETCHER_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-f.html#fletcher)
Span. Curate I. i. 27 Blesse
yourselves from the thought of him and her. 1651 _MORE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m4.html#more)
Enthus. Triumph. (1656)
172 Bless thee from madness, Tom, and all will be well. 1753 _SMOLLETT_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s3.html#smollett)
Ct.
Fathom (1784) 137/2 He blessed himself from such customers.
To hold or call holy; to extol as holy (see Isa. vi. 3, Rev. iv. 8), divine,
gracious. To call holy; to extol, praise, or adore (God) as holy, worthy of
reverence.
1000 Cædmon's Daniel 400 (Gr.) We ec <NOBR>, Fæder , Fæder. c1000 Ags.
Psalter xcv[i]. 2 <NOBR nu drihtne and his nne naman bealde naman . c1175
Lamb. Hom. 57 i nome beo iblecced. c1305 Deo Gratias in E.E.P. (1862) 125 To
onke and blesse hym we be bounde. 1382 _WYCLIF_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-w3.html#wyclif)
Jas iii. 9 In it we blessen
God the fadir, and in it we cursen men. 1593 _HOOKER_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h3.html#hooker)
Eccl. Pol. I. iii. §4
The Creator..alone to be blessed, adored and honoured of all for ever. 1651
_HOBBES_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h3.html#hobbes)
Leviath. II. xxxi. 189 The subject of Magnifying and Blessing,
being Power. 1825 _J. MONTGOMERY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m4.html#j-montgomery)
Hymn â??Stand up and blessâ?? 6 Stand up
and bless the Lord, The Lord your God adore.
with an added notion of thanksgiving or acknowledgement of gracious
beneficence or goodness: To praise or extol with grateful heart; â??to glorify
for
benefits receivedâ?? (J.) a. orig. God or his attributes.
1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke i. 68 Gebletsod [Lindisf. ebloedsad] sà drihten
israhela god, sm e he eneosode. 1382 _WYCLIF_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-w3.html#wyclif)
ibid. Blessid be the Lord God of
Israel for..[CRANMER, Praysed be]. c1440 York Myst. xii. 217 Blest be ou ay,
For e grace ou has me lente. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 251 To laude
and blesse god for his goodnes. 1596 _SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
Tam. Shr. IV. v. 18 Then
God be blesst, it is the blessed Sunne. 1795 _SOUTHEY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s4.html#southey)
Joan of Arc II. 309,
I..blest my God I was not such as he. 1843 _NEALE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-n.html#neale)
Hymns for Sick 44 But
Thy But Oh give me grace to bless It every hour!
other influences, e.g. one's stars, one's fortune or luck, the day of one's
birth, etc. Now generally in a more or less ludicrous sense: To thank,
attribute one's good fortune to.
1440 Ywaine & Gaw. 3344 Folk..blissed the time that he was born. a1845
_HOOD_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h3.html#hood)
Pauper's Christmas Carol iii, Ought not I to bless my stars? 1846 Punch
IX. 13 Let me bless my prudence.
persons: see 6b, which sometimes passes into â??praise or extol with grateful
regard.â??
To declare to be supernaturally favoured; to pronounce or make happy.
To pronounce words that confer (or are held to confer) supernatural favour
and well-being. a. Said of a superior, i.e. of one entitled to speak in
God's name, a priest or sacred person (e.g. Balaam, Moses), an aged or dying
parent (e.g. Isaac, Jacob); also of God himself. When said of men, the sense
has
passed into that of officially or paternally commending to divine protection
and favour.
1000 _Ã?LFRIC_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-a.html#aelfric)
Gen. xxvii. 4 Bring me æt ic ete, and ic e <NOBRe ær am e
ic swelte. c1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark x. 16 a beclypte he hÃ, and his handa ofer
hi
settende bletsode [Lindisf. ebledsade, Rushw. ibletsade, Hatton bletsede]
hi. c1205 LAY. 32157 Me and mine Me a he scal he scaen & scriue. a1300 Cursor
M. 637 God ham blesset and bad ham brede, and multiply. c1383 _WYCLIF_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-w3.html#wyclif)
Sel. Wks. III. 323 ei cursen hem at God God . 1388 Numb. xxiii. 11 What is
this that thou doist? Y clepide thee that thou schuldist curse myn enemyes,
and
Wenward thou blessist hem [1382 blessest to hem]. c1410 _LOVE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-l2.html#love)
Bonavent.
Mirr. xv. 38 (Gibbs MS.), After he hadde i blessed hem wente vppe Aayne to
heuene. 1549 Bk. Com. Prayer, Confirm., Then shal the Busshop blisse the
children, thus saying. 1810 _SCOTT_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s.html#scott)
Lady of L. III. vii, Stood prompt to bless or ban.
Of one not a superior: Piously to invoke God's blessing upon, to commend
gratefully and affectionately to God's favour, to load with one's devout good
wishes; to speak well of and wish well to.
1330 _R. BRUNNE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-b4.html#r-brunne)
Chron. (1810) 97, I blisse Anselme erfore. c1330 Amis
& Amil. 344 Men blisted him, bothe bon and blod, That euer him gat and bare.
1613 _SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
Hen. VIII, III. i. 54 To taint that honor euery good Tongue
blesses. 1667 _MILTON_ (http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csu
lib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m3.html#milton) P.L. x. 821 So disinherited
how would ye bless Me
now your Curse! 1712 _STEELE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s4.html#steele)
Spect. No. 264 1 The Fatherless..and the
Stranger bless his unseen Hand in their Prayers. 1742 _W. COLLINS_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-c3.html#w-collins)
Ode vi, By
all their country's wishes blest. 1850 _TENNYSON_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-t.html#tennyson)
In Mem. cxix, I..think
of early days and thee, And bless thee.
To confer well-being upon; â??to make happy; to prosper, make successfulâ??
(J.): orig. said of God; in later use also of men and things, but generally
with
an implication of their conferring instrumentally a divine blessing. (Here
the association of bless with bliss becomes apparent.)
a1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2357 (Gr.) Ic Ismael estum wille bletsian. a1300 Hymn
to God 16 in Trin. Coll. Hom. App. 258 Louerd u vs blesce. 1388 _WYCLIF_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-w3.html#wyclif)
Gen. xxxix. 5 And the Lord blesside the hows [1382 to the hows] of Egipcian
for
Joseph. 1549 Bk. Com. Prayer, Matrim., Look, O Lord, mercifully upon them
from heaven, and bless them. 1578 Gude & Godlie Ballates (1868) 65 Blis,
blissit God, thir giftes gude Quhilk thow hes geuin to be our fude. 1596
_SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
Merch. V. IV. i. 186 It [mercy] is twice blest, It blesseth him that
giues, and him that takes. 1597 2 Hen. IV, I. ii. 248 Heauen blesse your
Expedition. 1697 _DRYDEN_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-d2.html#dryden)
Virg. Georg. IV. 729 But she return'd no more, to
bless his longing Eyes. 1718 _POPE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-p3.html#pope)
Iliad I. 144 When first her blooming
beauties bless'd my arms. 1813 _BYRON_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-b4.html#byron)
Giaour 1115, I have possess'd, And come what
may, I have been blest. 1848 _THACKERAY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-t.html#thackeray)
Van. Fair xxxi, â??God bless the
meat,â?? said the Major's wife, solemnly. 1850 _LYNCH_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-l2.html#lynch)
Theo. Trin. v. 88 To say
that good gives pleasure seems poor expression of the truth that it blesses
us.
To make happy with some gift: orig. of God as the giver; also of persons or
things. (In the first example, blitsian may be really = <NOsian, _BLISS_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/cgi/crossref?query_type=word&query
word=bless&edition=2e&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=YRbY-eM
dmK1-3719&result_place=1&xrefed=OED&xrefword=bliss) .)
a831 Charter of Oswulf (Sweet O.E.T. 444) aette e sien eblitsude mid em
weorldcundum godum.] 1598 _B. JONSON_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-j.html#b-jonson)
Ev. Man out of Hum. II. iii, Shee was
blest with no more copie of wit. 1602 Return fr. Parnass. II. v. (Arb.) 30, I
will blesse your eares with a very pretty story. 1610 _SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
Temp. II. i.
124 You may thank your selfe..That would not blesse our Europe with your
daughter. 1650 _BAXTER_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-b.html#baxter)
Saint's R. III. (1654) 4 Return him hearty thanks upon
my knees, that ever he blessed his Word in my mouth with such..success. 1712
_ARBUTHNOT_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-a2.html#arbuthnot)
John Bull (1755) 30 Mrs. Bull..blessed John with three
daughters. 1767 _FORDYCE_ (http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/he
lp/bib/oed2-f2.html#fordyce) Serm. Yng. Wom. I. i. 14 Are you..blest with
parents?
1839 _BAILEY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-b.html#bailey)
Festus i, To bless him with salvation.
To account or call oneself supremely happy; to congratulate or felicitate
oneself, with, in, that.
1611 BIBLE Jer. iv. 2 The nations shall blesse themselues in him, and in
him shall they glorie. 1674 _N. FAIRFAX_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-f.html#n-fairfax)
Bulk & Selv. To Rdr., I..blisst my
self that I was there. 1684 _BUNYAN_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-b4.html#bunyan)
Pilgr. II. (1879) 246 Old men have
blessed themselves with this mistake. 1839 _BAILEY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-b.html#bailey)
Festus iv, To..bask, and
bless myself, Upon the broad bright bosom.
In ME., and above all by Wyclif, bless was construed with to, app. in
imitation of benedicere alicui of the Vulgate.
a1300 Cursor M. 17890 To oure lord iesu crist e blisse. c1380 _WYCLIF_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-w3.html#wyclif)
Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 249 Cristene men shulden blesse to Cer at pursuen hem
here. 1382 Gen. i. 21 And God..blisside to hem, seiynge, Growith, etc. Ibid.
xii. 3, I shal blis to thoo that blissen thee.
Exclamatory, elliptical and ironical uses.
In exclamatory invocations and ejaculations of surprise; a. in sense 3, as
God bless me! elliptically bless me! bless
(also save) the mark! (see _MARK_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/cgi/crossref?query_type=word&queryword=bless&edition=2e&first=1&max_to_sh
ow=10&sort_type=alpha&search_id=YRbY-eMdmK1-3719&result_place=1&xrefed=OED&xre
fword=mark) ). b. in sense 7, as (God) bless you!
a. 1590 _SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
Mids. N. IV. ii. 14 A Paramour is (God blesse vs) a
thing of nought. 1646 _MILTON_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m3.html#milton)
Sonn. xi. 5 Cries the stall-reader, â??Bless us!
what a word on A title-page is this!â?? 1709 _STEELE_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s4.html#steele)
Tatler No. 25 10 Bless
me! Sir, there's no Room for a Question. 1752 _C. LENNOX_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-l.html#c-lennox)
Fem. Quix. I.
III. v. 161 â??Lord bless me, madam!â?? said Lucy, excessively astonished.
1844
_DICKENS_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-d2.html#dickens)
Mart. Chuz. v. 50 â??Bless my life!â?? said Mr. Pecksniff, looking
up. 1849 Dav. Copp. xii. 138 â??Bless and save the manâ??..â??how he
talks!â?? 1851
_RUSKIN_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-r2.html#ruskin)
King Gold. Riv. i. (1856) 12 â??Bless my soul!â?? said Schwartz when
he opened the door.
b. 1588 _SHAKES._
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s2.html#shakes)
L.L.L. II. i. 77 God blesse my Ladies, are they all in
loue? 1732 _FIELDING_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-f.html#fielding)
Miser V. i. (1775) 67 Bless her heart! good lady!
1840 _MARRYAT_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-m2.html#marryat)
Poor Jack xxix, Bless you, my child, bless you! 1872 _RUSKIN_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-r2.html#ruskin)
Fors Clav. II. xx. 8 The Colonel might have said â??Bless you, my
children,â??
in the tenderest tones.
Hence, to bless oneself: to ejaculate â??God bless me!â?? or other exclamation
of surprise, vexation, or mortification.
1615 _T. ADAMS_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-a.html#t-adams)
Black Dev. 71 He..would blesse himselfe to think that so
little a thing could extend itself to such a capacity. 1665 _PEPYS_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-p2.html#pepys)
Diary 1
Apr., How my Lord Treasurer did bless himself, crying he could do no more, etc.
In many senses (esp. 5b, 7, 8, 9, 10) bless is used euphemistically or
ironically for a word of opposite meaning, â??curse, damn,â?? etc.
1812 _JANE AUSTEN_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-a2.html#jane-austen)
Mansf. Park xviii, Could Sir Thomas look in upon
us just now, he would bless himself. 1838 _DICKENS_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-d2.html#dickens)
O. Twist xiii, An
emphatic and earnest desire to be â??blessedâ?? if she would. 1878 _H. SMART_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-s3.html#h-smart)
Play
or Pay viii. (ed. 3) 156 Fuming, blessing himself, dashing himself.
Comb., as <NOBR>bless-, a thing to bless a beggar with. (ironical.)
1589 _R. HARVEY_
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/help/bib/oed2-h2.html#r-harvey)
Pl. Perc. (1860) 33 My quarter staffe, is it not a
blesse-begger thinke you?
(http://0-dictionary.oed.com.csulib.ctstateu.edu/cgi/entry_main/00023510?query_type=word&queryword=bless&edition=2e&first=1&max_to_show=10&sort_type=alpha&;
search_id=YRbY-eMdmK1-3719&result_place=1&case_id=YRbY-42n4CD-3722&p=0&sp=0&qt
=1&ct=0&ad=0&#top)
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