also 3–4 amendie, -y, 3–6 amende. [a. OFr. amende-r:—L. ēmendā-re to free from fault, correct, improve, f. ē = ex out + mend-um, mend-a fault. The change from e- to a- took place very early, being found in Pr. and It. as well as OFr. Already in 14th c. aphetized to MEND.]
1. To free (a person) from faults, correct, reform, turn from wrong, convert. † a. trans. Obs.
c. 1220. Prov. Alfred, in Rel. Ant., I. 188. Þuru þis lore & genteleri, he amendit huge companie.
1297. R. Glouc., 73. Þo pope … twei holy men hym sende … hys soule for to amende.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 185. A sermun he made For to a-Mende meires.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Engl., III. (1520), 22/2. Lud governed well the lande … and amended yll folk.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., IV. iii. 76. God amend vs, God amend, we are much out o’ th’ way.
1704–5. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 375. Till those unworthy people … are amended.
† b. refl. Obs.
1297. R. Glouc., 350. Þat hii … Repenty mowe, & þer of hem amendy.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1569. God … at þe last on þam will sende Veng[e]aunce, bot if þai þam here amende.
c. 1360. E. E. Poems (1862), 131. Ȝif þou art in synne i-bounde, Amende þe.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., III. x. 154. Yet for al that they amende them not.
1535. Coverdale, Matt. iii. 1. Amende youre selues the kyngdome of heuen is at honde.
c. intr. To reform oneself, abandon one’s faults or evil ways.
c. 1300. Lay-Folks Mass-bk., B. (1375), 238. I trow … of my synnes, forgyfnes If I wil mende.
c. 1400. Apol. for Loll., 15. Wan þe synnar wil not dewli obey ne a mend.
1535. Coverdale, Jonas iii. Argt. They amende, and God is mercifull to them.
1655. H. Vaughan, Silex Scint., I. (1858), 83. If here One Sinner doth amend Strait there is Joy.
1727. De Foe, Apparitions, x. 192. It gives advice to amend and reform.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. III. iv. 172. The bad Editors promise to amend, but do not.
2. trans. To free (a thing) from faults, correct (what is faulty), rectify. arch.
c. 1280. 7 Sins, in E. E. Poems (1862), 18. Ȝoure sinful lif to amendie to-dai ic wol ȝow teche.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 226. The wrongfull lawes ben amended. Ibid., 241. Her olde sinnes to amende.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 128. I may wele correcte and amende my thoughtis.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. i. 180. You must needes learne, Lord, to amend this fault.
1611. Bible, Jer. vii. 3. Amend your wayes, and your doings.
1757. Burke, Abridgm. Eng. Hist., Wks. X. 525. Made him swear to amend his civil government.
1879. Froude, Cæsar, iii. 29. A few things had gone wrong, but these had been amended.
b. esp. Of errors in the text of a book or document: To emendate.
1483. Caxton, Cato, 3. [I] beseche alle suche that fynde faute or errour that … they correcte and amende hit.
1611. Bible, Pref., 9. To goe ouer that which hee had done, and to amend it where he saw cause.
1747. Warburton, Pref. Shaks., p. ix. (T.). Such as amending the corrupted Text where the printed Books afford no Assistance.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., s.v. Amendment, In cases of wrong returns … that the returns be amended by the returning officer.
3. Law. To correct (an error committed in legal process), or rectify (a legal document). Also absol.
1429. Act 8 Hen. VI., xv. (Pulton 1632). The Iustices may in certaine cases amend defaults in Records.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., III. 409. They might … have excused themselves from amending in criminal, and especially in capital, cases.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., I. G ij a/2. But a mandamus may not be amended after return.
4. To make professed improvements in (a measure before Parliament); formally, to alter in detail, though practically it may be to alter its principle, so as to thwart it. (See AMENDMENT 1 d.)
1777. Burke, Aff. Amer., Wks. III. 136. During its progress through the house of commons, it has been amended.
1879. McCarthy, Own Times, II. xxiii. 176. There was no reason why the Government should not have amended their bill.
5. To repair or make good (what is broken or damaged); to restore. arch. Commonly replaced by the aphet. form MEND.
c. 1230. Ancr. R., 420. Seouweð, and amendeð chirche cloðes.
c. 1305. E. E. Poems (1862), 44. Þe toun also of wynchestre; he amendede ynouȝ.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 65. Wyndowes … ich wolle a-menden & glase.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 338/1. Amendynge & cloutynge poure mennes shoes.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., cxxviii. How an hye way sholde be amended.
c. 1575. Still, Gamm. Gurton’s Needle, I. ii. 14. Dame Gurton these breeches amended.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VII. xliv. (1632), 418. They fell to amending their shippes.
1721. Perry, Daggenh. Breach, 130. Repair and amend all the said Walls.
1875. H. E. Manning, Mission H. Ghost, xii. 324. Until the machine is either amended or destroyed.
† b. fig. Obs. rare.
c. 1399. Pol. Poems, II. 10. So stant the werre, and pes is noght amendid.
† 6. trans. To heal or recover (the sick); to cure (a disease). Obs.
c. 1305. St. Lucy, 24, in E. E. P. (1862), 702. To þe tumbe of seint Agace: hire moder lyf to amende.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqrs. T., 460. If þat I verraily the cause knewe Of youre disese … I wolde amenden it.
1388. Wyclif, John. iv. 52. He axide of hem the our in which he was amendid.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, F ij b. Whan she was amended of her legges.
1548. Coverdale, Erasm. Paraphr. Phil., Argt. Epaphroditus was amended of his extreme daungerous sickenesse.
1653. Milton, Ps. vi. 4. Pity me, Lord … heal and amend me.
1804. Abernethy, Surg. Observ., 154. Although the sores were not amended.
† b. intr. (through refl.) To recover from illness. Obs.: see MEND.
1297. R. Glouc., 8. Ac men of France in þilke vuel me syþ sone a mende.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 316. She began somdele amende.
1610. Shaks., Temp., V. i. 115. Th’ affliction of my minde amends.
1611. Bible, John iv. 52. The houre when he began to amend.
7. To bring into a better state, better, improve (anything implicitly imperfect). a. trans.
1384. Chaucer, Ann. & Arc., 84. In her ne myght no thing be amendid.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de Worde), VII. x. 289/2. Yf the seller be moche harmed by the sellynge, & the byer moche amended by the byenge.
c. 1500. Merch. & Son, in Halliw., Nug. P., 23. Some fayre syens to amende wyth thy degree.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., I. ii. 142. To punish you by the heeles, would amend the attention of your eares.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 554. Sunday-schools … have a tendency to amend the morals and conduct of the rising generation.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ella of Gar., i. 11. Presently, however, his idea of her was amended.
† b. refl. Obs. rare.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 16. Eche of hem him self amendeth Of worldes good.
c. intr. (Rare exc. as in 1 c.)
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arthur Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 2. Thus amended this chylde frome daye to daye & grew so goodly.
1616. Surflet & Markh., Countr. Farme, 378. Raisins or dried Grapes being wrapped in Figge leaues … amend and become better both in tast and smell.
† d. absol. To improve on. Obs. rare.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 4. The kirtel bicom him swithe wel, To amenden theron was neuer a del.
† 8. trans. To better: passing from the idea of ‘improve’ to that of ‘improve upon,’ surpass. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqrs. T., 89. With so heigh reuerence and obeisaunce … That Gawayn with his old curteisye … Ne koude hym nat amende.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 363. Of women I sigh foure there, Whose name I herde most commended. By hem the court stode all amended.
c. 1500. Merch. & Son, in Halliw., Nug. P., 22. He cowde hys gramer wonder wele, hys felows cowde hym not amende.
† 9. To make amends, or give satisfaction for an offence. a. trans. Obs. but see MEND.
1297. R. Glouc., 391. He wolde to Engelond … amende þat he adde mys do.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s T., 241. What is my gult?… tel me it, And it schal be amendid.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XXVIII. 11217. He is happy, þat a harme hastely amendes.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. xiv. 61. Be all maner of torment and of pyne, For till amend my offensis.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 119. If a Factor by errour of account doe wrong vnto a Merchant, hee is to amend and to make good the same.
1635. Swan, Spec. Mundi (1670), 368. In little medling is much rest; and ‘nothing said is soonest amended.’
† b. absol. To make amends. Obs. rare.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 203. Gif Ich him haue ought misdo, Amenden Ichil wele therto.
† c. trans. To make amends to a person of the wrong. Obs. rare.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1917. Amendie hem of þy wronge; of al þyng þou hym hast offent.
