Assign v.

Forms: 3–6 assygn(e, 3–7 assigne, 4 a sign, asegne, asingne, 4–6 assine, 5 asyne, a-cyne, asigne, assyngne, 5–6 assyng(e, 6 assyne, asein, 7 essign, 5– assign. Aphet. 5 syne. [a. OF. a(s)signe-r, a(s)siner, a(s)sene-r:—L. ad-, assignāre, f. ad to + signāre to make a sign, f. signum sign.] Prim. sign. To mark out to.

  I.  To allot, appoint, authoritatively determine.

  1.  trans. To allot as a share, portion or allowance (to); to appoint, apportion, make over.

1340.  Alex. & Dind., 321. We han a sertaine somme asingned of ȝerus.

1393.  Gower, Conf., III. 117. To every monthe … of signes twelve He hath … Assigned one in speciall.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, III. ii. 140. Assynging ilk ane propir houss and aucht.

1570.  J. Phillip, in Farr, S. P. (1845), II. 529. And vnto his elected churche A pleadge of loue assinde.

1599.  Greene, Poems (1861), 317. By ’signing want and poverty thy share.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IX. 231. The work which here God hath assign’d us.

1794.  S. Williams, Hist. Vermont, 152. The most laborious services were assigned to the female.

1807.  Crabbe, Par. Reg., I. 130. Has a small space for garden-ground assign’d.

  2.  To transfer or formally make over to another. In modern Eng. Law the appropriate word to express the transference of personal property (including chattels real), e.g., leaseholds, railway shares, furniture, as distinguished from real property.

1297.  R. Glouc., 314. Wat thyng he adde assygned ys tueye bretheren al so.

c. 1400.  Apol. Loll., 82. Þei … þat occupien men toward her end a bout … assining of þer goodis.

1522.  Bury Wills (1850), 117. The residue of all my goodes … I assign to myn executors to pay dettes.

1660.  Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 369/1. He essigned the School to Aristaeus.

1748.  Johnson, in Boswell (1831), I. 167. I assign to him the right of copy of an Imitation of the Tenth Satire of Juvenal.

1862.  Hook, Lives Abps., II. ii. 88. Some land which had been newly assigned to the monastery.

  3.  To allot (a place) to a person; to appoint or set it apart for a purpose.

1393.  Gower, Conf., II. 10. But me was never assigned place.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, II. 508. And he assignet hir a seite.

1439.  E. E. Wills (1882), 116. My body to be beryed … yn suche place as I haue assyngned.

1622.  in Fortesc. Papers, 189. To have places assigned where your marchants might erect forts.

1762.  Goldsm., Cit. World, xxxiii. (1837), 131. I was assigned my place on a cushion on the floor.

1855.  Prescott, Philip II., I. vii. (1857), 116. He assigned to his men their several posts.

  4.  To allot or appoint to a person (those that shall perform certain functions in relation to him).

c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 4189. Til hym sal assygned be A gude angelle.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 580. Þenne had þis menskful Melior maydenes fele asegned hire to serue.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, IV. 1136. With a soume of soudiours assignet vs.

1506.  Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W.), IV. v. 177. Unto them assygne not an other confessour.

a. 1656.  Bp. Hall, Rem. Wks. (1660), 52. The Lords Assigned us five very worthy Lawyers.

1826.  Scott, Woodst. (1832), 180. England will not long endure the rulers which these bad times have assigned her.

  b.  To make over a convict as an unpaid servant.

1837.  [see ASSIGNED].

1843.  Penny Cycl., XXV. 138/2. Female convicts were assigned … in the capacity of domestic servants.

  † 5.  To appoint authoritatively, prescribe (a course of action). Obs.

c. 1485.  Digby Myst., II. 214. Make thi curse As I shall assyng the by myn aduysse.

1533.  More, Answ. Poysoned Bk., Wks. 1048/2. They assygned him … what maner a miracle thei wold haue him do.

c. 1550.  Lusty Juv., in Hazl., Dodsl., II. 59. Thou must love … thy neighbour as thyself, because he hath so assigned.

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 103. Simeon Sethi … assigneth them rather to be eaten in Winter time.

  6.  To appoint, designate, ordain, depute (a person) for an office, duty or fate. Obs. exc. in Law.

1297.  R. Glouc., 502. He assigneth the bissop of Winchestre ther to.

c. 1470.  Three 15th C. Chron. (1880), 72. The Duke of Exceter was syned for kepe the see ayenes the Erle of Warwike.

1489.  Plumpton Corr., 81. I have assigneed my servant … to levy and receive such rents.

a. 1547.  Earl Surrey, Æneis, II. (R.). Assigning me To the altar.

1712.  Budgell, Spect., No. 404, ¶ 7. They assign themselves to what they are not fit for.

1768.  Blackstone, Comm., I. 482. If the founder has appointed and assigned any other person to be visitor.

  † 7.  To appoint, direct, send (a person) to a place; to consign. Obs.

1413.  Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, V. xiv. 80. Assignyng his company, euerych in to his place.

1567.  Drant, Horace Epist., I. vii. D v. At length to bed to take a nap he, fraighted, was assynde.

1611.  Bible, 2 Sam. xi. 16. He assigned Vriah vnto a place where hee knewe that valiant men were.

  8.  To fix, settle, determine, or authoritatively appoint (a time or temporal limit).

c. 1305.  St. Swithin, in E. E. P. (1862), 46. Hi assignede a dai þerto.

1485.  Caxton, Chas. Gt., 220. The day of bataylle … was assygned on bothe partyes.

1553.  T. Wilson, Rhet., 42. We would assigne God his tyme.

1708.  Swift, Predict., 1708, Wks. 1755, II. I. 153. In this month likewise an ambassador will die in London; but I cannot assign the day.

1883.  J. Gilmour, Mongols, xvii. 202. A hell to the duration of which no period is assigned.

  † b.  To fix the time and place of (a meeting).

1558.  Forrest, Grysilde Sec., 89. A Cowrte he assigned at Dunstaple, To which was summoned goode Grysildis.

  † 9.  To make an assignation or appointment with (a person) to do a thing. Obs.

1470–85.  Malory, Arthur (1817), X. ii. I assigne you to mete me in the medowe. Ibid. (1816), I. 187. And there this night I had assigned my love and lady to have slept with me.

  10.  To determine, lay down as a thing ascertained.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., II. 93. Who all assign its Altitude to be but about 27 inches.

1772–84.  Cook, Voy. (1790), IV. 92. Who sailed round it, and assigned its true position.

1817.  Chalmers, Astron. Disc., i. (1852), 24. Who shall assign a limit to the discoveries of future ages?

  II.  To point out, show.

  11.  To point out exactly, designate, specify.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. IV. 126. And til seynt Iames be souȝte þere I shal assigne.

1533.  More, Debell. Salem, Wks. 952/1. Folk whom I neither assigne bi name, nor as yet know not who they be.

1660.  Barrow, Euclid, I. xxxiv. Schol., To draw a parallel to a right line given, thro’ the point assigned.

1714.  Grove, Spect., No. 601, ¶ 2. I shall therefore endeavour to assign some of the principal Checks upon this generous Propension.

c. 1854.  Stanley, Sinai & Pal., v. 251. The special locality which Jewish tradition has assigned for the place.

  b.  spec. in Law.

1672.  Manley, Cowell’s Interpr., s.v., To assigne false Judgment … is to declare how and where the Judgment is unjust. To assigne Waste is to show wherein especially the Waste is committed.

  † 12.  To exhibit, display, present. Obs.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VI. xv. The faderis herte is sore greuyd, yf eny rebelnesse is assignid [presentatur] in his children.

  III.  To ascribe, attribute.

  13.  To ascribe, attribute, or refer, as belonging to or originating in.

1541.  R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg. The memory of the herte … is assygned in the partye that is vnder the ioynt that is vnder the arme pytte.

1835.  Macready, Remin., 1. 461. The various spots assigned to the words and actions of our Saviour.

a. 1849.  Hor. Smith, Addr. Mummy, iii.

1875.  Scrivener, Lect. Grk. Test., 9. Whose date may be assigned with certainty to the fourth and fifth centuries.

  14.  To ascribe (a reason) to or as accounting for anything.

1489.  Caxton, Faytes of Armes, IV. vii. 246. Many good raisons that dyuine right assigneth thereto.

1655.  Fuller, Ch. Hist., IX. IV. 383. Sundry reasons are assigned of Mr. Cartwright’s silence.

1769.  Junius Lett., xxiv. 132. To justify my assigning that motive to his behaviour.

1792.  Anecd. W. Pitt, I. v. 122. No reason can be assigned for the Queen of Hungary’s refusing the terms.

  15.  To bring forward, allege, offer, suggest (something as a reason, etc.).

a. 1665.  J. Goodwin, Filled w. the Spirit (1867), 380. This is that which we now assign for a reason.

1780.  Coxe, Russ. Disc., 42. They assigned the insecurity of the roads as their reason for coming … by sea.

1790.  Paley, Hor. Paul., i. § 3. I cannot assign a supposition of forgery.

  † IV.  [f. as- = A- pref. 11 + SIGN v.] To sign. Obs.

1563.  Abp. Sandys, in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. xxxv. 389. The bill … was … sent up in the docket to be assigned by the Queen.

1633.  H. Cogan, Pinto’s Voy., vi. 15. A safe conduct, written and assigned with thine own hand.