Also 3–4 blam, 3–6 blamen, (5 Caxton blasmen). [a. OF. blâmer, blasmer (= Pr. and OSp. blasmar, It. biasimare (:—blasimare) to blame):—late L. blasphēmāre to revile, reproach, ad. Gr. βλασφημεῖν to BLASPHEME; introduced into L. in the lang. of the New Test. The phonetic changes in blasphemāre, blasimāre, blasmar, blasmer, blâmer, blāme, and the modified sense, are due to the continuous popular use of the word; the original form and sense are reproduced in the learned or semi-popular blaspheme.]
1. trans. To find fault with; to censure (an action, a person for his action): the opposite of to praise.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 73. Drede letteð þe mannes shrifte … swiche men blameð þe prophete on þe sealm boc.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 64. Ne he ne cunne ou nouðer blamen [v.r. lastin, laste] ne preisen.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man Lawes T., 8. Thow blamest crist, and seist ful bitterly, He mysdeparteth richesse temporal.
1483. Caxton, Cato, B iij. Thow oughtest not to blame ne dyspreyse other.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. clxxxvi. 221. Of this aduenture the prouost was greatly blamed.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., III. ii. 27. Goe girle, I cannot blame thee now to weepe.
1633. Heywood, Eng. Trav., III. i. Wks. 1874, IV. 43. Who can blame him to absent himselfe from home?
1676. Ray, Corr. (1848), 123. I had not blamed him had he acknowledged his authors.
1727. De Foe, Syst. Magic, I. iii. (1840), 84. All they can blame him for.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., II. 77. To blame the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 80. We blame our fathers for letting us be spoiled.
† 2. To address with rebuke; to reprove, chide, scold. Obs.
1297. R. Glouc., 163. Bi fore hym he lette brynge ys men, & bi gan hem faste blame.
1382. Wyclif, Luke viii. 24. And he risynge blamyde the wynd, and the tempest of watir.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, F iv b. She shalle not make herself to be blamed ne to be bete.
1528. More, Heresyes, I. Wks. 116/1. The good kinge Dauyd … blamed his folishe wife.
1559. Mirr. Mag., Jack Cade, v. No reproche can be to much to blame her.
† 3. To bring into disrepute or discredit. Obs.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., VI. iii. 11. This ill state … To which she for his sake had weetingly Now brought herselfe, and blam’d her noble blood.
1611. Bible, 2 Cor. vi. 3. Giuing no offence in any thing, that the ministery be not blamed.
† 4. To charge; to accuse (of, with a fault, etc.).
c. 1340. Cursor M., 13027 (Trin.). He coom to blame þe kyng of synne.
c. 1400. Maundev., vi. 69. A fayre Maiden was blamed with wrong, and sclaundred, that sche hadde don Fornycacyoun.
1483. Cath. Angl., 34. To Blame, accusare, culpare.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut. viii. 44. So would men blame him of unfaithfulnesse.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Jas. III., Wks. (1711), 61. He is blam’d of avarice.
5. To lay the blame on, reproach; to fix the responsibility upon; to make answerable.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1102. To blam þe broiþer was þam laith.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 158. Wherof full ofte netheles A king is blamed gilteles.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, I. viii. (Arb.), 14. I shold be blasmed yf they dyde you ony harme.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, III. vi. 54. That was not to be blam’d in the command of the seruice: it was a disaster of warre.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xl. 255. Blaming sometimes the Policy, sometimes the Religion.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 89, ¶ 2. She has no Body to blame for it but herself.
1835. Fraser’s Mag., XI. 617. I call this bad management, and I blame it upon you.
6. The dat. infin. to blame is much used as the predicate after be. In the 16–17th c. the to was misunderstood as too, and blame taken as adj. = blameworthy, culpable.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 232. [He] is swuðe to blamen.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 308. If yt be payed prestliche the payer is to blame.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., II. ii. 13. The King mine Vnckle is too blame for it. Ibid. (1596), 1 Hen. IV., III. i. 177. In faith, my Lord, you are too wilfull blame.
1631. W. Saltonstall, Mayde, iv. Perhaps Potentia wanted to be blame.
1633. Heywood, Eng. Trav., III. Wks. 1874, IV. 58. The Girle was much too blame.
1633. Harington, Epigr., I. 84 b. Blush and confesse that you be too too blame.
c. 1710. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett., xciv. II. 154. I am not so much to blame as you imagine.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 93. I was to blame in having put my question badly.
