sb. Forms: α. 4–6 teme, (4–5 teeme, 5 teem, 5–6 tyme). β. 4– theme, 6–7 theame, 6–8 theam). [a. OF. *teme (not in Godef.: but cf. tesme, with graphic s indicating vowel-length (13th c. in Godef., Compl.); also teume, thieume); in β conformed to L. thema, a. Gr. θέμα proposition, f. θε-, root of τιθέναι to put, set, place, lay down. In 16–17th c. commonly spelt theam. Cf. ANTETHEME.]
1. The subject of discourse, discussion, conversation, meditation, or composition; a topic. a.
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 18495 (Cott.). Bot lenthius yald up his teme Bath to ioseph and to nichodeme.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 358. Þe trwe tenor of his teme he tolde on þis wyse.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 306. Crist … toke þe same word for his teme þat Baptist toke whanne he prechide.
β. 13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 943. Þe nwe [Iherusalem] þat lyȝt of godez sonde, Þe apostel in apocalyppce in theme con take.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pard. Prol., 5. My theme [teeme, teme, teem, tyme] is alwey oon and euere was Radix malorum est Cupiditas.
1485. Caxton, Paris & V., Prol. I vndertake this theme … because I haue all my life taken pleasure in the reading of Romances.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., IV. 44 b. Now to my theame again.
a. 1600. [see THESE sb.].
1649. Milton, Eikon., ix. The overworn theme, and stuffing of all his discourses.
1708. Brit. Apollo, No. 18. 3/2. And Love and Pleasure be my Endless Theam [rhyme name].
1804. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1837), III. 81. His Highness’s notorious treachery,… the theme of all the public dispatches.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, VI. I. 200. A theme of song for men in time to come.
† b. transf. A subject treated by action (instead of by discourse, etc.); hence, that which is the cause of or for specified action, circumstance, or feeling; matter, subject. Obs.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., V. ii. 80. See heere he comes, and I must play my theame. Ibid. (1602), Ham., V. i. 289. Ham. Why I will fight with him vppon this Theme…. Qu. Oh my sonne, what Theame? Ham. I lou’d Ophelia [etc.].
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 110. An infallible Theame of endlesse troubles.
1713. Swift, Cadenus & Vanessa, 298. In vain … You form’d this project in your brain … Nor shall Vanessa be the theme To manage thy abortive scheme.
1806. H. Siddons, Maid, Wife, & Widow, I. 179. His son grew up to man’s estate, and gave him farther theme for uneasiness.
† c. Logic. That which is the subject of thought.
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 1. The externall is euery Theme, or matter propounded, whereof a man discourseth, or may discourse by his reason.
1697. trans. Burgersdicius his Logic, I. ii. 2. A Theme is whatsoever may be propos’d to the Understanding to be known. Themes are either Simple or Composed.
1725. Watts, Logic, I. ii. § 1. Every object of our idea is called a theme, whether it be a being or not-being: for not-being may be proposed to our … thoughts, as well as that which has a real being.
† 2. spec. The text of a sermon; also, a proposition to be discussed. Obs. (or merged in 1).
α. 1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 86. A Sarmoun he made,… And tolde hem þis teeme [v.r. teme]. Ibid., VIII. 122. Thou mihtest preche whon þe luste, Quoniam literaturam non cognoui mihte be þy Teeme!
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 488/1. Teme, of a sermone, thema.
1513. More, Rich. III., Wks. 60/2. He toke for his tyme spuria vitulamina non agent radices altas. That is to say bastard slippes shal neuer take depe roote.
1530. Palsgr., 281/1. Tyme of a sermonde, thesme.
β. 1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VIII. 151 (MS. α). He took a theme [L. sumpto themate] of holy writt, and gan to preche.
1432–50. trans. Higden, ibid. This theme of scripture.
c. 1530. L. Cox, Rhet. (1899), 44. The theme of Tullyes oracyon or plee for Milo was thys, that he had slayne Clodius laufully.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 367. The deuines had Themes geuen them to discusse and reason vpon.
c. 1566. Merie Tales of Skelton, S’s Wks. 1843, I. p. lxi. He dyd take that for hys antethem, the which of late dayes is named a theme, and sayde, Qui se exaltat [etc.].
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., II. 590. In the ende all woulde be but vanitie, according to Salomons theame, which hee handleth in his booke of the Preacher.
1618. Hales, Rem., Lett. fr. Synod of Dort, II. 50. He took for his Theme the 122. Psalm.
3. An exercise written on a given subject, esp. a school essay; an exercise in translation. Now rare.
1545–7. in Archæologia, XXXIV. 41. After none they [form III] have a theme to be made in Laten.
1581. Pettie, Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., II. (1586), 59. Like a schoolemaister, which doth dictate or rehearse to his schollers some Theame or Epistle.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 56. The theam of a Grammar lad.
1739. Cibber, Apol. (1756), I. 7. I remember I was once whipp’d for my theme.
1824. in Grant, Burgh Sch. Scotl. (1876), II. iv. 154. The Rector dictated an English theme to be translated into Latin.
1878. Bosw. Smith, Carthage, 263. In Juvenal’s time Roman schoolboys declaimed upon it in their weekly themes.
4. Mus. The principal melody, plainsong, or canto fermo in a contrapuntal piece; hence, any one of the principal melodies or motives in a sonata, symphony, etc.; a subject; also, a simple tune on which variations are constructed.
[1597. Morley, Introd. Mus., 86. Your plainsong is as it were your theme, and your descant as it were your declamation.]
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., III. 2. It was usual with them to have a Tenor as a Theam, to which they were compelled to adapt their other Parts.
1854. Cherubini’s Counterpoint, 63. The subject, or theme of the fugue, should neither be too long nor too short.
1866. Engel, Nat. Mus., iii. 103. A manifold and clever treatment of the motives of which the theme consists, contributes especially to the oneness and clearness of a musical composition.
5. Philol. The inflexional base or stem of a word, consisting of the ‘root’ with modification or addition; thus in Gr. λείπειν and τέμνειν, the roots are λιπ, τεμ, the present themes or stems λειπ-, τεμν-; in τέκνον, the root is τεκ, the theme τεκνο-.
Formerly applied to the 1 pers. sing. pres. indic. of a verb; later identified with root (as in Greek); the modern application began with Curtius.
1530. Palsgr., Introd. 31. The fyrst [conjugation] … hath his thre chefe rotes … his theme, his preterit participle, and his present infynityve ever of many syllables. Ibid. The thyrde [conjugation] hath his theme most commenly in S … as je voys … je prens … je dis.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, I call the Theame, speaking to the vnskilfull in the Latine tong, whereby we begin to decline a Verbe.
1615. Bedwell, Index Assurat., O iij. The theame or roote, as they call it, from whence it [Koran] is deriued, is … Kara’, to reade.
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind, I. vii. § 6. In reducing the words to their original or theme.
1870. F. A. March, Compar. Gram. Ags., § 60. The variable final letters of a noun are its case-endings, the rest is its theme.
1875. Whitney, Life Lang., x. 207. In the derivative theme or base.
6. Astrol. The disposition of the heavenly bodies at a particular time, as at the moment of a person’s birth. Cf. HOROSCOPE sb. 1.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 293. Augustus had … such a confidence in this fatidical praesagition, that he divulged his natalitial theme.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., Theme, among astrologers, denotes the figure they construct when they draw the horoscope; representing the state of the heavens for a certain point, or moment required; i.e. the places of the stars, and plants, for that moment.
1775. Ash, Dict., Theme,… a horoscope in astrology.
[1819. Wilson, Dict. Astrol., Thema cœli, a figure of the heavens.]
7. Anc. Hist. Each of the twenty-nine provinces into which the Byzantine empire was divided.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xlviii. V. 13. The Anatolian theme or province. Ibid., liii. 464. An accurate survey of the provinces, the themes, as they were then denominated, both of Europe and Asia.
1864. Bryce, Holy Rom. Emp., ix. (1889), 135. Nicephorus demanded the ‘theme’ or province of Rome as the price of compliance.
8. attrib. and Comb., as theme-maker.
a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal, To Rdr. Surely thou wilt acknowledge Juvenal to be a poet, but Horace to be some poor theme-maker.
Hence Theme v. trans., to furnish with a theme or subject; Themeless a., without a theme, having no theme; Themer, one who sets or proposes a theme; Themester, one who labors at a theme (contemptuous).
1594. R. Southwell, St. Peter’s Compl., etc., To Rdr. This *theames my heavie penne to plaine in prose.
1641. J. Jackson, True Evang. T., I. 10. [Points] capable to be spread out so as to theame the Preachers speech.
1840. Galt, Demon of Destiny, VI. 41. The *themeless babble of his idiot child.
1611. Tarlton, Jests (1844), 28. Such commendations Tarlton got, that hee supt with the bailiffe that night, where my *theamer durst not come, although he were sent for.
1843. Blackw. Mag., LIV. 105. Where now, base *themester?
