under þe sonne
Middle English
Alternative forms
- under sonne, anunder þe sonne, anunder sonne
- See alternate forms at under, anunder, þe and sonne.
Etymology
Calque of Hebrew תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ (táchat hashémesh). The phrase has been associated with the book of Ecclesiastes ever since appearing 29 times in the translation into Middle English by John Wycliffe.
Prepositional phrase
under þe sonne
- On earth.
- In existence; in the world.
- 1382, 1395, Wycliffe, Bible, Ecclesiastes 9:11:
- Y siy vndur sunne
- c. 1387-1400 Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, "The Knight's Tale":
- gretter was ther noon under the sonne
- 1382, 1395, Wycliffe, Bible, Ecclesiastes 9:11:
Synonyms
- under þe mone
Descendants
- English: under the sun
References
- “sonne, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 16 June 2018.