Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.
An utterance or sound of the voice like "hem", often indicative of hesitation or doubt, sometimes used to call attention.
Spectator
his morning hems
To make the sound expressed by the word hem; to hesitate in speaking.
Shakespeare
Hem, and stroke thy beard.
puhekieltä The border of an article of clothing doubled back and stitched together to finish the edge and prevent it from fraying.
A rim or margin of something.
hem of the sea
In sheet metal design, a rim or edge folded back on itself to create a smooth edge and to increase strength or rigidity.
puhekieltä(qualifier) To make a hem.
puhekieltä: To put hem on an article of clothing, to edge or put a border on something.
puhekieltä: To surround something or someone in a confine confining way.
(obsolete form of)
Reginald Pecock (c.1450)
Three trowings or opinions be causes and grounds of many and of well nigh all the errors which many of the lay party hold, and by which holding they unjustly and overmuch wite and blame the clergy and all heir (their) other neighbors of the lay side, which not hold tho same errors accordingly with hem, and therefore it is much need for to first give business to unroot and overturn tho three trowings, holdings, or opinions, before the improving of other; sithen if tho three be sufficiently improved, that is to say, if it be sufficiently proved that tho three be nought and untrue and bad, all the other untrue opinions and holdings built upon hem or upon any of hem must needs thereby take heir fall, and lack it whereby they might in any color or seeming be maintained, held, and supported.
William Caxton (1481)
And wente to the kinge and to the queene, and said to hem with a glad cheer.
William Caxton (1485)
For eyther of hem mayntened.
Nisbet, M (1520-1535)
He prayis hem to lyue relegious lyffis and to luk waraly for the cummyng of the lord.
Edmund Spenser (1579)
Tho to the greene wood they speeden hem all.
Ben Jonson (1598)
Except we make hem such.
John Marston (1605)
They go forth on Holydays and gather hem by the seashore.
And I seide, “Ser, in his tyme maister Ioon Wiclef was holden of ful many men the grettis clerk that thei knewen lyuynge vpon erthe. And therwith he was named, as I gesse worthili, a passing reuli man and an innocent in al his lyuynge. And herfore grete men of kunnynge and other also drowen myche to him, and comownede ofte with him. And thei sauouriden so his loore that thei wroten it bisili and enforsiden hem to rulen hem theraftir… Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende. Also Filip of Repintoun whilis he was a chanoun of Leycetre, Nycol Herforde, dane Geffrey of Pikeringe, monke of Biland and a maistir dyuynyte, and Ioon Purueye, and manye other whiche weren holden rightwise men and prudent, taughten and wroten bisili this forseide lore of Wiclef, and conformeden hem therto. And with alle these men I was ofte homli and I comownede with hem long tyme and fele, and so bifore alle othir men I chees wilfulli to be enformed bi hem and of hem, and speciali of Wiclef himsilf, as of the moost vertuous and goodlich wise man that I herde of owhere either knew. And herfore of Wicleef speciali and of these men I toke the lore whiche I haue taughte and purpose to lyue aftir, if God wole, to my lyues ende.”