[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/observe.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The Early Modern English dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/) / observe

[← O](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/O/)

# observe

«observe» in Mova's early modern english dictionary: **keep; obey, watch** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### kind

archaic sense

### modern equivalent

keep; obey, watch

### part of speech

verb

### meaning for a pupil

In the Torah it means keep or obey (a day or rule); in the fairy tales it can mean watch or notice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/O/observe/#m1)

### how it differs from today

Today it mostly means watch carefully; the sense "keep or obey" is old, and the sentences use it that way for the Sabbath and ordinances.

### examples

- Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD thy God commanded thee. (Torah DEU.5.12, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/O/observe/#x1)
- The good child undresses, but observe this! (The Red Fairy Book) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/O/observe/#x2)
- And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. (Torah EXO.12.24, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/O/observe/#x3)

### primary record

observe

### tests

rate: sense (≥3 uses in the Torah, ≥10× EWT there, Wiktionary: an archaic sense); corpora 90 (Torah 35, tales 55, Sefer Yetzirah 0); EWT 2; ratio 2.0 (Torah alone 16.3); Wiktionary archaic (a sense)

### In the corpora

- [And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.334/)
- [Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/EXO.942/)
- [And ye shall observe all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them: I am the LORD.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/LEV.579/)
- [And when ye shall err, and not observe all these commandments, which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses,](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/NUM.590/)
- [Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD thy God commanded thee.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/jps/DEU.173/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «observe» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/O/observe/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.