Middle English Dictionary Entry
dāle n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dāle n. Also dal(l, daile, dele. Pl. dāles, deales, dālen (dat.). |
| Etymology | OE dæl, pl. dalu & ON dal-r. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. del n.(1).
1.
A valley, dell, glen; valley bottom; ~ and doun, hil and ~; bi (over) ~ and doun, over hill and dale, everywhere.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9601 : Nu sket shall illc an dale beon All heȝhedd upp & filledd.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14568 : Wude & feld & dale & dun All wass i waterr sunnkenn.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5191 : Weoren þa hulles and þa dæles [Otho: dales] iwriȝen mid þæt dæden.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21775 : Þer is sellic to suggen of þan watere þer walleð..of dalen & of dunen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27162 : Þa he com in ane dale vnder ane dune.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)37 : Hwile uppen cliues and hwile in þe dales.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)77a : I þe dealen þu makest he seið weallen to springen.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)3 : Ðe leun..Bi wilc weie so he wile To dele niðer wenden, Alle hise fet steppes After him he filleð.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)154 : Þe children ȝede to Tune, Bi dales & bi dune.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1931 : Iacob..sente ioseph to dalen ebron.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of ihu (Hrl 913)88 : Þe sixte dai..Wan þes montis and þes hille, Al for soþ, hit wurþ ibroȝt, Þes depe dalis for to fille.
- a1350 Lenten ys come (Hrl 2253)4 : Dayeseȝes in þis dales.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)4038 : On hors þai lopen..Ouer þe dounes & þe dales.
- c1330 Body & S.(5) (Auch)p.50 : Ȝe ladde me bi doun and dale, As men doþ ox bi þe horn.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2432 : Ouer dales and helles.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)1.1 : What þis Mountein be-Meneþ, and þis derke Dale..I schal ow schewe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1986 : To an elf queene I me take By dale and eek by downe.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.2027 : How sire Thopas..Prikyng ouer hill and dale, Is come agayn to towne.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4013 : In a narwe cotage Biside a groue stondyng in a dale.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.356 : Into a Dale He cam, wher was a litel plein.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.1583 : Thei gon the dounes and the dales With wepinge and with wofull tales.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1251 : Toward þe est end of þis dale, Find a grene gate þou sale.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13464 : Þe dales was wit folk ouer-laid.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22534 : Al þis werld, bath dale and dune, Even ilik he sal worth all, þe dals up-rise, þe fells dun fall.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22565 : Þe see..sal bath brest ouer dale and dun.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1151 : Der drof in þe dale, doted for drede.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2162 : Ridez þurȝ þe roȝe bonk ryȝt to þe dale.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2417 : Þe hert I-chasid with houndis..Þoruȝ þe downys & þe dalys lowe.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)327 : Water-foul sat lowest in the dale.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)75a : Chese þe a place þat be hully and ful of dales.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1092 : Make þee be dred, be dalys derne.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9418 : The stoure was full stithe, þo stuerne men betwene, Mony dyet in þe dale.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)46/107 : With ȝow to walk ovyr dale and hill.
- a1475 As I stod in (Brog 2.1)p.65 : Owre sorrow schalle aslake, When all stondyt evyn, both dale and hyle.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)562 : Than cryed the lothely thyng, That all the dall be-gan to Ryng.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)508 : Bemes and bugles blew full many, that all the daile and doun dynnyd truly.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)210/33 : To seche hym by downes and by dales.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)265 : Þou shalt go by downys and by dalys..for to seke þe childe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)179/451 : Was neuer none borne, by downes ne by dalys..that had sich avalys.
- a1500 Play Sacr.(Dub 652)113 : Bi dal and by hylle, In Eraclea ys noon so moche of myght.
- 1534(?a1500) Cov.Pl.ST (Croo:Craig)583 : I ryde wanderyng..Ouer montens and dalis; I wot not where I am.
2.
(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.125 & 126].
Associated quotations
a
- (1201) Fine R.King John137 : Alanus de Widedal.
- (1222) Domesday Bk.St.Paul in Camd.6944 : Edwardus de la dale.
- (1269) Assize R.Nhb.in Sur.Soc.88210 : Ric. Dale.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2139 : Petro del Dalhous.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2197 : Willelmo Daleman.
- (1316) Feudal Aids 119 : Thomas de la Dale.
- (1439) Doc.in Morsbach Origurk.18 : Margere of ye dale, wyfe of Robert of ye dale.
3.
Fig. uses: worldes ~, the Earth; dark ~, sorwes ~, ~ of dol, the world as a 'vale of tears'; ~ of dros, ~ of sinne, the sinful world.
Associated quotations
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)19 : Ðan man hem telled soðe tale..Of blisses dune, of sorwes dale.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)142 : Ðe mone is more bi mannes tale, ðan al ðis erðe in werldes dale.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1890 : Þow semest bet..a deuel gonde in dale, þan a man of flesche & fel, so grym þou art a fale.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)994 : In bedde I brede brothel..mekyl of mankynde in my clokis schal be knyth, tyl deth dryuyth hem down in dalys be-dene.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1591-4 : He [the Bad Angel] wolde þee lede..In dale of dros, tyl þou were ded..In dale of dol tyl þou schudyst dey, he wolde drawe þee to coursydhed.
- a1475 VPhilibert (Brog 2.1)p.34 : A! God, my makere..Where is thi mersy, that wase wont to rayne? Amonge thi pepul lete hit nowe awayle, Doune alowe into this darke dale!
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)23.3 : Falland down agayn til the dale of synn.
4.
A pit or grave.
Associated quotations
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)33/3 : I wald noght spare for to speke..Of wight men with wapin..Þat now er driuen to dale, and ded all þaire dede.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)11.481 : Wyne of pomys..in a celle of cold erthe hem [kegs] avale..or..a dale Do make & drenche hem thryn.