Middle English Dictionary Entry
dwāle n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dwāle n. Also dwōle, (error) dowle. |
| Etymology | OE dwala & dwola. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Deception, trickery; (b) delusion; (c) error, wrong-doing, evil; (d) ~ kenned, born of error, heretical.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)825 : Ȝif þe uox mist of al þis dwole, at þan ende he cropþ to hole.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)4055 : Ðe ginge wimmen..ðe cumen [?read: cunnen] brewen hertebren, wið win, and wlite, & bodi, & dwale [rime: smale].
- c1330 SMChron.(Auch)1156 : He herd a man grede hale hale, & euer he wende it hadde ben duale.
b
- a1300 On hire is al (Roy 2.F.8)35 : Yloued ic abbe gamen an gle..al hyt hys dvole.
c
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1220 : Sumdel ligtlike he it nam Til god him bad..don a-wei ðat dwale [rime: tale].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12841 : Þe godds lamb, þan clenge sale þis wreched werld fra sinful duale [Frf: bale].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)14197 : Qua walkes on nightertale O dreching oft he findes duale [Frf: dwale].
d
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)7441 : Þatt lærede follc..þurrh dwallkennde lare Tahhtenn & turrndenn lawedd follc To lefenn wrag [read: wrang] o Criste.
2.
A dazed or unconscious condition, stupor, trance; in (a) ~, in a daze, stunned, unconscious.
Associated quotations
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17708 : Þai fell als þai in duale war dueld, Gruflinges dun to erth plate.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)6461 : Thes lordes ben alle In gret stody..some sittes in a dwale [rime: pale].
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)13685 : Many of hem ligge In a dwale.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)9059 : Þat sire Vter..stod as he were in dwale; No word ne seide, bot wax al pale.
3.
A fool [cp. maister ~].
Associated quotations
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)453 : Be þu neuere to bold to chiden aȝen oni scold, ne mid manie tales to chiden aȝen alle dwales.
4.
(a) A sleeping potion, narcotic drink; (b) a kind of nightshade; ?deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). [Also cp. henne-dwole.]
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.4161 : To bedde gooth Aleyn and also Iohn..hem neded no dwale [rime: ale].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.388 : Thou hast drunken of the duale, Which biter is.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)26323 : Als leth [Frf: leche] þou suld..giue him for to drinc duale.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)17708 : Þei fel as þei had dronken dwale.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)23.379 : The frere..doþ men drynke dwale þat men dredeþ no synne.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)154 : Pocio quae dicitur dwale [a1400 (Roy): For to make a drink þat is cleped Dwale] Take..galle of a barow swyne..hemlok jus..wylde neep..letuse..pope..hennebane..eysel..do þer of..to..good wyne.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)90/9 : A drynke that men calle dwale, to make a man slep-en whyles men kerue hym.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)134 : Dwale, herbe [Win: Dowle, herbe]: Morella sompnifera, vel morella mortifera.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)205/8 : Solatrum nigrum is an herbe men clepe..dwale or more morel..haȝt lewys lyce to houndberi..a longe stalke ful or braunches and..gret bayes swmdel grettere þan houndberie..ȝif a man may noȝt slepyn lete hym etyn of þis herbe.
- c1475 Sln.4 Recipes in Rel.Ant.1 (Sln 4)324 : Take juse of dwale and menche the corne theryn..and wher they [birds] have eten therof, they shalle slepe that ye may take them with youre handes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: The etymon for this word is probably Old Norse. (See article by Voigts and Hudson, in Health, Disease, and Healing in Medieval
Culture (1994) p. 50, n. 5.)--per REL
Note: See also OED dwale n.(2).--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. dwale.