Middle English Dictionary Entry
dwē̆le n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dwē̆le n. Also dweole, dwelle. |
| Etymology | OE gedweola; akin to OE gedwola. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A wandering course; gon o ~, to go astray, lose one's way; (b) trickery; (c) ~ man, a heretic [cp. OE gedwolman].
Associated quotations
a
- c1230 *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)60b : He com..i wummone liche i þe wildernesse; seide ha wes igan o dweole.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1239 : Sum blind mon, þat nanne rihtne wei ne con, to þare diche his dweole [Jes-O: dwele] fulied.
b
- a1300 Owl & N.(Jes-O 29)825 : If þe uox miste of al þis dwele, At þan ende he creophþ to hole.
c
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)27/18 : Ðat tu ne folȝhi none dwelmenn, ðe muchel misleueð.
2.
(a) False belief; heresy; (b) illusion, delusion; vanity; ~ song, beguiling song; (c) ?a trance; in ~.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)29/9 : Ðanne ðe cumþ..sum euel..ne ȝelief ðu naht al swa sume ðe naure wel ne ȝeliefden, seggeð þat hie imetten euel fot..oðer sum oðer dwel hie driueð.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)39/28 : Mani mann ðe is on michele dwele on him seluen, wenþ þat he bie wise.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)83/10 : Min gast is swiðe for-ealded..for ðe michele dwele, ða ðe he ȝiede ut of ðe rihte weiȝe, and folȝede dieules lare.
- a1300 I-hereþ nv one (Jes-O 29)525 : Þenne wrþ þe laste dwele wurse to alegge Þene þe vorme were.
b
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)60b : Na sihðe þet ȝe seoð, ne i swefne ne waken, ne telle ȝe bute dweole.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)96a : Þe habbeð hare blisse..i worldes dweole [Pep: duele].
- c1275 On hire is al (Clg A.9)35 : I luued ich habbe gomen and gleo..Al þat is dweole.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)926 : I..warni men mid mine bere, þat þi dweole song [Jes-O: dwele song] heo ne forlere.
- c1300 SLeg.MPChr.(LdMisc 108)149 : Richesse..nis bote dwele.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)55 : If man is prute of world is welle..Hit commiþ, hit goþ, hit nis bot dwelle.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)111 : Þeiȝ freris prech of heuen and helle..to mani man Al þat him þenchit bot dwelle.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)71/18 : Ȝwane þe dede slep him ouer-eode..his heued he wolde legge a-doun..And liggen ane stounde in dweole Miengyngue.