Middle English Dictionary Entry
ēl(e n.(3)
Entry Info
| Forms | ēl(e n.(3) Also yele. |
| Etymology | OE ǣl. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
The common European eel Anguilla anguilla. [A staple commodity of the fish trade, imported in large quantities from the Continent.]
Associated quotations
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)412 : Anguille: eles .i. anguillies.
- (1377-1399) Oath Bk.Colchester8 : Elys par le bolk, vjd. 1 Barrel elys, ijd.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.13 : [In Britain] Þat is grete plente of small fische, of samon and of elys.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)269a/b : Some fisshes beþ liche to serpentes..as laumprays and congres and eeles.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)54 : Kerue þin Eelis & seeþ hem wel.
- a1400 Recipe MS Hal.in Rel.Ant.1 (Hal 335)54 : Tak on the even before a gude fatte ele, and do hit al qwhik in a litel pocenet ful of gude wyne..on the morne, are the evell tak hym, undo that ele..and gif the sekeman at ete of this ele.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)449 : Servise on Fisshe Day..at the seconde cours, eles in grave..and baken eles.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)346 : The eles fo, heroun.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)103 : Solys, floundrys, elys, ne non other maner of fyssh that cometh in panyerys.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)98/266 : For them that haue euell heres. Take..juys of the blades of lekys..and ey shell full of the droppynge off helys.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)15 : Ye schall angle..For..the Ele with a lyne of vj herys.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)671/21 : Graunted also to the same abbesse and holy mynchons of Godestowe..the tythes of Elys of his stewys of wodestok.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)50 : For a brothe of elys. Fyrst flyghe þyn elys, in pese hom smyte.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)86 : Pik and eles in ballok brothe that muste our dame haue, or els she will be wrothe.
- a1500(a1451) Commodities Eng.(LdMisc 593)553 : What merchandyse and rychese come thydyr and in to all other londs owte of the Northe est Contrey..1 Hony, 2 Herynges ..7 Ele, 8 Sturgyon.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)72 : Comyth ther not al day owt of..flaundre Off fatt eles full many a showte?
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)17 : Elys be sold by the stike, that ys xxv elys; and x styckys make a gwyde.
2.
(a) ele bed, a pond for keeping eels until needed; (b) eles grese, grese of eles, the rendered fat of the eel; (c) ele ship, a ship which carried eels in the fish trade; (d) ele skin.
Associated quotations
a
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)113 : An Ele bed: Anguillarium.
b
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)52/1 : For ewel herynge. Take..a schellefull of elys gres..and helde þer-of in þin hole ere.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)39/13 : Menge hit with grece of elys..and do hit in þe ere.
c
- (1411-12) Let.Bk.Lond.I (Gldh LetBk I)101 : Eleshippes.
d
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)48/33 : Tak ele skynnes and dry þam & bryn þam & blaw þe powdir in his nose thirlles with a pipe.
3.
In phrases blak el, grei ~, gret ~, salt ~.
Associated quotations
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)449 : Servise on Fisshe Day..whelkes and gret eles and lamprons rosted.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)60 : Salt Elys in galentyne.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)110 : Þat is akynde blak eel, and his fyn blak by neþe þe nauele.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)196/2 : Þe droppyng off a grey ele.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)834 : Mustard is metest with..Salt ele.
4.
Proverbial sayings.
Associated quotations
- c1440 HBk.GDei (Thrn:Horstmann)311 : Þay [riches] are faylande & noghte lastande ay, & slepir als ane eele.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)56 : An evil kepte tong glydith as an ele.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)127/356 : Lord! what I haue slept weyll; As fresh as an eyll.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)7 : What ffysche ys more slypper then an elle? Whan thow hym grypest, and wenest wele ffor to haue hym sekyr, yet for all thy lyste Thow faylyst of hym, for he ys owt of thy fyste.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1026 : Whyche made the grounde as slepyr as an yele.
5.
A fabulous creature.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5776 : Hij founden a water yhote ganges. Þere ben jnne Eles stronge þat beþ þre hundreþ fet longe; hy habbeþ in hem hondes two.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)107/24 : In þat flome [Indus] men fynden Eles of xxx ti fote long & more.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)625 : Anguilla: neele.
Note: New form: Also..nēle.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)31b/b : The þridde þat þe fourme of þe brauny membris schulden be þe schalploker & þe fairer raþere þan þei hadden dwellid in ech place lijk as it were an yel or a staf.
Note: New form: Also..iel.
Note: Belongs to sense 4.
Note: Modify gloss in sense 4. to read "In proverbial sayings and stock similes."
Note: Addition: in sense 1., add gloss and emend punctuation: "The common European eel (Anguilla anguilla);--also coll. [A staple commodity of the fish trade, imported in large quantities from the Continent.]"
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section: Also elle, eil, eil(e, hel, nele.--notes per MLL