Middle English Dictionary Entry
ē̆rl n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ē̆rl n. Also eerl, erel, eorl, orl, url, yerl, ȝorl. |
| Etymology | OE eorl. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
Any noble ranking below emperor, king, prince, or duke.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)3989 : Tatt enngell nohht ne comm Till kingess ne till eorless.
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)231 : Se hlaford into þar halle come..mid ærlen and aldren, mid cnihten, mid þeinen.
- a1200(?c1175) PMor.(Trin-C B.14.52)324 : We mihten habben more an heuene þa[n] ȝierles [vrr. eorles, erles] and kinges.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)273 : Erl ne barun, knict ne sweyn.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)71 : Þe kyng, þe erl, þe prince, þe emperour.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3376 : An Erles dowhter now I am.
- a1400 Amis (Eg 2862)65 : A duk wonyd in that lond..Frely he let [sende his sonde] After erles, barouns, fre & bond.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)9.80 : Þe Erl Auerous..or his eires.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)842 : The king of Grece..sente..To duyk, Eorl, baroun, and knyȝt.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)114/20 : Dukes, erles, markysez and amyrals.
- a1450(a1400) Athelston (Cai 175/96)61 : He þat was Eerl off Stane..gat vpon þe Countas Twoo knauechyldren dere.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)13.501 : He Clepeth forth lord, dwk, Erl, and bachelere.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)957 : Kynges and yerles of many a contre.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)7 : A duke, or an ȝerle, stonding ny a ȝerþli king.
- a1500 Degrev.(Cmb Ff.1.6)1897 : Þe ȝorle [Thrn: Erle] dyede þat same ȝer, And þe Contasse cler.
1b.
A great noble of England or Britain up to the time of the Danish kings.
Associated quotations
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Ic, Wulfere kyning, mid þas kyningas and mid eorles and mid heorotogas and mid þægnas.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4766 : Belin in Euerewic huld eorlene husting.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6756 : Þus dude Elidur þe king bi allen þeos eorlen [Otho: alle his eorles].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11562 : Mi fader is an icorren eorl, Cornwalen lauerd.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)25322 : Her to he wule leden kinges, eorles & here-þringes.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27272-3 : Wigein eorl of Leicestre and Jonatan eorl of Dorchestre.
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)5 : At siforde setin kinhis monie..herles prude ant cnites egleche.
- a1300(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Jes-O 29)7 : Þar wes þe eorl Alurich, of þare lawe swiþe wis, And ek Ealured, englene hurde.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1988 : Craddok, erl [B: vrl] of cornwaile.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.43 : Ethelgiva, eorle Egbertus his douȝter.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)17/16 : Hanemos, Erl of Cornewaile.
1c.
A great noble of medieval Europe, esp. one whose formal ML title was comes (later called count or duke).
Associated quotations
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1100 : Innan hærfest com se eorl Rotbert ham into Normandi, And se eorl Rotbert of Flandran, And Eustatius, eorl of Bunan.
- 1123 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1123 : For se miccle unfrið þæt he heafde wið se king Loðewis of France & wið se eorl of Angeow.
- a1126 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1124 : Se king of France and ealle þas eorles heolden mid him.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)72/63 : Willame Bastard, þat was þo Eorl in Noremaundie.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)p.25 : Sire Conan, Eorl of Bretaigne, and the Eorl John of Angeo..and Eorl Williem of Ferers.
- (?c1375-a1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3597 : The erl Hugelyn of Pize.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.283 : [Charles Martel] was i-cleped an erle, and hilde hym a payed in þat name.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.251 : Rouland, eorl of þe paleys [comes palatii].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.47 : Eorle Palatinus.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)125 : Þe Erl of Flaundres þat me callede Baldewynne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)141 : Erle, lorde: Comes.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)277/9 : Duke of Normandy &..eryl of aungey.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)172/22 : Auberk þat was erle of Venys.
- c1450(?c1425) St.Christina Mirab.(Dc 114)130/2 : The ful nobil man Lowys, Erille of Loen.
1d.
Used to transl. L comes companion, associate.
Associated quotations
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1545 : Aftir that, the Duke & Erlys have The pretory, a grounde out set therfore.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1937 : Tribunys, Erlis or their lieutenauntys.
2a.
A great noble under the Danish kings of England, being governor of one of the large territorial subdivisions of the land.
Associated quotations
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1066 : Se eorl Leofric.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6530 : A gret erl of þis lond, godwine was is name.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.241 : Þe orles Godwyn and Syward.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)125 : Þe Erl Godwyne, þat þo was þe grettest lorde of al Engeland next þe kyng.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)233 : The earle Tosty then of Northumberlande, That brother was vnto the kyng Herolde.
2b.
One of the great post-Conquest nobles of England (or Scotland), being originally lords of counties, ranking until the 14c. under the king, then under dukes, and later under marquises.
Associated quotations
- 1123 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1123 : Muneces and eorles and þeignes.
- (1155) Chart.Hen.II in Hall EME (Hrl Charter 3.B.49)11 : [Henry,] þurh godes ȝefu ænglelandes king, gret ealle mine bissceopas & ealle mine eorlas & ealle mine scirereuan & ealle mine þeinas frencisce & englisce.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1140 : Randolf, eorl of cæstre..ferde efter Rodbert, eorl of gloucestre.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1314 : Eorles, barones, and bischopes, þe hexte of þe londe.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of ihu (Hrl 913)108 : Kniȝt and barun, erl and king.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)165 : Þe hend erl of herford, sir humfray de bowne.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.23 : Duckes, Erles, Barouns, and Bachelers of ye londe.
- (1399) RParl.3.452a : The Dukes of Aumarle, Surrey, and Excestre..the Markys here present..and the Erle of Gloucestre.
- (1423) Pet.Sutton in Fenland NQ 7307 : To owre Worshipfull and graciouse lord, Erle of Suffolk, Steward of the Duchie of Lancastre.
- (1436) RParl.4.499b : John, Erle of Oxenford.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.5 (Hrl 2169)180 : The Erle of Dowggles yn Scotland.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)235 : Ser Thomas Wodstok, herl of Bokyngham.
- (c1465) Cart.Tropenell in BGAS 23200 : The said manor of Estchaldefeld of the erle of Salysbery.
- a1500 Sarum BPrayer(2) (Sal 148)225* : The kyng, the queene..and alle other lordes, dukes, merkeisses, herles, and barons.
3.
erl marshal, q.v.; ~ sone, the son of an earl; ~ wif, the wifé of an earl.
Associated quotations
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)73/16,20 : The Erle sonne of Gloucestre was abasshed..I have doone the Erle sonne of Gloucestre dyspleser.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)116 : An Erle wyfe (or a countess): comitissa.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.59 : They gaderyd John Painter alias Treludeck, Stephen Tredudan cosyn to the priour, Henry Person, John Goly, Robert Kendale and other meny in her compaynye yn a tent for to straynthe the for seyd ȝeurl and to anerrey.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.59 : The wyche thyng the for sayd priour sayde in the monthe of Decembr that last was that he wolde yeve al the gode that he hadde lond and moble yn covenant that the hurzl of Huntyngdoun hadde be makyd kyng of Engelond.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.59 : The for seyd priour hayd y recyvyd of the godys of the for seyde ȝourl and of hys helppers and ys consayllours in hys cas of treyson a mill' li' and mor and the mor to wath value we connauth say.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.59 : The for seyd..hadde in Cornwaylle the castel of Trematoun..and al so the burgh of Cameleforde and the manour of Helston..the burgh of Lostwythyel with the purtenaunce the castel and the parck with the manour of Restormel..the exstent other value of wyche manoyrs..we knowyzth nozth for wy Sor John Hulond, presth, general receyvour of the for seyd zurl, receyvyd at Mich[ael]s masse last was the bokys and the a counptys of alle the lordschyppys for sayd'.
Note: New forms: Also..ȝeurl, ȝ(o)url, hurȝl.
Note: Quots. belong to sense 1a.
Note: Quots. have been taken back to books.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)19811 : Ordainede in oste..he þam settes With dukes, erels, and princes slik Vnto þe cite of eborwik.
Note: Additional quot.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1a.
Note: This quot. has been taken back to books.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section: Also erle, erel, eril(le, earle, eorl(e, url, herl, hurȝl, ȝerle, ȝeurl, ȝorle, ȝ(o)url; pl. erles, etc. & herles, yerles, orles, (early) ȝierles, (infl.) ærlen, eorlen, eorlas, (gen.) eorlene.--notes per MLL