Middle English Dictionary Entry
fel n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | fel n.(1) Also vel. Pl. felles. |
| Etymology | OE fel(l. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The skin as covering for the flesh of man or beast; (b) fel wound, a cicatrix, a scar; (c) a membrane covering one of the inner organs or the foetus; (d) the cutaneous membrane between the toes of an animal or bird; (e) the thin membrane within the shell of an egg.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)5/21 : Þa bula þe be[t]wyx felle and flæsce arisað.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4086 : Þeȝȝ ummbeshærenn þeȝȝre [male children's] shapp..A litell off þe fell aweȝȝ Biforenn all abutenn.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)201 : Ðe neddre bileued hire hude baften hire, and cumeð newe fel.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)210 : Zuych difference ase þer is betuene þe cheue and þe corn..betuene þe uelle and þe beste.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)202b/a : If þe forhede is y waisshe þer wiþ it strepiþ wonderliche of þe felle.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1081 : His frount and his forheuede, all was it ouer As þe fell of a froske.
- a1450 Ch.Feasts (Roy 18.A.10)298 : Iohan weissch his faire fell and crystened crist in water colde.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Jer.30.17 : Y shal helen parfitly thi felle wounde [L cicatricem] to thee.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Lev.22.22 : If it were blynde, if broken, if hauynge fel wounde..ȝe shulen not offre hem to the Lord.
c
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)33a : Þet ruhe fel abute þe heorte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)80b/b : An hote posteme in certeyne skynnes & felles of þe brayne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)279b/b : Castorium..is nought y feyned whanne the stones han certein felles þat cleueþ..þerto.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Deut.28.57 : The filth of the lityl fellis [WB(2): skynnes] that goon out fro the myddil of the hippis of hyr.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)275a/b : Þe Camele..is clouefooted & haþ felles in þe cliftes, as it fareþ in a goos foot.
e
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)253 : Þet zekþ þet uel ine þe aye.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Tob.11.14 : The ryme of his eȝen began, as the fellis [WB(2): litil skyn; L membrana] of an ey, to gon out.
2.
(a) The skin as one of the component parts of the human body; ~ and flesh, ~ and bon(es, etc., the whole body; bodily form or appearance; (b) abuien on fel, to pay for (something) with (one's) skin; for (one's) felle, to save (one's) skin; out of (one's) felle, excessively aroused (as with fear).
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8591 : Godd himm ledde aweȝȝ fra menn..I fell & flæsh.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)47/14 : He was..fair of flechs and felle.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)433 : He drouȝ to-ward þe deþe..On him nas nouȝt bote fel and bon bileued atþe laste.
- a1325 Heil beo þou Marie Mylde (StJ-C S.30)39 : Marie..was tan In-to þe blisse of heuene..& i-set bi swete ihesu in fel & flecsch & ban.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)822 : His soster..was his [the devil's] in flesche & felle.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)772 : It hadde liij & lim & fas..& hadde hide & flesche & fel.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)584 : Þe body, hit is flesshe & felle.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)943 : Ho watz þe fayrest in felle, of flesche & of lyre.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.91 : He and al his kyn..Ben worthi for to brennen, fel and bones.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)835 : We schal rise in flesch & felle.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)2484 : Þe thombe of my ryȝt honde..Ys as hole in fel & flesshe and blode..As euer hit was.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)2483 : He was beryd, bon and fel, Withouten the toun at a chapel.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)3.1243 : My boones, my body, my flesh and my felles.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)5.1070 : To hym I offre my flesh, my blood, & felle.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)877 : Ȝe hawe iij aduersaryis..the dewell, þe world, þe flesch & þe Fell.
- a1500(?c1400) EToulouse (Cmb Ff.2.38)1140 : In the fyre he þem brente, Flesche, felle, and boonys.
b
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1572 : Þu ne schald, for þine felle, Ondswere none þarto finde.
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)588 : So sore werth þe giv a-drad þat he werth neiȝ out of is felle.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)76 : He..leet his londes forfare..And seþþen he it abought on his faire fel.
3.
(a) The skin of an animal stripped from the body and left with or without the hair attached; a skin, hide, pelt, or fleece; also, such skin, or a piece of such skin, treated and used for clothing, parchment, etc.; (b) fel-binder, one who binds fleeces into bundles for sale or shipment; fel-mongere, fel-man, one who sells skins, etc.; (c) fel-pollere, one who removes the hair from skins before they are tanned; (d) fel-ware, skins, etc., as merchandise.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)225 : God ham ȝeworhta þa reaf of fellan and hi were mid þan fellen ȝescridde.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)113a : Felles [Nero: uelles] wel itawet.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)830 : Þe uox..Ne kan..hine so bi þenche..Þat he ne lost his rede uel.
- a1325 *Rwl.Statutes [OD col.] (Rwl B.520)lf.54b : Þe custume of wolle ant of velles And of hydene bi foreseid.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2361 : Þe beres fel schal neuer fro my bac.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4243 : The fame of thilke schepes fell..Which in Colchos..Was al of gold.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)277a/a : Þe vse of geet & of scheep is nedeful..for he..cloþiþ þe naked wiþ felle and wiþ wolle.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)880 : A mere mantyle..fayre furred wythinne with fellez of þe best.
- ?a1425(?a1350) SLeg.Guth.(Jul D.9)49 : He ne wereþe no wollen cloþ..Ac felles and rowe skynnes.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)664 : Felles of kydde and conyes.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)4794 : Of Guyes felawes shull we telle As y fynde in this perchemyn felle.
- a1475 Siege Troy(1) (Hrl 525)165/38 : A Gyldyn weders ffelle [Suth: a shepes skynne..of golde].
b
- (1310) Let.Bk.Lond.B (Gldh LetBk B)252 : Felmongere.
- (1352) Doc.in HMC Rep.9 App.12 : Robert atte Brok, felmonger.
- (1432) Close R.Hen.VI184 : [William Coumbys, citizen and] felmonger.
- (1477) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/9)p.13 (15/8) : I care for nothynge saue butt ffor my ffellmen o Barmessay Strette, ffor thay wyll be nedy and call faste on me for mony er M[arc]he be paste.
- (1478) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/20)p.31 (34/29) : A sarwant of the felbyndars ȝed into the ȝard to es hym, and sav the wyndow opyn, and lokyd in, and sawe canuas, lynnyn clothe, bankars, knyuys, vyth oder stofe, and marwellyd.
c
- (1302) in Fransson Surn.123 : Walt. le Velpollare.
d
- (1367) Close R.Edw.III376 : [Merchandise called] felware.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.150 : Furris of foyne and oþer felle-whare.
4.
The covering skin (of fruit), the husk or hull (of grain).
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)249a/b : Þe eere is..biclipped al aboute with smale felles and hules.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)257a/b : Þe smale fellis and hullis of þe grapes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 36/25 : Forto make gode furrours hastely of schepes vellys or of lombis vellys or of cony skynnes.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 38/3 : Karde hit wel and clene vpon þe wulle syde with a karde as þese skynners karden þese lombe vell with.
Note: Additional quots., sense 3.(a). New spellings (vell & [pl.] vellis).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. fell.