Middle English Dictionary Entry
fenel n.
Entry Info
| Forms | fenel n. Also finul (early), finel(l, vinel, venel, feniel. |
| Etymology | OE finul(e (from ML fēnuculum). ME fenel has the vowel of the synonym fenkel. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. fenkel.
1.
(a) Fennel Foeniculum vulgare; rot (more) of ~, etc.; red (rouge, brown) ~, a variety of fennel with brown seeds, ?German or Saxon fennel; (b) when qualified, denoting other plants: hound ~, dogge ~, hog's fennel Peucedanum officinale; also stinking camomile Anthemis cotula.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)82.28/1 : Buoptalmon..hafað hnescne stelan & leaf ȝelice finule.
- a1350 Lenten ys come (Hrl 2253)18 : Þe lilie is lossom to seo, þe fenyl ant þe fille.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)3060 : Mirie it is in time of June. When fenel hongeþ abrod in toun.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1327 : Clota or elles Pliades It hatte..his herbe..The vertuous Fenele it is.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)226b/b : Fenel..is of gret vertu and might and is hote and drye in þe secounde degree..þe seed, roote, and leues þerof acordiþ to medicyne..serpentis tasteþ þerof and doþ away þe eelde of her ȝer..vnderstondynge of inwitte is arered þer wiþ..Of fenel is double maner of kynde, wilde and tame..Jus þerof conforteþ..þe stomak and abateþ wlatenesse and brekeþ the stoon and exciteþ vryne and multiplieþ milk in brestes..tame fenel doþ al þis. But ypomaratrum, wilde fenel, worcheþ more strongly.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)62 : Powdour of gyngur and Juys of Fenel and wyne.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)63 : Take anys, sugar & branches of fenel grene.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)225/28 : Almaundis grounden..temperid with a decoccioun of fenel.
- ?a1400 *Albi Reynolds 5081 Recipes (Albi Reynolds 5081)f.23r : For sor eyen: Tak .1. schopyn of whyt wyn, as moch of well water, of alum .1. ℥, of feniel as moch.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)117 : Toward nyght, ete some fenel Rede..or coriandre sede.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)731 : By a lytel path I fond Of mentes full and fenell grene.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)4b : Annete is an erbe that som men callethe dyll; this herbe ys like to ffenell.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)24a : Finell is hote and drye in oþer degre; drinke hit, and hit sleith venym and inhansith lechery.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)10/6 : Wasche thyn eghne with water þat fenell is sothen in.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)12/30 : Tak þe rotes of fenell.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)67/10 : Fenell with þe sede rouge.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)193/7 : For a webe in þe eye..and ȝyt[c]hyn of the eys. Take þe juce off fenell rotis.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)226/8 : Take an hand full..of brown fenell and allso myche of comyn.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)329/894 : Fenel in potage and in mete Is good to don.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)36/12 : Watir for eyne. Take egremoyne-leuys, and þe lewys of vervoyne and of fenell.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)85/8 : Take þe more of þe fenell.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)46a : Fenell: feniculum, maratrum.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)9/18 : A goud letuarie a-ȝen alle yuellis..Nyme horshouue..ache, vinel, rewe.
b
- a1400 Mirfeld Sinonoma (Pmb-O 2)19 : Emeroc: Anglice, hounde fenel.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.28v : Aneta agrestris; Fenellus..caninus..The erbe Y knowe wel, saue vulgal knowe Y non þerto, but feynyd of þe Latyn, as 'wilde anet,' 'hunde fenel.'
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)29a : Amarusca: Houndfynell or maythen or dogfynell is like to camamyll in all degre.
- 1523 MS Add.27582 in Hunt Plant Names (Add 27582)25 : Anetum agreste: [glossed] anglice mathegyn or mayde- or dog-fenel.
2.
Cpds. (a) fenel-more, ~ rot, fennel root; (b) ~ scales; (c) ~ sed, fennel seed.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)107/18 : For to porgyn þe stomak þat is colde..fenell-more.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)111/13 : For swellynge in þe stomak. Take fenell-rotis, ache-rotis.
b
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)217 : Aqua pro oculis. Tak of fenel scales viij partes.
c
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)5.156 : A Ferþing-worþ of Fenel-seed [UC: fenkil seed] for þis Fastyng dayes.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)50 : Fenell seed.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)212/17 : Yf þe splene be a-chafyd, do þerto som diuretyk as fenell-sede.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.493 : The wycche..vndre hir tonge she put three fenell seedis. This belongeth hooly to hir crafte.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475 Sln.4 Recipes in Rel.Ant.1 (Sln 4)324 : Recipe..bay trees, radyshe, redesenelle [read: redefenelle].
Note: New form: Also..(error, in cpd.) -senelle.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.
Note: Quot. also used under rēd adj.--JL
- c1400 To God (Wel 406)224 : Alle of þe herbys o Ierlonde, Here þow schalt ham knowe eueri onde..Finelle, sowrynwod, weþerwoy, & carway.
Note: New form: Also..finelle.
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 (including supplement quots.): Also fenele, fenil, finel(le, vinel, (error, in cpd.) -senelle & (early) finule.-- notes per MLL