Middle English Dictionary Entry
fōle n.
Entry Info
| Forms | fōle n. Also foale, foil. |
| Etymology | OE fola. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
(a) A mare's foal [?male only]; (b) an ass's colt; mare fole, a female colt; (c) a newborn elephant; (d) any young animal; (e) a young child; ref. to a young woman: a mere child; no ~, no longer young.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)426 : Mi stede by his was bot a fole.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)167/22 : A mare..with hire fole.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)201/11,23 : Mares þat han ȝonge coltes or foles [vr. fooles]..the mares retornen towardes hire foles.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)168 : Fole [Win: ffoole], yonge horse: Pullus.
- (1455) Will York in Sur.Soc.30216 : J mare and a fole.
- (1465) Lin.DDoc.120/7 : For my Mortuary my Bay fole that goth in to the marsche.
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)7 : God almihti sende his apostles..efter þe assa fole.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)89 : Tweien sanderbodes ferden..and funden an asse mid fole.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Zech.9.9 : Vpon a fole, sone of the she asse.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)294a/a : Þe modres..huydeþ here mare foles in priuy place.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)14964 : Þar sal yee find an ass beist Wit hir fole.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.66 : Þe fole of þis asse.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)202/22 : An asse..With hir foole.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)284a/b : Þe femel [elephant] leueþ hire fole where sche foleþ.
d
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543/2 : Pullus: chiken, uel brid, uel fole.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)638/4 : Hic pullus: fole.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)49b : A ffole [Monson: foyle]: pullus.
e
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)298 : Sholde ic yeue a fol, a þerne, Engelond, þou sho it yerne?
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2407 : It scheweth wel be the visage That olde grisel is no fole: There ben fulmanye yeres stole With thee.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)170/48 : Knyghtys wyse..a-ryse and take ȝoure tolle, And every page of ii ȝere Age, or evyr ȝe swage, sleyth ilke a fool.
1b.
Phrases & combs.: in, with fole, with colt, with foal, pregnant; bagged with ~, heavy with colt; sing a ~ a mass, speak to deaf ears, talk uselessly [perh. influenced by fol n.]; fol-cot, a shelter for foals.
Associated quotations
- 1321 in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.93 : [A ruinous chamber called] folcot.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)283b/a : If a mare is wiþ fole and smylleþ þe snoffe of a candele, sche casteþ hire fole.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)293b/b : A mare þat is y fole [L eque pregnanti].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)284a/b : Sche [the female elephant] goþ wiþ fole two ȝeere.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.88 : Al nere he malapert, or made it tough, Or was to bold, to synge a fool a masse.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.335 : Bothe horse and houndes and alle other bestes Medled nouȝte wyth here makes þat with fole were.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.843 : Alle other marys may be with their males Al yeer at large; and this is their nature, That monthis twelue in fole euery female is.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)717 : The mere was bagged with fole.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)341 : Mad is he that syngith a fool a masse.
2.
(a) A warhorse, a steed, a charger; also, a non-equine steed [quot.Octav.(2)]; (b) a horse for riding, hunting, or plowing.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)35/589 : Horne ȝede to stable. Þar he tok his gode fole.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)123/2517 : He priked to the galewes wiȝ his fole.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3639 : Þan him was broȝt ys gode stede, þe beste fole þan man miȝt fede.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)173 : Þe fole þat he ferkkes on..A grene hors gret & þikke, A stede ful stif to strayne.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)814 : With an hande-darte, Þat boot þrow þe bote..in þe folis [vrr. steedes, hors] syde.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8341 : The triet knight Troiell titly wan vp, As fayne of the foale as a freke might.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1245 : Backeward he ȝode And fuersly of his foole fell to þe grounde.
- (1465) Acc.Howard in RC 57180 : A man that browt the Kynge a fole soreld cowsere.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)43/1351 : An vnycorn begat þat fole On a rabyte.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)459 : Leman, haue here thys fole.
- a1500(?c1400) Song Roland (Lnsd 388)64 : Then mad them redy the knyghtis right to feche food for foilis.
b
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)2.133 : Þenne careden heo for Caples to carien hem þider; Bote Fauuel fette forþ Foles [B: folus; foolis] of þe beste.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1255 : Þay wer cagged and kaȝt on capeles al bare, Festned fettres to her fete under fole wombes.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)449 : Thowe moste spede at the spurs and spare noghte thi fole.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)13560 : The freike on his fowle folowet the hert.
- a1500 Lady Prioress (Hrl 78)116 : Many a foyle I be-strood; There was no hegge for me to hey, nor no watter to brod.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2020 : It is not holsom to smylle to som cole, For quenching of som snofe a mare wil cast her vole.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2477-78 : The Elefante, for she is grete..Goith with voole yeris fulli tweyne, And fyty yeris or þat vole gendre agayne.
- a1475 Gawain & CC (Brog 2.1)302 : Corne and hey þei had reydy, A lyttyl folle stod hem bye Wytt her hors fast ettand.
Note: New spelling