Middle English Dictionary Entry
hals n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hals n. Also halce, hauls, hales, (early) heals & hols & hawys, (error) hiwes. |
| Etymology | OE heals, hals. The Naut. senses were prob. influenced by ON; cp. OI hāls, Norw., Swed., Dan. hals. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The neck; hongen bi the ~, to hang (sb.) with a rope around the neck; fro ~ to croupoun, from neck to rump; ~ gund [OE heals-gund], a neck tumor; also in asseveration: bi mi ~; (b) the throat.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)11/33 : Ad parotidas, þæt ys, to ðan sare þe abutan sa earan wycst, þæt man nemneð on ure ȝeðeode healsgund.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1137 : [They] diden an scærp iren abuton þa mannes throte & his hals.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4777 : Side & halls & hæfedd.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)670 : He is drenched in þe flod, Abouten his hals an anker god.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2510 : Þey..drowen him un-to þe galwes..And henge [him] þore Bi þe hals.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5583 : Geffrey of Parys smot he als, And gurde his heued fro þe hals.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.73 : The crueltee of the queene Medea, The litel children hangyng by the hals.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2914 : Fulofte aboute the hals Love is of false men embraced.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)16503 : A rape..he fest abute his hals [Trin-C: nek].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.279 : Þe Scottis be alle schent, & hanged bi þe hals.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)prol.170 : To bugge a belle of brasse..And knitten on a coler..And hangen it vp-on þe cattes hals.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)427 : Þe fayre hede fro þe halce hit to þe erþe.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)391 : Than seyde Gamelyn, 'Broþer, by myn hals, Now i haue aspied þou art a party fals.'
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3722 : He a traytour was..Worþi to ben enhonged be þe halse.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2468 : And to þe geant sone he styrt; Þe scyn and fless bath rafe he down Fro his hals to hys cropoun.
- c1430(c1395) Chaucer LGW Prol.(2) (Benson-Robinson)292 : Some were brend, and some were cut the hals.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)224 : Hals, or nekke: Collum, amplexatorium.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)764 : Bothe his hede and hys hals ware halely all ouer Oundyde of azure.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1798 : He..hewes of þe hardieste halsez in sondyre.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)2223 : 'Dame,' he sayed, 'by my hals, Now thow schalt be proved fals.'
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)224/103 : And ther-fore hanged he be And þat by þe halse.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)394 : She heng hirself ryght be the hals.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)90 : Þe hede and the haulse [I] homelyde in sondree.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)239/18 : One with a swerde the halse of the chylde he smote in too.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)2091 : J stode vndur a galowe tree, And a rope a bowte hals myne.
b
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)224 : Hals, or halce [Win: hols], throte: Guttur.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)59b : A halse: gula.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)1471 : Hyt [a barley loaf] stekyth in my hals; J may not gete hyr downe.
2.
Naut. (a) Either of the curved, final planks of a strake abutting on the stemposts and sternposts of a ship; pl.:?the forward hoods of a particular strake; (b) ~ kne, a curved piece of timber for strengthening a ship's angular framework; (c) ?the forepart of a ship.
Associated quotations
a
- (1336-7) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 197 : In ij lignis emptis ad eandem pro ij halsis faciendis.
- (1399-1401) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 160 : In vna pecia maeremij empta de Nicholo Walton vocata hals.
- 1402 *Acc.Exch.K.R.43/6.m.5 [OD col.] : In vadiis..vj..Shipwrightes operancium..pro Scapulacione del knowes, hokes, halses, et Kipwronges [of a balenger].
- (1405-10) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 160 : In j alia pecia maeremij..pro j halse inde faciend' infra paruam batellam.
- (1432-7) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 161 : Pro v peciis maeremij..iij kneys et ij halsis.
b
- (1294-5) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 158 : Pro meremio scilicet Wranges et futtekes halscnewes.
- (1294-5) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 162 : Due pecie que dicuntur Halsknen.
- (1312-3) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 157 : En J halskneu xiiij d.
c
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)809 : Yselond myght not make hem [ships] to be fraught Unto the hawys [vr. hiwes].
3.
In surnames & place names: a narrow neck of land between hills, valleys, or lakes [see Smith PNElem. 1.226].
Associated quotations
- (1157-63) Pipe R.Lan310 : His terminis..de sicut aqua descendit de Wreineshals in langedenelittle et inde in helterwatra.
- (c1160) EPNSoc.10 (Nhp.)49 : Halsou.
- (1182) in Pipe R.Soc.3130 : Robertus Hals.
- (1190) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)30 : Halsham.
- (1196) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)360 : Halse.
- (1197) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.849 : Johannes Langhals.
- (1242) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)139 : Halesdone.
- (1242) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)389 : Eskhals.
- (1251) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames90 : Sampson Attehalse.
- (1253) Close R.Hen.III305 : Adam Hals.
- (1285) EPNSoc.10 (Nhp.)49 : Hawesho.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3181 : Richardus atte Halse.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3245 : Willelmus atte Halse.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. hals.